The Nanny (1993–1999 TV Series) As Mike LaVoe
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''The Nanny'' is an American
sitcom A sitcom (short for situation comedy or situational comedy) is a genre of comedy produced for radio and television, that centers on a recurring cast of character (arts), characters as they navigate humorous situations within a consistent settin ...
that originally aired on
CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...
from November 3, 1993, to June 23, 1999, starring
Fran Drescher Francine Joy Drescher (born September 30, 1957) is an American actress and trade unionist. She is currently serving as the national president of the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA). She pla ...
as
Fran Fine ''The Nanny'' is an American television sitcom which originally aired on CBS from 1993 to 1999, starring Fran Drescher as #Fran Fine, Fran Fine, a fashion queen from Flushing, New York who becomes the nanny of three children from the New York/Brit ...
, a
Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...
fashionista from
Flushing, Queens Flushing is a neighborhood in the north-central portion of the New York City Borough (New York City), borough of Queens. The neighborhood is the fourth-largest central business district in New York City. Downtown Flushing is a major commercial ...
, who becomes the nanny of three children from an Anglo-American upper-class family in New York City. The show was created and produced by Drescher and her then-husband
Peter Marc Jacobson Peter Marc Jacobson is an American television writer, director, producer, and actor. He is best known as the executive producer of the popular sitcom ''The Nanny'', which he created and produced with his then-wife, Fran Drescher, who also st ...
, taking much of its inspiration from Drescher's personal life growing up, involving names and characteristics based on her relatives and friends. The sitcom has also spawned several foreign adaptations, loosely inspired by the original scripts. One of the most successful adaptations is the Turkish adaptation of the series "
Dadı This is list of all foreign adaptations of the United States, American situation comedy ''The Nanny'' (1993–1999). Although the show has been broadcast in more than ninety countries, several local versions of the show have been produced in oth ...
". The show earned a Rose d'Or, and one
Emmy Award The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award categor ...
, out of a total of twelve nominations; Drescher was twice nominated for a
Golden Globe The Golden Globe Awards are awards presented for excellence in both international film and television. It is an annual award ceremony held since 1944 to honor artists and professionals and their work. The ceremony is normally held every Januar ...
and an
Emmy The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award catego ...
. The sitcom was the first new show delivered to CBS for the 1993 season and the highest-tested pilot at the network in years. The series was hugely successful internationally, especially in Australia, where it was one of the highest-rated programs of the decade. ''The Nanny'' has been called "the '90s version of ''
I Love Lucy ''I Love Lucy'' is an American sitcom that originally aired on CBS from October 15, 1951, to May 6, 1957, with a total of 180 half-hour episodes spanning six seasons. The series starred Lucille Ball and her husband Desi Arnaz, along with Vivian ...
''" and "well written and entertaining."


Plot

Fran Fine (Drescher) turns up on the New York City doorstep of British
Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street ** Broadway Theatre (53rd Stre ...
producer Mr. Maxwell Sheffield (
Charles Shaughnessy Charles George Patrick Shaughnessy, 5th Baron Shaughnessy (born 9 February 1955) is a British actor. His roles on American television include Shane Donovan on the soap opera ''Days of Our Lives'', Maxwell Sheffield on the sitcom ''The Nanny ...
) peddling
cosmetics Cosmetics are substances that are intended for application to the body for cleansing, beautifying, promoting attractiveness, or altering appearance. They are mixtures of chemical compounds derived from either Natural product, natural source ...
after being dumped, and subsequently fired, by her bridal-shop-owner ex-boyfriend. Reluctantly, Mr. Sheffield instead hires Fran to be the nanny of his three children, Maggie, Brighton, and Gracie. In spite of his initial misgivings, Fran turns out to be just what he and his family needed. While Fran manages the children, acerbic British
butler A butler is a person who works in a house serving and is a domestic worker in a large household. In great houses, the household is sometimes divided into departments, with the butler in charge of the dining room, wine cellar, and pantries, pantr ...
Niles ( Daniel Davis) manages the household and watches all the events that unfold with Fran as the new nanny. Niles, recognizing Fran's gift for bringing warmth back to the family (as Maxwell is a
widow A widow (female) or widower (male) is a person whose spouse has Death, died and has usually not remarried. The male form, "widower", is first attested in the 14th century, by the 19th century supplanting "widow" with reference to men. The adjecti ...
er), does his best to undermine Maxwell's business partner C.C. Babcock (
Lauren Lane Lauren Lane (born February 2, 1961) is an American film, television, stage actress, and professor. She is best known for her role as C.C. Babcock on ''The Nanny'' (1993-1999). Life and career Lane was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and raised ...
), who has her eye on the very available and desirable Mr. Sheffield. Niles is often seen making witty comments directed toward C.C., with her replying in a similarly witty fashion, in their ongoing game of
one-upmanship Competition is a rivalry where two or more parties strive for a common goal which cannot be shared: where one's gain is the other's loss (an example of which is a zero-sum game). Competition can arise between entities such as organisms, individ ...
. As the series progresses, it becomes increasingly obvious that Mr. Sheffield is smitten with Fran, although he will not admit it, and Fran is clearly smitten with him. The show teases the viewers with their closeness, featuring many "near-misses" and moments of jealousy, as well as an engagement. In the later seasons, the two do finally marry and expand their family by having
fraternal twins Twins are two offspring produced by the same pregnancy.MedicineNet > Definition of Twin Last Editorial Review: 19 June 2000 Twins can be either ''monozygotic'' ('identical'), meaning that they develop from one zygote, which splits and forms two e ...
named Jonah and Eve. Later in the series, it is also clear that Niles and C.C.'s constant sharp barbs are their own bizarre form of flirtation and affection; after a few false-starts (including multiple impulsive and failed proposals from Niles), the pair marry in the same delivery room where Fran is giving birth to the twins, and subsequently discover they, too, are expecting a child.


