'I Dream of Jeannie' Star Barbara Eden Reveals the Surprising Reason the Show Could Never Be Made Today

Nowadays, it's practically a given to describe I Dream of Jeannie as one of the most influential TV shows ever made.

Seamlessly blending comedy, fantasy and romance together into one succinct series, I Dream of Jeannie remains one of the most beloved projects to air on NBC in the 1960s, paving the way for countless TV shows that followed in its wake.

Running for a total of five seasons before ceasing its run in 1970, I Dream of Jeannie proved to be a hit among '60s audience members.

Looking at it from today's perspective, however, series star Barbara Eden said she isn't so sure the show would succeed if it aired for modern viewers. As Eden herself pointedly said, "I'm not sure that [any network] would want to do it."

Speaking with Forbes, Eden discussed the one thing that likely would have prevented I Dream of Jeannie from being greenlit on NBC today. Rather than any semblance of racy or suggestive humor, though, Eden believed the main issue lay in the repeated use of the word "master" whenever Jeannie speaks with Major Tony Nelson.

While Eden herself didn't believe the word held a negative connotation whenever it was used in the show, she still felt the term would likely prove grating to today's audiences.

"You know, ‘master' is just a word and it was in her vocabulary," Eden said of the word's repeated appearance on I Dream of Jeannie. "She didn't really say she was a slave. Never, you know?"

"It was actually a classic theme," the legendary TV actress went on to say. "A thousand years and all the genies - and she was an entity. She wasn't a human, but she thought she could be a human, and he knew she couldn't - and there, you have the comedy, because she just wasn't human."

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This story was originally published June 4, 2026 at 5:43 AM.