It's even better this season. I reviewed I Dream of Jeannie: The Complete Third Season earlier this year (please click here to read that review), and I found the show, as I have for thirty years in reruns, a delight. I Dream of Jeannie: The Complete Fourth Season is more of the same - in that comfortable, professionally executed, infinitely repeatable experience known as the 1960s American TV sitcom. Astronaut Tony Nelson is still running around, insane, trying to cover up the effects of his genie Jeannie's wacky, good-natured magic. Roger, Tony's ever-so-slightly dim, bumbling next-door neighbor and fellow astronaut, is still helping Tony keep Jeannie a secret from their stern boss, Dr. Bellows. And Jeannie is still delightfully, gorgeously innocent and incredibly sexy at the same time, driving everybody wild with that barely-there harem outfit.

With the formula firmly set in this fourth outing, and the actors thoroughly comfortable in their roles and with each other's timing, the performances in I Dream of Jeannie: The Complete Fourth Season just soar during these 26 episodes from 1968-1969. As I've written before when reviewing the Dallas box sets, Larry Hagman is a most underrated actor. In I Dream of Jeannie, he continues to wow me with his expert timing and comedic physical grace. Hagman has an almost impossible task here in the series: he has to play straight man to a gorgeous genie - and still be funny on his own. There's a reason that actors traditionally don't want to work with animals or children; the audiences' eyes are glued to those scene-stealers any time they're on screen. And Barbara Eden's legendary good looks makes it damn hard to concentrate on anything else but her stunning body when she's on camera. But Hagman, through his genial demeanor and his obvious chemistry with Eden, manages to hold our attention in one of the most laid-back "manic" performances you'll ever see. Hagman has this almost weird calm to the beginning of his scenes, with his reactions whittled down to the barest minimum, that he then turns into a sly, giggling, slow breakdown, only to finally morph into him throwing himself around the sets in the finest slapstick tradition. I think it's one of the finest comedic performances in 1960s television.

As for Eden, it's easy to just pass her off as a breathtakingly gorgeous knock-out (seriously, has anyone looked better in that kind of outfit?). After all, how many great looking actresses in Hollywood history have been thought of as just that, while their craft was ignored or underestimated (contemporaries of Eden like Stella Stevens and Tuesday Weld immediately come to mind)? I don't think I've seen very many dramatic roles of hers (although I do remember her being quite spooky in a well-executed TV movie from the 1970s called The Stranger Within), but she's more than accomplished in the seemingly thin role of Jeannie. It's a tough character to make credible. With all the internal complications that could come to the surface of the master/slave relationship (conflicts, obviously, that this resolutely innocent 1960s series artfully dodges), Jeannie still has to charm the audience into thinking that Jeannie would never do anything to intentionally harm or embarrass Major Nelson (well, at least nothing seriously harmful). Much like a naughty child who doesn't really intend any malice, Jeannie's innocence and likeability is critical for the audience not getting annoyed with her chronic misunderstanding of Tony's instructions (seriously, if she didn't look the way she did, Tony would have chucked that bottle in the ocean after the second week). And Eden does that effortlessly. Watch her genuine glee as she bounces up and down, her ponytail swinging and her hands clapping, when she does something funny with Tony's body. It's a delight, and matched only by Hagman's good-natured approach to the unending humiliations.

There are episodes in I Dream of Jeannie: The Complete Fourth Season that rank among the most favorite with fans, including the season opener, U.F.Ohh! Jeannie, with personal favorites Kathleen Freeman and J. Pat O'Malley hamming it up as hillbillies; Jeannie and the Wild Pipchicks, with the marvelous Reta Shaw delivering the series' wildest, most bizarre line ever (under the influence of the drugged candy pipchicks, and in love with Tony, she screams, "That's right, men! Dominate me! I've always wanted to be dominated!" as Roger and Tony try to pin back her grasping arms); Djinn Djinn, Go Home, where Jeannie's little disappearing dog comes to stay and invisibly attacks anyone in a uniform (watch Hagman cracking up as his clothes are ripped off his body); How to Marry an Astronaut, where Jeannie's evil sister almost marries Roger (marriage is a common theme this season); Jeannie the Guru, where we get to see an authentic - by sanitized 1968 American TV sitcom standards - hippie freak-out at Major Nelson's pad (Hagman looks like one of the Hair Bear Bunch with his wig and moustache); the two-parter, The Case of My Vanishing Master, with its James Bond-inspired espionage plot and the threat (carried out in the last season) of Jeannie and Tony getting married; Biggest Star in Hollywood, where some of the Laugh-In gang crossover for an episode; and Jeannie-Go-Round, where Jeannie's sister is up to her old antics in trying to steal Major Nelson away (check out Barbara Eden's sexy take on Nancy Sinatra).