Episodes


Characters


Main characters

* Francine "Fran" Joy Fine (later Sheffield) is the nasal-voiced, outgoing protagonist of the series. She starts off working for her boyfriend Danny Imperialli in a bridal shop but is dumped and fired not long after. Fran ends up meeting Maxwell Sheffield and his family while going door to door to sell cosmetics. She winds up as the nanny to Mr. Sheffield's three children: Maggie, Brighton, and Gracie. Her character has an outgoing and humorous personality. As a result of her mother's overbearing personality, Fran often feels the need to date and is compelled to get married as well. She is usually seen getting into trouble and having to solve those problems through using her street smarts. * Maxwell Beverly Sheffield is the male protagonist who ends up hiring Fran to watch over his three children. He is a widowed Broadway producer, having lost his wife Sara four years before the start of the series. While he does have some success as a producer, he remains constantly in the shadow of his rival
Andrew Lloyd Webber Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber (born 22 March 1948) is an English composer and impresario of musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End theatre, West End and on Broadway theatre, Broad ...
, who always seems to have the upper hand. He does not spend a lot of time with his children due to his busy schedule, hence the need for a nanny in the first place. Despite his mutual attraction to Fran, he tries to keep their relationship professional for fear of commitment. However, in season 5 episode 14, Maxwell tells Fran that he loves her and does not take it back, having done so earlier; the couple's engagement follows, ending the romantic tension between them. Following several snafus, they are finally married in the season 5 finale. * Niles is the loyal butler and chauffeur for the Sheffield family. He and Maxwell have known each other their whole lives. He bonds with Fran immediately, viewing her as the breath of fresh air that the Sheffield family needs. Niles is known as the household snoop as he is constantly seen listening in on conversations via intercoms, keyholes, and even in the very rooms where the conversations are taking place. He tends to manipulate events in Fran's favor to undermine C.C., his nemesis. In spite of this, over time it becomes clear that Niles has himself fallen for C.C. and their contentious relationship is a cover for a mutual attraction. * Chastity Claire "C.C." Babcock is the egocentric business partner of Maxwell Sheffield, with whom she has been working for almost 20 years. She clearly wants him as more than a business partner. Maxwell, however, appears oblivious to her feelings, and C.C.'s serious moves on him are thwarted by this, or by his longtime butler Niles. A
running gag A running gag, or running joke, is a literary device that takes the form of an amusing joke or a comical reference and appears repeatedly throughout a work of literature or other form of storytelling. Though they are similar, catchphrases are no ...
is that she cannot remember the names of Maxwell's children, in spite of having known them their entire lives. From her first meeting with Fran, she accurately views the newly hired nanny as a threat and tries to undermine her. Fran is not C.C.'s only enemy in the Sheffield house, as she has an even more contentious relationship with Niles (who hates her just as much as she hates him). In spite of this, over time it becomes clear that C.C. has herself fallen for Niles and their continual barbs towards each other are covering for a mutual attraction. Throughout the series she is referred to only as "C.C.", with her full name – Chastity Claire – revealed only in the last few minutes of the series finale. * Margaret "Maggie" Sheffield (later Brolin) is the eldest child of Maxwell Sheffield. She is constantly seen bickering with her brother, Brighton, who views her as a nerd. Her relationship with her sister Gracie is generally much warmer. At the beginning of the series, Maggie is shy and awkward but, with Fran's influence, she becomes a somewhat popular young woman. Upon meeting Fran, the two bond almost instantly, with Fran behaving like a friend or sister except on the rare occasions that Maggie needs to be disciplined. Near the end of the series, Maggie meets and marries an underwear model, Michael Brolin. * Brighton Milhouse Sheffield is the middle child of the family and the only son of Maxwell Sheffield. Due to being the only son, he often feels left out. This causes him to purposely bring about trouble for his two sisters. He does not bond with Fran at first, having disliked all his previous nannies, but eventually becomes close with her as well. He variously plans to become a Broadway producer, like his father, or to simply wait until he can access his
trust fund A trust is a legal relationship in which the owner of property, or any transferable right, gives it to another to manage and use solely for the benefit of a designated person. In the English common law, the party who entrusts the property is k ...
so he does not have to work. * Grace "Gracie" Sheffield is the youngest and arguably most intelligent of the Sheffield children. At the start of the series, Gracie was undergoing
psychotherapy Psychotherapy (also psychological therapy, talk therapy, or talking therapy) is the use of Psychology, psychological methods, particularly when based on regular Conversation, personal interaction, to help a person change behavior, increase hap ...
frequently, but under Fran's influence and guidance, she quickly reaches the point where she does not need it at all. As a result, however, she has a habit of naming medical conditions and using complicated words that Fran and Maxwell barely understand. This behavior is contrasted by her tendency to pick up some of Fran's faux-
Yinglish Yiddish words used in the English language include both words that have been Language shift, assimilated into English language, Englishused by both Yiddish and English speakersand many that have not. An English sentence that uses either may be des ...
slang and dressing habits.


Supporting characters

*
Sylvia Fine Sylvia Fine Kaye (August 29, 1913October 28, 1991) was an American lyricist, composer, and producer. Many of her compositions and productions were performed by her husband, comedian Danny Kaye. Fine was a Peabody Award-winner and was nominated ...
(née Rosenberg) is the mother of Fran Fine, portrayed in early seasons by Fran Drescher (in flashbacks to Fran's childhood). Sylvia is based on Drescher's real-life mother. * Val Toriello is Fran's best friend since attending kindergarten through high school together in Flushing, Queens, New York. When the show began, Val had been working at the bridal shop with Fran. Val is of
Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...
descent. * Yetta Rosenberg-Jones is Fran's grandmother and the mother of Sylvia and Uncle Jack. The character was played by actress
Ann Morgan Guilbert Ann Morgan Guilbert (October 16, 1928 – June 14, 2016), sometimes credited as Ann Guilbert, was an American television and film actress and comedian who portrayed a number of roles from the 1950s on, most notably as Millie Helper in 61 episode ...
. Yetta is based on Drescher's real-life maternal grandmother.


Cast


Main

''The Nanny'' maintained an
ensemble cast In a dramatic production, an ensemble cast is one that comprises many principal actors and performers who are typically assigned roughly equal amounts of screen time.Random House: ensemble acting Linked 2013-07-17 Structure In contrast to the po ...
, keeping the same set of characters for its entire six-season run. *
Fran Drescher Francine Joy Drescher (born September 30, 1957) is an American actress and trade unionist. She is currently serving as the national president of the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA). She pla ...
as
Fran Fine ''The Nanny'' is an American television sitcom which originally aired on CBS from 1993 to 1999, starring Fran Drescher as #Fran Fine, Fran Fine, a fashion queen from Flushing, New York who becomes the nanny of three children from the New York/Brit ...
*
Charles Shaughnessy Charles George Patrick Shaughnessy, 5th Baron Shaughnessy (born 9 February 1955) is a British actor. His roles on American television include Shane Donovan on the soap opera ''Days of Our Lives'', Maxwell Sheffield on the sitcom ''The Nanny ...
as Maxwell Sheffield * Daniel Davis as Niles *
Lauren Lane Lauren Lane (born February 2, 1961) is an American film, television, stage actress, and professor. She is best known for her role as C.C. Babcock on ''The Nanny'' (1993-1999). Life and career Lane was born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and raised ...
as C.C. Babcock *
Nicholle Tom Nicholle Tom (born March 23, 1978) is an American actress. She is best known for playing the role of Maggie Sheffield on the CBS sitcom ''The Nanny'' (1993 to 1999). She appeared as Ryce Newton in the film ''Beethoven'' (1992) and its sequel '' B ...
as Maggie Sheffield *
Benjamin Salisbury Benjamin David Salisbury (born October 19, 1980) is an American actor and dancer best known for playing the role of Brighton Sheffield on the CBS television sitcom ''The Nanny'' from 1993 to 1999. Early life and education Born in Minneapoli ...
as Brighton Sheffield *
Madeline Zima Madeline Rose Zima (born September 16, 1985) is an American actress. She portrayed Grace Sheffield on the CBS sitcom ''The Nanny'' (1993–1999), Mia Lewis on the Showtime comedy drama series '' Californication'' (2007–2011), and Gretchen B ...
as Gracie Sheffield


Supporting

*
Renée Taylor Renée Adorée Taylor (née Wexler; born March 19, 1933) is an American actress, screenwriter, playwright, producer and director. Taylor was nominated for an Academy Award for co-writing the screenplay for the film '' Lovers and Other Strangers ...
as
Sylvia Fine Sylvia Fine Kaye (August 29, 1913October 28, 1991) was an American lyricist, composer, and producer. Many of her compositions and productions were performed by her husband, comedian Danny Kaye. Fine was a Peabody Award-winner and was nominated ...
*
Rachel Chagall Rachel Chagall is an American actress, best known for roles as Gaby in the film '' Gaby: A True Story'' (1987), for which she was nominated for Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama and as Val Toriello on ''The Nanny'' (1 ...
as Val Toriello *
Ann Morgan Guilbert Ann Morgan Guilbert (October 16, 1928 – June 14, 2016), sometimes credited as Ann Guilbert, was an American television and film actress and comedian who portrayed a number of roles from the 1950s on, most notably as Millie Helper in 61 episode ...
as Yetta Rosenberg


