Barbara Eden has proven that some magic never fades.
In her last conversation with PEOPLE Magazine, Barbara Eden has said that the pilot episode of I Dream of Jeannie is still her favorite after almost sixty years.
As fans will know, Eden portrayed the iconic character of a 2,000-year-old ghost, Jeannie, in the discussed show.
“That’s definitely the one I always thought was the best,” Eden said at the Beverly Hills Film Festival on April 13.
Although the show officially ended decades ago, the actress notes that reruns have kept the show very much alive over the years.
“She’s always been on the air. Never been away,” Eden claimed.
Eden went on to point out a rare achievement in the television industry: the show has gone from a prime-time hit to a staple of worldwide syndication without ever disappearing.
“I have a lot of mail from Russia, from China, from places you would never imagine, from all over Europe, Spain, France, Britain,” Eden added.
She reportedly still receives ‘thanks’ from fans saying ‘how much they enjoy it’.
“But very often they are people who have been in trouble and who have had a sad upbringing. And many told me that… the bottle was a refuge for them, Jeannie’s bottle,” Eden added.
With that being, Eden reflected on what the show meant to her, saying it was “just happiness for me,” adding, “I loved it.” I loved it.’
Before concluding, she said, “Of course, when I left Jeannie, I did a lot of other things, but it was very satisfying.”
