The Good

Half the fun of watching this show is Larry Hagman's reactions to everything Barbara Eden is doing.

The Bad

No Special Features came with this four disc set.

Since I am a born again TV connoisseur, I was very excited when the site leaders passed down the I Dream of Jeannie: The Complete Second Season box set for me to review. This is a show that I am familiar with because, after all, who isn't familiar with the story of the genie in the bottle? However, this show takes us into the life of Tony Nelson (Larry Hagman) who has freed Jeannie (Barbara Eden) from her bottle and now she spends her days, rightly or wrongly, devoted to him.

As in many situations when the practical world meets the practical magic that Jeannie possesses, often times we see Nelson scurrying about trying to diffuse potential powder kegs. In one episode, Nelson is turned into an opera singer, in another Jeannie transports him to Napoleon's court and this doesn't even mention the things Jeannie does to help Tony's friends. All in all, these shows hold up because there was a great deal at work in the subtext of each episode, making I Dream of Jeannie a show for the ages and the aged.

Features

No Special Features came with this DVD.

Video

Aspect Ratio - 1.33:1. I believe that these shows have been artificially colorized. I might be wrong about that but they nevertheless look really good. I have said this before but it really looks as if each frame has been individually painted. While I can (and do) appreciate the look of black and white, I very much love the lushness that color can add to the these films. Also, it doesn't effect the compression or anything else so the bottom line is why not let both items exist and have let consumers choose which ones they want?

Audio

English, Spanish and Portuguese - Dolby Digital 2.0. The audio on these DVDs is normal if not spectacular. It certainly didn't have me jumping out of my seat but at the same time I didn't find myself fumbling around with the controller. It was what it was and that was good enough for my viewing experience.

Package

The luscious Barbara Eden is all "Jeannied" out on this front cover which has her bottle opening in a graphic behind her. The back cover offers up some shots from this show, a description and technical specs. The four discs are neatly housed inside this artwork which features some more images of the characters on this show, as well as an index and descriptions of the episodes that comprise it. Pretty simple stuff but I am a huge fan of clearness in presentation.

Final Word

There is a freshness to this show that still makes it seem very relevant today. I did a search on IMDB and discovered that a feature length movie is in the works. It is going to be directed by Gurinder Chadha who also helmed Bend It Like Beckham and happens to also be doing the Dallas movie. Sadly, I don't think that bodes well for a feature length version of I Dream of Jeannie, however one can always take great solace in the DVDs, right?

I Dream of Jeannie was released .