Guest stars

Although largely operating around the main ensemble cast, ''The Nanny'' featured an enormous number of guest stars over the years. Notable repeat guests included
Lainie Kazan Lainie Kazan (born Lainie Levine; May 15, 1940) is an American actress and singer. She was nominated for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series for ''St. Elsewhere'' and the 1993 Tony Award for Best Featured Actr ...
as Fran's paternal aunt Freida,
Steve Lawrence Steve Lawrence (born Sidney Liebowitz; July 8, 1935 – March 7, 2024) was an American singer, comedian, and actor. He was best known as a member of the pop duo Steve and Eydie with his wife Eydie Gormé, and for his performance as Maury Slin ...
as Fran's never before seen father Morty Fine,
Pamela Anderson Pamela Denise Anderson (born July 1, 1967) is a Canadian-American actress, model and media personality. She rose to prominence after being selected as the February 1990 ''Playboy'' Playmate of the Month. She went on to make regular appearan ...
as Fran's bubble-headed nemesis Heather Biblow,
Jonathan Penner Jonathan Lindsay Penner (born March 5, 1962) is an American actor, screenwriter, television personality, and film producer, known for producing and starring in the film '' The Last Supper'', as well as acting in the television series '' Rude Aw ...
as Fran's old boyfriend Danny Imperiali,
Ray Charles Ray Charles Robinson (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential musicians in history, and was often referred to by contemporaries as "The Gen ...
as Yetta's fiancé Sammy,
Spalding Gray Spalding Gray (June 5, 1941 – ) was an American actor, novelist, playwright, screenwriter and performance artist. He is best known for the autobiographical monologues that he wrote and performed for the theater in the 1980s and 1990s, as well ...
as Fran's therapist Dr. Jack Miller,
Fred Stoller Fred Stoller (born March 19, 1958) is an American actor, stand-up comedian and author. He is best known for portraying Gerard on ''Everybody Loves Raymond''. Early life Stoller was born in New York City and grew up in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn. ...
as the frequently featured pharmacist Fred, and
Andrew Levitas Andrew Levitas (born September 4, 1977) is an American painter, sculptor, filmmaker, actor, writer, producer, photographer and restaurateur. Early life Levitas was born in New York City. He attended Horace Mann School and then Dalton School in ...
as Maggie's boyfriend Michael. Several celebrities guested as characters in single episodes, such as
Jason Alexander Jay Scott Greenspan (born September 23, 1959), known professionally as Jason Alexander, is an American actor and comedian. Over the course of his career he has received an Emmy Award and a Tony Award as well as nominations for four Golden Globe ...
,
John Astin John Allen Astin (born March 30, 1930) is an American actor and director who has appeared in numerous stage, television and film roles, primarily in character roles. He is widely known for his role as patriarch Gomez Addams in ''The Addams Famil ...
,
Roseanne Barr Roseanne Cherrie Barr (born November 3, 1952), also known mononymously as Roseanne, is an American actress, comedian, writer, and producer. She began her career in stand-up comedy before gaining acclaim in the television sitcom ''Roseanne'' (19 ...
as Fran's cousin Sheila,
Eric Braeden Eric Braeden (born Hans-Jörg Gudegast; April 3, 1941) is a German-American film and television actor, known for his roles as Victor Newman (fictional character), Victor Newman (from 1980) on the CBS soap opera ''The Young and the Restless'', as H ...
,
Margaret Cho Margaret Moran Cho (born December 5, 1968) is an American stand-up comedian, actress and musician. In her Stand-up comedy, stand-up routines she critiques social and political problems, especially about race and sexuality. She starred in the Ame ...
,
Joan Collins Dame Joan Henrietta Collins (born 23 May 1933) is an English actress, author and columnist. She is the recipient of several accolades, including a Golden Globe Awards, a People's Choice Award, two Soap Opera Digest Awards and a Primetime Emm ...
as Maxwell's stepmother,
Jeanne Cooper Wilma Jeanne Cooper (October 25, 1928 – May 8, 2013) was an American actress, best known for her role as Katherine Chancellor on the CBS soap opera ''The Young and the Restless'' (1973–2013). At the time of her death, she had played Kather ...
,
Cloris Leachman Cloris Leachman (April 30, 1926 – January 27, 2021) was an American actress and comedian whose career spanned nearly eight decades. She received many accolades including 22 Primetime Emmy nominations and won eight, tying Julia Louis-Dreyfus ...
,
Dina Merrill Dina Merrill (born Nedenia Marjorie Hutton; December 29, 1923 – May 22, 2017) was an American actress. She had more than a hundred film and television credits from the late 1950s until 2000s. She married three times. Early life Merrill was ...
as Maxwell's mother,
Rita Moreno Rita Moreno (born Rosa Dolores Alverío Marcano; December 11, 1931) is an American actress, dancer, and singer. With a career spanning eight decades she is known for her roles on stage and screen, and is one of the last remaining stars from t ...
,
George Murdock George Peter ("Pete") Murdock (May 11, 1897 – March 29, 1985), also known as G. P. Murdock, was an American anthropologist who was professor at Yale University and University of Pittsburgh. He is remembered for his empirical approach to ethn ...
,
Wallace Shawn Wallace Michael Shawn (born November 12, 1943) is an American actor, essayist, playwright, and screenwriter. He is known for playing Vizzini in '' The Princess Bride'' (1987), Mr. Hall in '' Clueless'' (1995), Dr. John Sturgis in '' Young Sheldo ...
,
Twiggy Dame Lesley Lawson (''née'' Hornby; born 19 September 1949), widely known by the nickname Twiggy, is an English model, actress, and singer. She was a Culture of the United Kingdom, British cultural icon and a prominent teenage model during th ...
as Maxwell's sister (in her first appearance, in season 1),
Robert Urich Robert Michael Urich (December 19, 1946 – April 16, 2002) was an American film, television, and stage actor and television producer. Over the course of his 30-year career, he starred in a record 15 television series. Urich began his car ...
,
Joan Van Ark Joan Martha Van Ark (born June 16, 1943) is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Valene Ewing on the primetime soap opera ''Knots Landing.'' A life member of The Actors Studio, she made her Broadway debut in 1966 in '' Barefo ...
,
Robert Vaughn Robert Francis Vaughn (November 22, 1932 – November 11, 2016) was an American actor and political activist, whose career in film, television and theater spanned nearly six decades and who was best known for his role as secret agent Nap ...
as Maxwell's father, and Efrem Zimbalist Jr. Others appeared as themselves, primarily in connection with Maxwell's business relations, such as
Dan Aykroyd Daniel Edward Aykroyd ( ; born July 1, 1952) is a Canadian actor, comedian, screenwriter, and producer. Aykroyd was a writer and an original member of the "Not Ready for Prime Time Players" cast on the NBC sketch comedy series ''Saturday Nigh ...
,
Bob Barker Robert William Barker (December 12, 1923 – August 26, 2023) was an American media personality, game show host, and animal rights advocate. He hosted CBS's '' The Price Is Right'', the longest-running game show in North American television ...
,
Carol Channing Carol Elaine Channing (January 31, 1921 – January 15, 2019) was an American actress, comedian, singer and dancer who starred in Broadway and film musicals. Each of her characters typically possessed a fervent expressiveness and an easily ide ...
,
