Ooh, it would've been cool if they'd had Zimbalist (Jr., I assume) opposite Newmar. Future Alfred and future Catwoman!
"Lost" Julie Newmar robot series coming to DVD
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In a separate interview, Newmar states that Bob Crane was also considered for the role. Now imagine if he'd been cast and the series got renewed, he'd have never done Hogan's Heroes.
By the way, I just found proof that you'll always find somebody who simply cannot compute the way TV shows were back in the 1960s because they're blinded by political correctness. Here's a "review" on a website called "MediaFem" that, predictably, condemns the series and tells everyone to stay away. Fortunately the user comments have the opposite view:
http://mediafem.wordpress.com/2012/03/10/my-living-doll-holy-1960s-sexism-batman/
Personally, if you want to play the feminist card, Bewitched and I Dream of Jeannie were far worse than My Living Doll when it comes to "sexism" (at least at their core). And at least those shows were about living human (or human-esque) beings. (Don't flame - I love both those shows too because a. they spent lots of time time lampooning the sexism of the day and b. once again, these shows date back nearly 50 years and I'm one of those who is able to enjoy a series or movie in its historical context. Overthinking a series like I Dream of Jeannie and trying to transplant today's attitudes on it just makes you look silly IMO).
Alex
By the way, I just found proof that you'll always find somebody who simply cannot compute the way TV shows were back in the 1960s because they're blinded by political correctness. Here's a "review" on a website called "MediaFem" that, predictably, condemns the series and tells everyone to stay away. Fortunately the user comments have the opposite view:
http://mediafem.wordpress.com/2012/03/10/my-living-doll-holy-1960s-sexism-batman/
Personally, if you want to play the feminist card, Bewitched and I Dream of Jeannie were far worse than My Living Doll when it comes to "sexism" (at least at their core). And at least those shows were about living human (or human-esque) beings. (Don't flame - I love both those shows too because a. they spent lots of time time lampooning the sexism of the day and b. once again, these shows date back nearly 50 years and I'm one of those who is able to enjoy a series or movie in its historical context. Overthinking a series like I Dream of Jeannie and trying to transplant today's attitudes on it just makes you look silly IMO).
Alex
It boggles my mind how clueless the current generation can be about sexism. While Bewitched was certainly sexist, Jeannie was not; Darren Stevens believed he owned his wife and commanded her to give up her identity (something she went along with), while Tony Nelson immediately freed Jeannie and she took charge and constantly proved she was not to be trifled with.
Yeah, it was like a metaphor for wives in general giving up their identities for marriage.
Another difference between the shows is that Sam was supposed to be a contemporary woman-- Jeannie was a thousand-year-old fish-out-of-water trying to understand a strange society.
Another difference between the shows is that Sam was supposed to be a contemporary woman-- Jeannie was a thousand-year-old fish-out-of-water trying to understand a strange society.
Yes, and Tony respected that, framing why Jeannie couldn't use her powers to help him because he wanted or needed to accomplish his job within the expectation of a normal human and he'd be wrong to take advantage of her powers to do so. He didn't demean the use of her powers as some kind of cheating on her part to get her tasks done as Darren often said about Sam and her powers. Outside of his job, Tony seemed far more respectful of Jeannie's identity.
Well, there was the thing about how Jeannie always called him "Master." Although maybe she just liked to play the submissive? (I wonder what her safeword was...)
Ninepence. And you don't get bloody wafers with it!
1960s TV dramas were famous for having flowery, pseudo-literary episode titles. Naked City was a prime example of this trend, especially in seasons 3 and 4.
Except for the so-called “Classic 39” episodes, which ran from October 1955 to September 1956, The Honeymooners was never a show in its own right. It was a recurring sketch on Jackie Gleason’s variety shows both before and after its single season as a filmed sitcom.
Now I’m having kinky thoughts about Barbara Eden.
Now I’m having kinky thoughts about Barbara Eden.
Ditto, and if you want to blow the roof off, consider that, while I can't access anything that would prove this, I'd be willing to bet Julie Newmar was probably considered for the role of Jeannie (if she wasn't, something was wrong!). Now imagine that scenario for a minute!
Back on the sexism topic for a moment, and why it's silly to apply it to My Living Doll - looking at the discussion above regarding Bewitched, wherein Darrin tried to discourage Samantha's witchcraft, or Jeannie, which was more the same (though Larry Hagman was a little more forgiving), we never saw Bob Cummings trying to make Rhoda forget she was a robot or anything. He tried to keep her secret, yes, but that's because she was a top-secret project, and after about 4 episodes they actually dropped this angle and suddenly we started seeing Bob taking her to work with him as his secretary and allowing her to socialize with other employees. If anything he was more open with Rhoda than Darrin and Tony were. Though he did draw the line when his sister entered Rhoda in a beauty pageant...
Alex
Well, I prefer that to the boring titles that became commonplace later. Give me a "The Conscience of the King" or "Let That Be Your Last Battlefield" over a "Reunion" or "Alliances" or "Investigations" any day.
Although not all '60s series used colorful titles. Mission: Impossible had a few, like "A Spool There Was" or "The Short-Tail Spy" or "Echo of Yesterday" or "Trial by Fury," but most of their titles were things like "The Diamond" or "The Train" or "The Killer" or -- the most generic spy-show episode title in history -- "The Spy."
Now I’m having kinky thoughts about Barbara Eden.
For more inspiration, check out her scene with the satyr in The Seven Faces of Dr. Lao . . . .
Now I’m having kinky thoughts about Barbara Eden.
What other kind are there?!?!?!
Guys, I'm trying to concentrate here. Y'all ain't helpin'. 
Now I’m having kinky thoughts about Barbara Eden.
Just NOW? I've been doing that since Jeannie premiered!
Or the most generic spy show title in history — I Spy.
“So, what kind of work do you do?”
“I spy.”
“Oh . . . that’s nice. I’m in commercial real estate.”
Amen and hallelujah to that!Just NOW? I've been doing that since Jeannie premiered!Now I’m having kinky thoughts about Barbara Eden.
(Any excuse to post a gratuitous babe pic.)
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Yes, despite her saying "Master" every other sentence, she wasn't quite entirely submissive. As noted, she was not to be trifled with and while she fell wholly in love with him, her overeagerness to please him effectively made him the slave to her genie whims and her desires, which, while they were about pleasing him, it was her view of how to please him that he had to just hold on for the wild ride that they would be. I actually think there was a scene in one episode where she calls him "Master" around others and the others look at him strangely.
And let's not forget how racy that series could be. Tony was living with his girlfriend unmarried. One would think that to be scandalous, especially for someone with a position high in the public spotlight (1960s astronaut).
By contrast, Bewitched was more of what people have said of it, that she gives up her identity to be his housewife and stay-at-home mom.
Hmmm, anyone who has seen Living Doll want to compare it to Small Wonder, which is also about a robot living as a human and the family trying to hide her secret? Big difference is Vicki was a child in Small Wonder.
That is fun.Now I’m having kinky thoughts about Barbara Eden.
For more inspiration, check out her scene with the satyr in The Seven Faces of Dr. Lao . . . .
[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6HTO5Wca1o&feature=relmfu[/yt]
I think Tony was the one who needed a safe word.
The use of "Master" was part of her identity as a cultural anachronism-- she was a genie, after all-- and, as DeepSpaceWine points out, it was used ironically within the context of the show.