NBC's I Dream of Jeannie, always a solid (if unspectacular) performer in the ratings (perhaps due to the fact that it was moved from its time slot five times in five years), received a nice bump in its Nielsen ratings this fourth season in 1968-1969, due to it leading off the hottest show on television, Rowen & Martin's Laugh-In. Hitting number one that year and the next, Rowen & Martin's Laugh-In was the single most-talked about television series of the late 1960s, and no doubt, it didn't hurt for I Dream of Jeannie to precede it at the 7:30pm time slot (believe it or not, back in the Stone Age before most people had TV remote controls and "channel surfing" was unknown, a lot of people settled in for a night of TV by switching on whatever channel came up, only to leave it there, unchanged, for the whole night). I Dream of Jeannie finished 26th for the year (just ahead of the declining The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour) in a tough time slot, against heavyweight contender Gunsmoke over on CBS, and hip British spy import The Avengers over on ABC. Those tuning in to wait for Rowen & Martin's Laugh-In that year were treated to one of the funniest, hippest seasons of I Dream of Jeannie, with delightfully silly fantasy plots full of astronauts and spies and hillbillies and invisible dogs, delivered by a cast of expert farceurs.

Here are the twenty-six, one-half hour episodes of I Dream of Jeannie: The Complete Fourth Season four-disc set, as described on their slimcases:

DISC ONE:

U.F.Ohh! Jeannie
When Tony and Roger's experimental aircraft (which resembles a flying saucer) lands in a rural area, they are mistaken for Martians by a family of hillbillies. Soon Dr. Bellows is involved as well as Jeannie, who has fallen unconscious.

Jeannie and the Wild Pipchicks
When Jeannie's mother sends a batch of homemade candy with Tony for the office, it becomes top priority at NASA. The candy has superhuman effects with one minor side effect: whoever eats it loses all inhibitions.

Tomorrow is Not Another Day
When the morning paper doesn't arrive in time for Tony's breakfast, Jeannie blinks it in. After reading the headline "Astronaut Breaks Leg in Accident," Tony realizes Jeannie has mistakenly blinked in tomorrow's paper. He desperately looks for Roger, who's left with the sports section and is now in danger.

Abdullah
Sick with a cold, Jeannie's infant nephew comes to stay for a week. Exhausted by the night-long crying, Tony begins to unravel. When Jeannie unexpectedly must leave for the day, the baby is left in the clumsy yet capable hands of Roger.

Have You Heard the One About the Used Car Salesman
Jeannie bangs up Tony's car and takes it to a used car salesman to be repaired. Instead of repairing it, he buys it from Jeannie for only $400. When Jeannie later sees it for sale for $1,699, she is determined to expose the salesman as a cheat.

Djinn Djinn, Go Home
A mysterious little dog arrives at Tony's house. Mrs. Bellows falls in love instantly and wants to take it home. Tony, on the other hand, has a strong feeling he knows the whom the dog belongs. When the dog, now invisible, rips his uniform to shreds, Tony must convince Mrs. Bellows the owner has claimed the dog, without letting on that the owner is Jeannie!

DISC TWO:

The Strongest Man in the World
When Jeannie is attacked by a bunch of hoodlums, Tony knocks them all out in one punch...with a little help from Jeannie! Unfortunately, a NASA general sees the whole thing and chooses Tony to represent the Air Force in the upcoming Armed Forces Boxing Tournament.

The Indispensable Jeannie
Tony sends Jeannie away for a week while he and Roger are tested by Dr. Bellows to determine their compatibility as partners on the next moon mission. What Jeannie doesn't tell Tony is she has made the house "automatic" and their every wish will be granted instantly.

Jeannie and the Top Secret Secret
when Tony is called to deliver a top secret NASA film to the Pentagon, Jeannie overhears and thinks he's setting up a meeting with a young woman. Infuriated, Jeannie follows Tony and assumes the worst when she sees him sitting on a plane with a pretty girl.

How to Marry an Astronaut
Jeannie's dark-haired sister announces she will marry Roger so Jeannie won't have to worry about Jeannie II stealing Tony anymore. When Roger falls for Jeannie's sister, Jeannie tries to the same moves on Tony, only with horrible results. Meanwhile, the wedding is set for Jeannie II and Roger...in Dr. Bellows' garden!

Dr. Bellows Goes Sane
When Dr. Bellows hands in a report of every strange event in Tony's history at NASA, Gen. Peterson thinks the doctor has lost his mind and fires him. When Tony finds out, he truly feels terrible - because the reports are true. Things go from bad to worse when a new NASA psychologist tries hypotherapy and sodium pentothal to get Tony to reveal his secrets.

Jeannie the Guru
When Gen. Schaeffer's teenage daughter Suzie sees Jeannie appear and disappear, she uses it as blackmail to get Tony to do what she wants. Before he knows it, his home is turned into a crash pad for a group of hippies and their leader believes Jeannie is a guru. Tony is desperate to be rid of them before the General finds out.

The Case of My Vanishing Master - Part I
Unaware that Tony has been flown to a top secret location to work on the next space mission, Jeannie performs her magic in front of Tony's double. The double is shocked and almost terrified by the strange things happening in the house. Meanwhile, the real Tony panics when he discovers his double is living there during his absence.