Chevy Chase Cornelius Crane "Chevy" Chase (; born October 8, 1943) is an American comedian, actor, and writer. He became the breakout cast member in the first season of ''Saturday Night Live'' (1975–1976), where his recurring ''Weekend Update'' segment b ...
,
Andrew Dice Clay Andrew Dice Clay (born Andrew Clay Silverstein; September 29, 1957) is an American stand-up comedian and actor. He rose to prominence in the late 1980s with a brash, deliberately offensive persona known as "The Diceman". In 1990, he became the f ...
,
Robert Culp Robert Martin Culp (August 16, 1930 – March 24, 2010) was an American actor and screenwriter widely known for his work in television. Culp earned an international reputation for his role as Kelly Robinson on ''I Spy (1965 TV series), I Spy'' ( ...
,
Billy Ray Cyrus William Ray Cyrus ( ; born August 25, 1961) is an American singer, songwriter and actor. Having released 16 studio albums and 53 singles since 1992, he is known for his hit single "Achy Breaky Heart", which topped the U.S. Hot Country Songs cha ...
,
Lesley-Anne Down Lesley-Anne Down (born 17 March 1954) is a British actress and singer. She made her motion picture debut in the 1969 drama film '' The Smashing Bird I Used to Know'' and later appeared in films ''Assault'' (1971), '' Countess Dracula'' (1971) a ...
,
Erik Estrada Henry Enrique Estrada (born March 16, 1949) is an American actor. He is known for his co-starring lead role as California Highway Patrol officer Francis (Frank) Llewelyn "Ponch" Poncherello in the police drama television series '' CHiPs'', which ...
,
Eydie Gormé Eydie Gormé ( ; born Edith Gormezano; August 16, 1928 – August 10, 2013) was an American singer who achieved notable success in pop, Latin, and jazz genres. She sang solo and in the duo Steve and Eydie with her husband, Steve Lawrence, on a ...
,
Hugh Grant Hugh John Mungo Grant (born 9 September 1960) is an English actor. He established himself early in his career as a charming and vulnerable romantic leading man, and has since transitioned into a character actor. He has received List of awards ...
,
Elton John Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, songwriter and pianist. His music and showmanship have had a significant, lasting impact on the music industry, and his songwriting partnership with l ...
,
Richard Kline Richard Kline (born April 29, 1944) is an American actor and television director. His roles include Larry Dallas on the sitcom ''Three's Company'', Richie in the later seasons of ''It's a Living'' and Jeff Beznick in '' Noah Knows Best''. Ear ...
,
Joe Lando Joseph John Lando (born December 9, 1961) is an American actor, known for playing Jake Harrison on daytime's ''One Life to Live'' (1990–1992) and Byron Sully on the television series ''Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman'' (1993–1998). Life and c ...
,
Shari Lewis Shari Lewis (born Phyllis Naomi Hurwitz; January 17, 1933 – August 2, 1998) was a Peabody awards, Peabody-winning American Ventriloquism, ventriloquist, puppeteer, children's entertainer, television show host, dancer, singer, actress, author, a ...
and Lamb Chop,
Bette Midler Bette Midler ( ;''Inside the Actors Studio'', 2004 born December 1, 1945) is an American actress, comedian, singer, and author. Throughout her five-decade career Midler has received List of awards and nominations received by Bette Midler, numero ...
,
Shemar Moore Shemar Franklin Moore (born April 20, 1970) is an American actor. His notable roles include Malcolm Winters on ''The Young and the Restless'' (1994–2002, 2004–05, 2014, 2019, 2023), Derek Morgan on ''Criminal Minds'' (2005–17), and the l ...
,
Joshua Morrow Joshua Jacob Morrow (born February 8, 1974) is an American television actor and musician. In 1994, he began his career when he was cast in the role of Nicholas Newman on ''The Young and the Restless''. In 1998, he joined the soul-pop group 3De ...
,
Lynn Redgrave Lynn Rachel Redgrave (8 March 1943 – 2 May 2010) was a British and American actress. During a career that spanned five decades, she won two Golden Globe Awards and was nominated for two Academy Awards, four British Academy Film Awards, two Em ...
,
Melody Thomas Scott Melody Thomas Scott (born Melody Ann Thomas, April 18, 1956) is an American actress. She began her career as a child actress appearing in the psychological thriller film, ''Marnie (film), Marnie''. She later appeared in films ''The Beguiled (197 ...
,
Jane Seymour Jane Seymour (; 24 October 1537) was Queen of England as the third wife of King Henry VIII from their marriage on 30 May 1536 until her death the next year. She became queen following the execution of Henry's second wife, Anne Boleyn, who was ...
, Dame
Elizabeth Taylor Dame Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor (February 27, 1932 – March 23, 2011) was an English and American actress. She began her career as a child actress in the early 1940s and was one of the most popular stars of classical Hollywood cinema in the 19 ...
,
Alex Trebek George Alexander Trebek (; July 22, 1940 – November 8, 2020) was a Canadian and American game show host and television personality. He was best known for hosting the syndicated general knowledge quiz game show ''Jeopardy!'' for 37 seasons ...
and
Hunter Tylo Hunter Tylo (born Deborah Jo Hunter on 3 July 1962 in Fort Worth, Texas) is an author and a former American actress and model. She portrayed the role of Taylor Hayes (The Bold and the Beautiful), Taylor Hayes (1990–2002, 2004–14, 2018–19) ...
; media personalities Roger Clinton,
Whoopi Goldberg Caryn Elaine Johnson (born November 13, 1955), known professionally as Whoopi Goldberg (), is an American actor, comedian, author, and television personality.Kuchwara, Michael (AP Drama Writer)"Whoopi Goldberg: A One-Woman Character Parade". ...
,
Jay Leno James Douglas Muir Leno ( ; born April 28, 1950) is an American television host, comedian, and writer. After doing stand-up comedy for years, he became the host of NBC's ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Tonight Show'' from 1992 until 200 ...
,
David Letterman David Michael Letterman (born April 12, 1947) is an American television host, comedian, writer, producer, and auto racing team owner. He hosted late-night television talk shows for 33 years, beginning with the February 1, 1982, debut of ''Late N ...
,
Alicia Machado Yoseph Alicia Machado Fajardo (; born December 6, 1976) is a Venezuelan-American actress, TV host, singer and beauty queen who was crowned Miss Universe 1996, she previously crowned Miss Venezuela 1995. She was the fourth woman from Venezuel ...
,
Rosie O'Donnell Roseann O'Donnell (born March 21, 1962) is an American talk show host, comedian, and actress. She began her comedy career as a teenager and received her breakthrough on the television series ''Star Search'' in 1984. After a series of television ...
,
Sally Jessy Raphael Sally Lowenthal (born February 25, 1935), better known as Sally Jessy Raphael, is an American retired talk show host, who is best known for her program '' Sally'' (originally called ''The Sally Jessy Raphael Show''). Early life and education Lo ...
and
Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...
; and musicians
Burt Bacharach Burt Freeman Bacharach ( ; May 12, 1928 – February 8, 2023) was an American composer, songwriter, record producer, and pianist who is widely regarded as one of the most important and influential figures of 20th-century popular music. Start ...
,
Michael Bolton Michael Bolotin (born February 26, 1953), known professionally as Michael Bolton, is an American singer and songwriter. Bolton performed in the hard rock and heavy metal music genres from the mid-1970s to the mid-1980s, both on his early solo a ...
,
