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Barbara Eden in the sitcom "Harper Valley PTA" in 1980. Source: https://www.instagram.com/p/DVJZMLfCdFE/ (May be subject to copyright) |
As the decade progressed, Eden would return as Jeannie, join an old friend on “Dallas”, and do much more.
Her birthday is a great time to look back on a career that hasn’t finished yet.
Genie in a bottle
My Mom used to talk about the show “I Dream of Jeannie” every so often. It starred Larry Hagman as an astronaut who finds a bottle with a genie in it played by Barbara Eden. Mom said my brother and sister loved the show. One time, they were all visiting relatives in Lethbridge and Dad wanted to go home. They wanted to stay to finish watching “I Dream of Jeannie”. Dad insisted. So they left, but he wanted to get them home to watch the end of the show. He ended getting stopped for speeding.
My Mom used to talk about the show “I Dream of Jeannie” every so often. It starred Larry Hagman as an astronaut who finds a bottle with a genie in it played by Barbara Eden. Mom said my brother and sister loved the show. One time, they were all visiting relatives in Lethbridge and Dad wanted to go home. They wanted to stay to finish watching “I Dream of Jeannie”. Dad insisted. So they left, but he wanted to get them home to watch the end of the show. He ended getting stopped for speeding.
It was a story they all told in my family, but it was years before I was born.
I also read about the battles the producers had with the network censors over things like Barbara Eden’s belly button, and how it could never be shown on TV.
All of this happened before I was born in 1970. “I Dream of Jeannie” aired from 1965 to 1970.
“I Dream of Jeannie” also came up when my Mom was telling me about a movie she had watched while I was doing something else.
It was called “Harper Valley PTA”.
The movie
“Harper Valley PTA” was initially a song written by Tom T. Hall, which became an international hit in 1968 for Jeannie C. Riley. The song topped both the U.S. Hot Country Singles and Billboard Hot 100- charts.
“Harper Valley PTA” was initially a song written by Tom T. Hall, which became an international hit in 1968 for Jeannie C. Riley. The song topped both the U.S. Hot Country Singles and Billboard Hot 100- charts.
A movie, inspired by the song, came out in 1978, starring Barbara Eden as Stella Johnson. She was a single mom who upsets the apple cart in Harper Valley, ultimately making a run for the parent-teacher association.
My Mom just loved the movie and told me all about it. Unlike today, where I could likely go out and watch it for myself on some streaming service, back then I had to take her word for it.
It was the same a few years later when she noticed a TV series with the same name.
The TV show
In 1981, “Harper Valley, PTA” was made into a TV series that appeared on Channel 7 on the peasant vision dial. Barabra Eden reprised her role as Stella Johnson, and she was really good. The other memory I have, aside from her continual ability to irritate the snobs and elitests of Harper Valley, was Stella Johnson’s best friend, played by Fannie Flagg. Up to that point, I had only ever seen Fannie Flagg as a panelist on the game show “Match Game”.
In 1981, “Harper Valley, PTA” was made into a TV series that appeared on Channel 7 on the peasant vision dial. Barabra Eden reprised her role as Stella Johnson, and she was really good. The other memory I have, aside from her continual ability to irritate the snobs and elitests of Harper Valley, was Stella Johnson’s best friend, played by Fannie Flagg. Up to that point, I had only ever seen Fannie Flagg as a panelist on the game show “Match Game”.
“Harper Valley, PTA” lasted two seasons, from 1981 to 1982, and 30 episodes. The producers changed the show’s name in the second season simply to “Harper Valley”, because the PTA angle had run its course.
Barabra Eden would keep on acting with the movie “Chattanooga Choo Choo” in 1984, based on the song recorded by the Glenn Miller Orchestra. She was also in the TV movies “Return of the Rebels” in 1981 and “Woman of the Year”, in 1984.
Then she returned to a familiar role.
Fifteen years later
In 1985, Barbara Eden returned to the bottle and was once again the genie in “I Dream of Jeannie…Fifteen Years Later”. I was so excited when I read about this reunion in “TV Guide”. When I tuned in, one thing became clear very quickly. Larry Hagman was otherwise occupied now, playing J.R. Ewing on “Dallas”, so Wayne Rogers assumed the role of Tony Nelson.
In 1985, Barbara Eden returned to the bottle and was once again the genie in “I Dream of Jeannie…Fifteen Years Later”. I was so excited when I read about this reunion in “TV Guide”. When I tuned in, one thing became clear very quickly. Larry Hagman was otherwise occupied now, playing J.R. Ewing on “Dallas”, so Wayne Rogers assumed the role of Tony Nelson.
The funny thing is, the first time I ever saw “I Dream of Jeannie” was in this reunion movie. That meant I never really saw Larry Hagman as Tony Nelson, so I had nothing to compare Wayne Rogers to.
The plot of the movie is that Tony takes on one more mission into space, upsetting Jeannie and prompting her to move out and take their son with her.
Barbara Eden would reprise the role once more in 1991 in “I Still Dream of Jeannie.”
The rest of the decade
Barbara Eden kept on working in the ‘80s in the TV movies “The Stepford Children”; “The Secret Life of Kathy McCormick”; and “Your Mother Wears Combat Boots”; as well as six episodes of a short-lived TV show called “A Brand New Life” opposite Don Murray.
Barbara Eden kept on working in the ‘80s in the TV movies “The Stepford Children”; “The Secret Life of Kathy McCormick”; and “Your Mother Wears Combat Boots”; as well as six episodes of a short-lived TV show called “A Brand New Life” opposite Don Murray.
She received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1988.
The years after
Barbara Eden keeps on acting and performing. She appeared in a movie in 1990 I really enjoyed called “Opposites Attract” opposite John Forsythe. Later that year, and into 1991, she began a five-episode arc on “Dallas” appearing opposite her old “I Dream of Jeannie” co-star Larry Hagman.
Barbara Eden keeps on acting and performing. She appeared in a movie in 1990 I really enjoyed called “Opposites Attract” opposite John Forsythe. Later that year, and into 1991, she began a five-episode arc on “Dallas” appearing opposite her old “I Dream of Jeannie” co-star Larry Hagman.
I never saw those later seasons of “Dallas” when they initially aired. However, in 1997 I watched the full run of “Dallas” when it aired weeknights on The Nashville Network. By then, I was out of student residence and watched the first bunch in my apartment in Edmoton. I saw the rest when I took a job at Lakeland College and moved to Vermilion.
She appeared in a number of TV movies, as well as TV shows such as “Teamo Supremo”; three episodes of “Sabrina, the Teenage Witch”; “George Lopez”; “Army Wives”; “Shimmer and Shine”; and more.
Parting thoughts
It is interesting at what point someone comes into history. Barbara Eden was well-known as Jeannie, yet for me that was prologue. The first time I saw her was in a much different role as Stella Johnson, and I remember she was awesome – self assured; defiant; funny; flirty and so much more.
It is interesting at what point someone comes into history. Barbara Eden was well-known as Jeannie, yet for me that was prologue. The first time I saw her was in a much different role as Stella Johnson, and I remember she was awesome – self assured; defiant; funny; flirty and so much more.
For many fans, she turned Tony Nelson‘s life upside down.
For me she turned all the snobs of Harper Valley upside down.
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