Decades after Bewitched and I Dream of Jeannie dominated the airwaves, the beloved sitcoms are still influencing the current TV landscape.
In a Variety interview published on Thursday, December 18, Kristen Wiig explained how her Apple TV series, Palm Royale, weaved a popular storyline from Bewitched and I Dream of Jeannie into its second season by giving her character Maxine a twin.
During the ‘60s sitcoms’ runs, Bewitched’s Samantha Stephens (Elizabeth Montgomery) notably had a twin cousin named Serena, while I Dream of Jeannie’s Jeannie (Barbara Eden) had a twin sister known only as Jeannie II. In both cases, the actresses embodied their original character and their alter egos.
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“Weirdly, it’s something I’ve always wanted to do,” Wiig, 52, said of the twin arc.
ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images
While brainstorming for season 2 of Palm Royale, Wiig noticed the similarities between her show and Bewitched, especially after seeing a season 1 photo of Maxine and Allison Janney’s Evelyn.
“We were like, ‘Oh, my God, it’s Samantha from Bewitched and Endora!’” Wiig recalled, referring to the witch housewife and her mother, who resents Samantha’s mortal husband, Darrin. “And then we started thinking, ‘Oh, my God. Well, Douglas (Josh Lucas) is totally Darrin.’ It was hilarious. Then we were thinking of really embracing what the show is and, like, the bigness, the broadness, the farce of it all.”
Since Palm Royale is set in the same time period as Bewitched and I Dream of Jeannie, the creative team behind the streaming series sought out ways to incorporate unique storylines from the era into the modern show.
“[Creator/showrunner] Abe [Sylvia] was like, ‘What if Maxine has a twin?’ And I said, ‘Please!’” Wiig recounted. “I’ve always thought that would be so fun to do. And it just kind of fit in this weird world that is being created.”
Courtesy Apple TV
Palm Royale surprised viewers with the twin twist during the Tuesday, December 16, episode, introducing Maxine to her sister, Mirabelle, for the first time. Like the legendary actresses who inspired the character’s creation, Wiig played both of the roles herself.
As for Bewitched, the sitcom aired on ABC for eight seasons from 1964 to 1972, with Montgomery portraying Serena in a total of 24 episodes. (Montgomery died in 1995 at age 62 after a battle with cancer.)
Meanwhile, I Dream of Jeannie aired on NBC for five seasons from 1965 to 1970, with Eden, now 94, playing Jeannie II in eight episodes.
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