Ray Charles Ray Charles Robinson (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential musicians in history, and was often referred to by contemporaries as "The Gen ...
, rapper
Coolio Artis Leon Ivey Jr. (August 1, 1963 – September 28, 2022), known by his stage name Coolio, was an American rapper. He was best known for his single "Gangsta's Paradise" (1995), which won a Grammy Award, and was credited for changing the cours ...
,
Celine Dion Céline Marie Claudette Dion (born 30 March 1968) is a Canadian singer. Referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Power Ballads", Dion's powerful, technically skilled vocals and commercially successful works have had ...
,
Eartha Kitt Eartha Mae Kitt (née Keith; January 17, 1927 – December 25, 2008) was an American singer and actress. She was known for her highly distinctive singing style and her 1953 recordings of "C'est si bon" and the Christmas novelty song "Santa Baby" ...
,
Patti LaBelle Patricia Louise Holte (born May 24, 1944), known professionally as Patti LaBelle, is an American Rhythm and blues, R&B singer and actress. She has been referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Godmother of Soul". LaBelle began ...
,
Steve Lawrence Steve Lawrence (born Sidney Liebowitz; July 8, 1935 – March 7, 2024) was an American singer, comedian, and actor. He was best known as a member of the pop duo Steve and Eydie with his wife Eydie Gormé, and for his performance as Maury Slin ...
,
Lisa Loeb Lisa Anne Loeb (; born March 11, 1968) is an American singer-songwriter, musician, author and actress. She started her career with " Stay (I Missed You)" from the film '' Reality Bites'', the first number-one single on the ''Billboard'' Hot 10 ...
, and
Brian Setzer Brian Robert Setzer (born April 10, 1959) is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He found widespread success in the early 1980s with the 1950s-style rockabilly group Stray Cats, and returned to the music scene in the early 1990s with ...
.
Jonathan Penner Jonathan Lindsay Penner (born March 5, 1962) is an American actor, screenwriter, television personality, and film producer, known for producing and starring in the film '' The Last Supper'', as well as acting in the television series '' Rude Aw ...
appeared as Fran's former fiancé, Danny Imperialli.
James Marsden James Paul Marsden (born September 18, 1973) is an American actor. He began his acting career guest starring in the television shows '' Saved by the Bell: The New Class'' (1993), '' Touched by an Angel'' (1995), and '' Party of Five'' (1995). Ma ...
appeared as Maggie's boyfriend, Eddie, and
Telma Hopkins Telma Louise Hopkins (born October 28, 1948) is an American actress and pop singer. Hopkins rose to prominence as a member of the pop group Tony Orlando and Dawn, who had several number-one songs. She also performed on the CBS variety show ''T ...
appeared as Fran's "mother" in the episode "Fran's Roots".
Scott Baio Scott Vincent Baio (; born September 22, 1960) is an American actor. He is known for playing Chachi Arcola on the sitcom ''Happy Days'' (1977–1984) and its spin-off '' Joanie Loves Chachi'' (1982–1983), the title character on the s ...
also made an appearance as a rookie doctor who was Fran's former schoolmate.
Marvin Hamlisch Marvin Frederick Hamlisch (June 2, 1944 – August 6, 2012) was an American composer and conductor. He is one of a handful of people to win Emmy Awards, Emmy, Grammy Awards, Grammy, Academy Awards, Oscar, and Tony Awards, Tony awards, a feat ...
appeared as Fran's former high school music teacher, a Hamlisch look-alike.
Jon Stewart Jon Stewart (born Jonathan Stuart Leibowitz, November 28, 1962) is an American comedian, writer, producer, director, political commentator, actor, and television host. The long-running host of ''The Daily Show'' on Comedy Central from 1999 to 20 ...
portrayed a Jewish love interest of Fran's until it was discovered at a family wedding that the two were cousins; on the June 29, 2011, airing of ''The Daily Show'', Stewart stated he agreed to make an appearance after receiving a personal call from Drescher. Drescher also reprised her role of Bobbi Fleckman from the 1984 film '' This Is Spinal Tap'' and made a
cameo appearance A cameo appearance, also called a cameo role and often shortened to just cameo (), is a brief guest appearance of a well-known person or character in a work of the performing arts. These roles are generally small, many of them non-speaking on ...
as herself in the third to last episode. Shaughnessy had a double role as a fictional Middle Eastern oil potentate in one episode. Drescher's real-life parents initially appeared as a couple in the waiting room of Gracie's therapist and made subsequent appearances as Fran's Uncle Stanley and Aunt Rose; her Pomeranian Chester appeared as C.C.'s pet in more than a dozen episodes. Renée Taylor's husband, actor
Joseph Bologna Joseph Bologna (December 30, 1934 – August 13, 2017) was an American actor, playwright and screenwriter notable for his roles in the comedy films '' My Favorite Year'', '' Blame It on Rio'', and '' Transylvania 6-5000''. Life and career B ...
, and their son Gabriel Bologna had guest roles on the show.
Ray Romano Raymond Albert Romano (born December 21, 1957) is an American stand-up comedian and actor. He is best known for his role as Raymond "Ray" Barone on the CBS sitcom ''Everybody Loves Raymond'' (1996–2005), for which he won three Primetime Emm ...
appeared as Fran's former high school classmate Ray Barone, linking ''The Nanny'' with his comedy ''
Everybody Loves Raymond ''Everybody Loves Raymond'' is an American television sitcom created by Philip Rosenthal that aired on CBS from September 13, 1996, to May 16, 2005, with a total of 210 episodes spanning nine seasons. It was produced by Where's Lunch and Wor ...
''. Romano and Drescher both actually knew each other in high school.
Tom Bergeron Thomas Raymond Bergeron (born May 6, 1955) is an American television personality, comedian, and game show host, best known for hosting ''Breakfast Time'' from 1994 to 1997, '' Hollywood Squares'' from 1998 to 2004, '' America's Funniest Home Vid ...
appeared as himself, the host of ''
Hollywood Squares ''Hollywood Squares'' (originally ''The Hollywood Squares'', later stylized as ''H2: Hollywood Squares'') is an American game show in which two contestants compete in a game of tic-tac-toe to win cash and prizes. The show originally aired as a ...
'', in an episode in which Maxwell appeared as a star on the show's board as a replacement for
Andrew Lloyd Webber Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber (born 22 March 1948) is an English composer and impresario of musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End theatre, West End and on Broadway theatre, Broad ...
.
Tyne Daly Ellen Tyne Daly (; born February 21, 1946) is an American actress whose six-decade career included many leading roles in movies and theater. She has won six Emmy Awards for her television work, a Tony Award, and is a 2011 American Theatre Hall of ...
appeared as a fellow nanny facing forced retirement.
David Letterman David Michael Letterman (born April 12, 1947) is an American television host, comedian, writer, producer, and auto racing team owner. He hosted late-night television talk shows for 33 years, beginning with the February 1, 1982, debut of ''Late N ...
made an uncredited appearance during a fantasy sequence, where Fran describes how she exaggerated her fame to impress a pen pal. Donna Douglas, who played Elly Mae Clampett on ''
The Beverly Hillbillies ''The Beverly Hillbillies'' is an American television sitcom that was broadcast on CBS from 1962 to 1971. It had an ensemble cast featuring Buddy Ebsen, Irene Ryan, Donna Douglas, and Max Baer Jr. as the Clampetts, a poor backwoods family ...
'', made her last television appearance in an episode.