DISC THREE:

The Case of My Vanishing Master - Part II
Roger warns Jeannie that the man she is planning to marry is not her beloved Master, but an imposter. Once convinced, Jeannie poses as a surly maid and drives the man insane. Before long, it is revealed that he is a secret double agent.

Ride 'Em Astronaut
When Jeannie happens to be the millionth customer at a store, she is crowned queen of the supermarket, and the Cocoa Beach Rodeo. The rodeo winner will receive a date with the queen, and Tony - despite his fear of horses - signs up to save Jeannie from a roughneck wrangler who has his eyes set on the new queen.

Invisible House for Sale
Jeannie is tired of Tony not allowing her to help around the house. Roger suggests to her that they seel the home and move into an apartment. Tony unknowingly agrees while he deals with a mouthful of hot Persian pepper pickles. When Tony hears his home may be sold to a top NASA specialist, he panics.

Jeannie, the Governor's Wife
When Jeannie insists Tony run for governor, there isn't much he can do to stop her from campaigning. Jeannie fills the house with banners, flyers and buttons. But when Roger turns his office at NASA into the campaign headquarters, Dr. Bellows finally catches on.

Is There a Doctor in the House?
When Tony can't keep his eyes open and falls asleep mid-sentence, he finds himself in danger of being scrubbed from his moon mission. Desperate for help, Jeannie returns to Baghdad to seek help from her mother - who is responsible for the entire mess to begin with.

Biggest Star in Hollywood
Tony is heading off to Hollywood. When the producers of "Laugh-In" see Jeannie's reflection in a mirror without Jeannie standing in front of it, they are determined to have her on the show. Jumping at the chance, Roger poses as her manager and agrees that she will appear.

The Case of the Porcelain Puppy
While practicing a new spell, Jeannie turns Tony's hat and briefcase into porcelain. Mrs. Bellows is astounded by the Major's work and demands to see more. When Tony enlists Jeannie to create amateur crockery in the garage, she accidentally turns her dog Djinn Djinn into a porcelain statue.

DISC FOUR:

Jeannie for the Defense
While on a fishing trip, Tony gets a speeding ticket. He makes matters worse when he accidentally nudges another car, giving the occupants a chance to fake injuries.. When he tries to leave, he's arrested on hit and run charges, winding up in court where his lawyer doesn't want to defend him and the judge has made up his mind.

Nobody Loves a Fat Astronaut
Jeannie's dark-haired sister is at it again. She convinces Jeannie a trip to the moon is too dangerous for Tony. Pretending to offer help, Jeannie II gives Tony hallucinations, in order to get him dropped from the mission. When that fails she adds over 100 pounds to his weight.

Around the Moon in 80 Blinks
Up in lunar orbit with Roger and Commander Wingate, Tony is suffering from a bad cold. Seeing this on a television broadcast, Jeannie blinks to bring him home to rest. Instead she brings Commander Wingate and on a second try gets Tony. Only she can't send them back and Roger is left alone orbiting the moon.

Jeannie-Go-Round
Tony is forced to double date with Roger at the opening of a Cocoa Beach night club. Jeannie's sister manages it so Dr. and Mrs. Bellows will attend, meaning Jeannie must stay home. In a hilarious attempt to steal Tony, Jeannie II traps Jeannie in a bottle and humiliates Tony in public, disguised as Jeannie in hopes he will leave her.

Jeannie and the Secret Weapon
When Jeannie turns a top secret NASA project into a scale model, Dr. Bellows is curious as tow what it is. Tony and Roger lie and claim it's only a toy. This 'toy' then ends up in the hands of a toy manufacturer who is convinced it will make him millions. The project designer finds out and accuses Tony and Roger of selling his top secret designs to the toy maker for profit!

Blackmail Order Bride
When Tony refuses to divulge his private life at a press conference, a sneaky reporter disguised as a plumber plants cameras and tape recorders all over Tony's house. After retrieving the evidence, the reporter sends in a fake wife and kids who claim to be Tony's so that he will relent and do an interview. By now Jeannie has left for Reno, Persia, where genies divorce their masters.

The DVD:

The Video:
Looking near-perfect again this go-around, the full screen transfers for I Dream of Jeannie: The Complete Fourth Season sport full, bold, saturated colors and relatively sharp images. The occasional scratch or dirt mark shows, but overall, very clean.

The Audio:
The Dolby Digital mono soundtrack is representative of the original television presentation. Optional Spanish and Portuguese sound tracks are available, with subtitles in Spanish and Portuguese. English close-captioning (not an option on the menus) does work for these episodes through your TV.

The Extras:
There are unfortunately, no extras for I Dream of Jeannie: The Complete Fourth Season

Final Thoughts:
With the cast looser and more able than ever, I Dream of Jeannie: The Complete Fourth Season is wacky 1960s sitcom fun, with several episodes that stand as the best in the series. I highly recommend I Dream of Jeannie: The Complete Fourth Season.