- Joined
- Jun 23, 2006
- Messages
- 4,671
- Real Name
- Robert M. Grippo
I think your have the Darrins mixed up - York was the first one I found the second Darrin nasty and hard funny though never understood why Sam never told her mother leave my husband alone but again then where would be no showI will always prefer I Dream of Jeannie for a few very specific reasons:
1) I saw Jeannie first.
2) It had the NASA angle that appealed to my sci-fi fandom
3) It had a more appealing leading Man
4) It had more madcap energy
5) It had a stronger reliance on physical comedy
6) It focused less on the female lead's family and more on the mortal's REACTIONS which leads to
7) It's a much funnier series with more belly laughs than gentle chuckles
Bewitched was indeed a Civil Rights message show which was obviously more socially important. It may have had better written episodes, but it was still a repetitive series like it's "sister" series. It also had heavier lifting to do. I Dream of Jeannie was just a comedy. And it did that extremely well.
Bewitched had a much larger rotating ensemble of supporting characters - but most weren't regulars and came in and out. And for a best friend as well as a boss, Larry Tate was a genuine d-hole. I never understood why Darrin would have the guy over for dinner voluntarily. Then again, Dr. Bellows would show up at social occasions while still trying to nab Major Nelson at something.
Bewitched also lost a few supporting actors to their own mortality and had to recast, which always changes things. I Dream of Jeannie had a smaller ensemble and, as such, they were there EVERY WEEK. So they developed a stronger chemistry. Paul Lynde, Marion Lorne, Alice Ghostly, Maurice Evans, etc...were all great actors and could be very funny (Lynde was always an acquired tase in my house that we never acquired), but they were "irregulars" and there to cause a problem and leave. Dr. Bellows. Roger Healey, Amanda, etc were part of the weekly ensemble and would cause problems as well as react to them. Totally different energy and a much more fun feeling of family.
The leading men: Dick York was shrill and often mean. Dick Sargent was softer and more loving, but not particularly funny. Recasting Darrin changed the series, which made remade episodes interesting to compare.
Larry Hagman wasn't simply a straight man, he was the driving comic force of the series and the true lead (the "I" in the series title). He and Daily, once they found their niche, boosted the slender plots with their classic comedic timing. Add Hayden Rorke into the mix and you have a classic comedy team which balanced Eden's sweet antics. But it was Hagman who held that show together when the scripts were letting everyone down.
I - like - Bewitched. I - love - I Dream of Jeannie. It is indeed a happier show and it's often much funnier thanks to the talents of the cast. There was a lot of ad-libbing going on with Hagman and Daily and their energy, along with Eden's charm and beauty (also costume) saved what would have been just another minor footnote in TV history.
. I looked it up, according to Wikipedia and the website below, Bewitched ran on daytime from 1968 to 1973 on ABC. And on Saturday mornings too. I did not know that.