Theme song and opening credits

The theme song featured in the pilot was a version of "
If My Friends Could See Me Now "If My Friends Could See Me Now", with music by Cy Coleman and lyrics by Dorothy Fields, is a song from the 1966 Broadway musical ''Sweet Charity''. In the musical the character of Charity, played in the original New York cast by Gwen Verdon, ref ...
", performed by
Gwen Verdon Gwyneth Evelyn "Gwen" Verdon (January 13, 1925October 18, 2000) was an American actress and dancer. She won four Tony Awards for her musical comedy performances, and she served as an uncredited choreographer's assistant and specialty dance coach ...
from the 1966 Broadway musical ''
Sweet Charity ''Sweet Charity'' is a musical with music by Cy Coleman, lyrics by Dorothy Fields, and book by Neil Simon, based on the screenplay for the 1957 Italian film '' Nights of Cabiria''. It was directed and choreographed for Broadway by Bob Fosse sta ...
''. Following the pilot, the theme changed to "The Nanny Named Fran", written by
Ann Hampton Callaway Ann Hampton Callaway (born May 30, 1958) is an American jazz singer, songwriter, and actress. She wrote and sang the theme song for the TV series ''The Nanny''. Career Callaway is a native of Chicago. Her father, John Callaway, was a journalis ...
and performed by her and her sister
Liz Callaway Liz Callaway (born April 13, 1961) is an American actress, singer and recording artist, who is best known for having provided the singing voices of many female characters in animated films, such as Anya (Anastasia), Anastasia in ''Anastasia (1997 ...
. Along with the change of the theme song came a different, animated opening sequence that would be used for the entire series run. Like the song, it summarizes the events that lead Fran from losing her job and boyfriend to being hired as nanny of the Sheffield children. The sequence begins with Fran walking into the bridal shop, only to be kicked out. A taxicab takes her across the bridge from
Queens Queens is the largest by area of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Queens County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. Located near the western end of Long Island, it is bordered by the ...
to
Manhattan Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...
, and she arrives at the Sheffield mansion to sell cosmetics. Maxwell opens the door and pulls Fran into the house. She falls into a flowerpot, where Niles dusts her off and puts a cap marked "Nanny" on her head. At her whistle, Maxwell's children fall in behind her and the four form a
conga line The conga line is a novelty line dance that was derived from the Cuban carnival dance of the same name and became popular in the US in the 1930s and 1950s. In order to perform the dance, dancers form a long, processing line, which would usually ...
. C.C. arrives at the door and Fran bumps it with her hip to close it in her face. Finally, the Sheffields, Niles and Fran gather on and around the couch for a group picture. However, the camera explodes when Fran triggers its shutter, covering everyone with soot and ruining their hair and clothes.


Production


Development

''The Nanny'' began in 1991 with a chance meeting on a transatlantic flight between Drescher and Jeff Sagansky, at the time president of
CBS Corporation CBS Corporation was an American multinational media company with interests primarily in commercial broadcasting, publishing and television production. It was split from Viacom on December 31, 2005, alongside an entirely new Viacom; both ...
, for whom she had starred in the short-lived TV series ''
Princesses Princess is a title used by a female member of a regnant monarch's family or by a female ruler of a principality. The male equivalent is a prince (from Latin '' princeps'', meaning principal citizen). Most often, the term has been used for ...
''. Drescher persuaded Sagansky to let her and her then-husband Jacobson pitch an idea for a sitcom to CBS. Sagansky agreed to a future meeting once all of the parties were back in Los Angeles; however, neither Drescher nor Jacobson had any idea what to pitch. Later, Drescher was visiting friend Twiggy Lawson and her family in
London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
, where she went on a culture-clash shopping tour with Lawson's then-teenage daughter. Drescher was inspired by her behavior towards the teenage daughter on the shopping trip as functioning in a less parental but "humorous ..kind of Queens logic, self-serving advice" mode. Drescher immediately called her husband in Los Angeles with her sitcom idea, which she pitched as a spin on ''
The Sound of Music ''The Sound of Music'' is a musical with music by Richard Rodgers, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, and a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. It is based on the 1949 memoir of Maria von Trapp, '' The Story of the Trapp Family Singers''. ...
'', except, in Drescher's words, "Instead of
Julie Andrews Dame Julie Andrews (born Julia Elizabeth Wells; 1 October 1935) is an English actress, singer, and author. She has garnered numerous accolades throughout her career spanning over eight decades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Fi ...
, I come to the door." Jacobson replied: "That could be it" and the idea for ''The Nanny'' was spawned. Back in Los Angeles, the pair pitched their idea to Tim Flack and Joe Voci, both in comedy development at CBS. Sagansky brought in experienced producers Robert Sternin and Prudence Fraser, another husband-and-wife team with whom Drescher had worked before while guesting on ''
Who's the Boss? ''Who's the Boss?'' is an American sitcom television series created by Martin Cohan and Blake Hunter, that aired on ABC from September 20, 1984, to April 25, 1992, with a total of 196 half-hour episodes spanning eight seasons. It was produce ...
'' in 1985 and 1986. Interested, both couples teamed up to write the script for the pilot together, creating a character with the intention to build off Drescher's image. "Our business strategy was to create a show that was going to complement our writing, complement me as a talent," Drescher said in a 1997 interview with ''
The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
''. As a result, the characters draw deeply on the Drescher family, including
Fran Fine ''The Nanny'' is an American television sitcom which originally aired on CBS from 1993 to 1999, starring Fran Drescher as #Fran Fine, Fran Fine, a fashion queen from Flushing, New York who becomes the nanny of three children from the New York/Brit ...
's parents, Sylvia and Morty, and grandmother Yetta, who all were named after their real-life counterparts. Drescher also drew from her own life in creating her character. Like the character in ''The Nanny'', Drescher was born and raised to a Jewish family in
Flushing, Queens Flushing is a neighborhood in the north-central portion of the New York City Borough (New York City), borough of Queens. The neighborhood is the fourth-largest central business district in New York City. Downtown Flushing is a major commercial ...
, and attended beauty school. However, unlike her on-screen counterpart, Drescher never worked in a bridal shop; Drescher wrote that into the character as a tribute to her mother, who did work in a bridal shop. While visiting with his relatives in
Fort Lauderdale Fort Lauderdale ( ) is a coastal city located in the U.S. state of Florida, north of Miami along the Atlantic Ocean. It is the county seat of and most populous city in Broward County with a population of 182,760 at the 2020 census, making it ...
around the holidays, Sagansky watched a few episodes with his relatives, realized that he had a hit, and ordered a full 22 episodes for
the first season ''The First Season'' is a Canadian drama film, released in 1989. The film stars Kate Trotter as Alex Cauldwell, a woman in British Columbia who, following the death of her fisherman husband Frank (Dwight Koss), tries to support herself and her dau ...
.


Crew

Most of the early episodes of ''The Nanny'' were shot in front of a live studio audience on Stage 6 at the
Culver Studios The Culver Studios is a film studio in Culver City, California. Originally created by silent movie pioneer Thomas H. Ince, the studios have operated under a multitude of names: Ince Studio (1918–1925), De Mille Studios (1925–1928), Pathé St ...
. On Mondays, the cast went through the script as a
table read The read-through, table-read, or table work is a stage of film, television, radio, and theatre production when an organized reading of the screenplay or script is conducted around a table by the actors with speaking parts. In addition to the c ...
. On Tuesdays and Wednesdays, they rehearsed before the series' producers and executives. And, on Thursdays and Fridays, the series was shot using a multi-camera set-up in front of a live studio audience. During later seasons the taping was no longer performed before an audience due to the complexities of the
fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction that involves supernatural or Magic (supernatural), magical elements, often including Fictional universe, imaginary places and Legendary creature, creatures. The genre's roots lie in oral traditions, ...
sequences, costume changes, etc. Nearly 100 crew members were involved in the shooting of a single episode. Although Drescher, Fraser, Jacobson and Sternin, the show's only executive producers for the first four seasons, coordinated "pretty much everything" at the beginning, according to Sternin, they eventually found their niche and in the following years, Drescher and Sternin decided to focus on writing story outlines, while Jacobson presided over the writing team, and Fraser observed the run-throughs. The four of them were later joined by Frank Lombardi, Caryn Lucas and Diane Wilk, who served as the series' executive producers throughout the fifth and sixth seasons.


Professional laughers

Stemming from a
home invasion A home invasion, also called a hot prowl burglary, is a sub-type of burglary (or in some jurisdictions, a separately defined crime) in which an offender unlawfully enters into a building residence while the occupants are inside. The overarching i ...
and attack she experienced in 1985,
Fran Drescher Francine Joy Drescher (born September 30, 1957) is an American actress and trade unionist. She is currently serving as the national president of the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA). She pla ...
requested the show to provide
prescreened Prescreen is the process by which a lender proactively evaluates a consumer's credit history in order to decide whether or not to offer them credit. The process of prescreening consumers happens without the consumers' knowledge and without any derog ...
audiences An audience is a group of people who participate in a show or encounter a work of art, literature (in which they are called "readers"), theatre, music (in which they are called "listeners"), video games (in which they are called "players"), or ...
, based upon her fear of having random strangers invited to the productions. The show hired Central Casting to gather a cast of "laughers" who would be recorded during taping. The audio track of the laughers would then be added to the episodes in post-production.
Casting director In the performing arts industry such as theatre, film, or television, casting, or a casting call, is a pre-production process for selecting a certain type of actor, dancer, singer, or extra to land the role of a character in a script, screenp ...
Lisette St. Claire became the world's first "laugher wrangler" for this new type of service.


Humor

The comedy in ''The Nanny'' was formulated with many
running gag A running gag, or running joke, is a literary device that takes the form of an amusing joke or a comical reference and appears repeatedly throughout a work of literature or other form of storytelling. Though they are similar, catchphrases are no ...
s, which contributed heavily to the success of the series. Much of this formula was character-based, with all major characters possessing a specific trait or quirks that provided a source of parody for other characters. The conflicting elements of each character's own comedy were often played off against one another ( Fran and
Maxwell Maxwell may refer to: People * Maxwell (surname), including a list of people and fictional characters with the name ** James Clerk Maxwell, mathematician and physicist * Justice Maxwell (disambiguation) * Maxwell baronets, in the Baronetage of N ...
, Niles and C.C.,
Maggie Maggie or Maggy is a common short form of the name Magdalena, Magnolia, Margaret, or Marigold. People Maggie * Maggie Adamson, Scottish musician * Dame Maggie Aderin-Pocock (born 1968), British scientist * Maggie Alderson (born 1959), ...
and
Brighton Brighton ( ) is a seaside resort in the city status in the United Kingdom, city of Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, England, south of London. Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze Age Britain, Bronze Age, R ...
). Occasionally the characters would break the
fourth wall The fourth wall is a performance dramatic convention, convention in which an invisible, imaginary wall separates actors from the audience. While the audience can see through this "wall", the convention assumes the actors act as if they cannot. ...
and comment on the situations themselves, or Fran would comment to the audience or look into the camera. Other running gags are the many references to
Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...
songs and the musicals ''
Fiddler on the Roof ''Fiddler on the Roof'' is a musical theatre, musical with music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and musical theatre#Book musicals, book by Joseph Stein, set in the Pale of Settlement of Russian Empire, Imperial Russia in or around 19 ...
'' and ''
My Fair Lady ''My Fair Lady'' is a musical theatre, musical with a book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe. The story, based on George Bernard Shaw's 1913 play ''Pygmalion (play), Pygmalion'' and on the Pygmalion (1938 film), 1938 film ...
''. Most of the humor Fran uses is aimed toward a Jewish audience. She makes references to Yiddish words and teaches the Sheffield children to be stereotypical Jews. Much of this humor is featured in scenes including her mother, Sylvia. At times, they would also make humorous references to the stars' previous careers or real-life off-screen time. This was noticeable when Yetta saw her reflection in the mirror and thought she was seeing Millie Helper from ''
The Dick Van Dyke Show ''The Dick Van Dyke Show'' is an American sitcom created by Carl Reiner that initially aired on CBS from October 3, 1961, to June 1, 1966, with a total of 158 half-hour episodes spanning five seasons. It was produced by Calvada Productions"Calv ...
'' (the role that Guilbert played), Maxwell remembering how he wanted to hire a former cast member from ''
Days of Our Lives ''Days of Our Lives'' (also stylized as ''Days of our Lives''; simply referred to as ''Days'' or ''DOOL'') is an American television soap opera that aired on the network NBC from November 8, 1965, to September 9, 2022; the soap has streamed n ...
'' but thought he was not "British" enough (a reference to Shaughnessy's former series), and C.C. using props to hide Lane's real-life pregnancy at the time. Drescher also appeared in the series as tough-talking music publicist Bobbi Fleckman, reprising her role from '' This Is Spinal Tap'', setting up a visual gag where Fran would disguise herself as Fleckman in order to get Mr. Sheffield's attention. More running gags include Fran's frequent references to classic TV sitcoms (''
Gilligan's Island ''Gilligan's Island'' is an American sitcom created and produced by Sherwood Schwartz. The show's ensemble cast features Bob Denver, Alan Hale Jr., Jim Backus, Natalie Schafer, Tina Louise, Russell Johnson, and Dawn Wells. It aired for th ...
'' and ''
Bewitched ''Bewitched'' is an American fantasy sitcom television series that originally aired for eight seasons on ABC from September 17, 1964, to March 25, 1972. It is about a witch who marries an ordinary mortal man and vows to lead the life of a typi ...
'') and her many eccentric family members; Fran lying about her age—especially to men; Maxwell fighting through his rivalry with actual Broadway producer
Andrew Lloyd Webber Andrew Lloyd Webber, Baron Lloyd-Webber (born 22 March 1948) is an English composer and impresario of musical theatre. Several of his musicals have run for more than a decade both in the West End theatre, West End and on Broadway theatre, Broad ...
; Maxwell's physical resemblance to
Pierce Brosnan Pierce Brendan Brosnan (born 16 May 1953) is an Irish actor and film producer. He was the fifth actor to play the fictional secret agent Portrayal of James Bond in film, James Bond in the List of James Bond films, James Bond film series, starri ...
; Maxwell's fondness for
Kaye Ballard Kaye Ballard (November 20, 1925 – January 21, 2019) was an American actress, comedian, and singer. Early life Ballard was born Catherine Gloria Balotta in Cleveland, Ohio, one of four children born to Italian immigrant parents, Lena (née Nac ...
; and Sylvia loving food in excess. In one episode Streisand's sister,
Roslyn Kind Roslyn Kind (born January 9, 1951) is an American actress and singer-songwriter. She is the maternal half-sister of Barbra Streisand. She has been performing on Broadway and other venues since her teenage years. Early life Kind was born in 195 ...
appears singing a song with Fran thinking Barbra is at the Sheffield home. There was also the occasional tryst between Niles and C.C., contrasting with their typical open disdain for each other, which was actually love. Season 4 featured a running gag where both Fran and Maxwell kept secret from the other household members "The Thing" (Maxwell telling Fran he loves her in the season 3 finale). It is also following "The Thing" that whenever Maxwell makes comments denying he has feelings for Fran, she is temporarily "paralyzed". In addition, there is also a great deal of
physical comedy Physical comedy is a form of comedy focused on manipulation of the body for a humorous effect. It can include slapstick, clowning, mime, physical stunts, or making funny faces. Physical comedy originated as part of the Commedia dell'arte. It is ...
in ''The Nanny'' including exaggerated falls and chases. Drescher's facial expressions, when shocked or surprised, can also be seen as reminiscent of
Lucille Ball Lucille Désirée Ball (August 6, 1911 – April 26, 1989) was an American actress, comedian, producer, and studio executive. She was recognized by ''Time (magazine), Time'' in 2020 as one of the most influential women of the 20th century for h ...
's portrayals of
Lucy Ricardo Lucy is an English feminine given name derived from the Latin masculine given name Lucius with the meaning ''as of light'' (''born at dawn or daylight'', maybe also ''shiny'', or ''of light complexion''). Alternative spellings are Luci, Luce, Luc ...
and Lucy Carmichael. The parallels were suggested in a few episodes, where an exasperated Mr. Sheffield refers to Fran as "Mrs. Carmichael", and asks in another: "Mr. Mooney fire you from the bank again?" Another Lucy reference is when he alludes to Fran and "Ethel" stealing
John Wayne Marion Robert Morrison (May 26, 1907 – June 11, 1979), known professionally as John Wayne, was an American actor. Nicknamed "Duke", he became a Pop icon, popular icon through his starring roles in films which were produced during Hollywood' ...
's footprints in Hollywood, and again when Maxwell says, "Miss Fine, you got some 'splaining to do!" like Ricky Ricardo often said to Lucy Ricardo. The episode that featured a visit from
Elizabeth Taylor Dame Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor (February 27, 1932 – March 23, 2011) was an English and American actress. She began her career as a child actress in the early 1940s and was one of the most popular stars of classical Hollywood cinema in the 19 ...
(who also appeared on ''
Here's Lucy ''Here's Lucy'' is an American sitcom starring Lucille Ball. The series co-starred her long-time comedy partner Gale Gordon and her real-life children Lucie Arnaz and Desi Arnaz Jr. It was broadcast on CBS from 1968 to 1974. It was Ball's third ...
'') began with Maxwell and Niles trying to hide the visit from Fran ("Boys, boys, boys. Now do you think my mother gave birth to a dummy 25 years ago?") followed by her gripe "You never introduce me to any of the stars that you know; I've got a good mind to take Little Ricky and... oh. Never mind." In another episode of ''The Nanny'', Fran sees a man watching ''
I Love Lucy ''I Love Lucy'' is an American sitcom that originally aired on CBS from October 15, 1951, to May 6, 1957, with a total of 180 half-hour episodes spanning six seasons. The series starred Lucille Ball and her husband Desi Arnaz, along with Vivian ...
'' on TV and as the theme song plays, she gets the idea to gain entry into Sheffield's men's only club dressed as a man.


Broadcast


Domestic syndication

The show began off-network syndication in September 1997, distributed by Columbia TriStar Television Distribution on various broadcast television networks in the United States. The show aired on Lifetime from 2000 until 2008. It was also seen on
Nick at Nite Nick at Nite (stylized as nick@nite since 2009) is an American nighttime programming block on Nickelodeon. List of programs broadcast by Nick at Nite, The block's programming broadcasts from prime time to Late-night television, late night, with ...
from April 2009 to October 5, 2013, in the United States, but was pulled and its timeslot of 6AM-7AM was replaced with '' Hangin' with Mr. Cooper''. It also appears on
The Hallmark Channel Hallmark Channel is an American cable television network owned by Hallmark Media, a subsidiary of Hallmark Cards. The channel broadcasts family-oriented general entertainment programming, including television series and made-for-TV movies. ...
in the Philippines,
Super RTL Super RTL is a German free-to-air television network owned by RTL Deutschland. The channel originally launched in 1995 as a joint venture between RTL Group predecessor company CLT-UFA and Disney's Buena Vista International Television Investment ...
and VOX in Germany, and Go! and TV1 in Australia. On February 8, 2010, Drescher hosted a week-long marathon of ''The Nanny'', titled "Valentine Schmalentine", on Nick at Nite. The success of the stunt led to Fran hosting "Falling for Fran", a similar week-long Valentine's Day marathon in February 2011. On August 2, 2010, ''The Nanny'' began airing on
TV Land TV Land is an American pay television channel owned by Paramount Global through its networks division's MTV Entertainment Group. It was originally launched as Nick at Nite’s TV Land as a spinoff of Nick at Nite programing block consisting e ...
, commencing with a week-long marathon and remained on the channel until 2016. On January 1, 2011, ''The Nanny'' began airing on
Antenna TV Antenna TV is an American digital television network owned by Nexstar Media Group. The network's programming consists of classic television series, primarily sitcoms, from the 1950s to the 1990s. Antenna TV's programming and advertising operatio ...
, a new digital broadcast network. On August 16, 2011, it began airing on
Logo A logo (abbreviation of logotype; ) is a graphic mark, emblem, or symbol used to aid and promote public identification and recognition. It may be of an abstract or figurative design or include the text of the name that it represents, as in ...
. On January 1, 2018,
Cozi TV Cozi TV (stylized on-air as COZI TV) is an American free-to-air television network owned by the NBC Owned Television Stations division of NBCUniversal. The network airs classic television series from the 1950s to the 2000s. The network originat ...
started airing the show. Similarly, on April 30, 2018, Freeform began airing the series, showing 5-episode blocks in the early morning hours. It was then removed from the channel on September 30, 2018. Additionally, the show can be seen on local US television channels.


Streaming

The series' third and fourth seasons are available for streaming on
Pluto TV Pluto TV is an American free ad-supported streaming television service owned and operated by the Paramount Streaming division of Paramount Global. Founded by Tom Ryan (business executive), Tom Ryan, Ilya Pozin and Nick Grouf in 2013 and based in ...
,
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rotates between seasons 1–2 and 3–4, and on April 1, 2021, the entire series became available on
HBO Max Max (known in other countries as, and soon to be reverted globally to HBO Max) is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. It is a proprietary unit of Warner Bros. Discovery Streaming on behalf of Home Box Of ...
. The entire series is also available to stream on
Peacock Peafowl is a common name for two bird species of the genus '' Pavo'' and one species of the closely related genus '' Afropavo'' within the tribe Pavonini of the family Phasianidae (the pheasants and their allies). Male peafowl are referred t ...
as of March 18, 2024. The entire series is available to stream, for free with ads on the CTV app in Canada under the "Throwbacks" section. In 2021, Sony Pictures launched a channel dedicated to the show on
YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...
and posted some episodes and clips of the show.


International syndication

Outside of North America, ''The Nanny'' is broadcast in various other countries and television networks, each with their own schedule for the series. In the United Kingdom, the entire series aired on the digital network
Living Living or The Living may refer to: Common meanings *Life, a condition that distinguishes organisms from inorganic objects and dead organisms ** Living species, one that is not extinct *Personal life, the course of an individual human's life * ...
. In France, the show was broadcast and rebroadcast the same multi-and was a huge success on the channel M6 then W9. The French title is ''Une nounou d'enfer'' ("A Hell of a Nanny"). In Italy Fran was in the dubbing became Francesca, an Italian from Ciociaria (a rural area). ''The Nanny'' airs include:


Home media

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Inc. (abbreviated as SPHE) is the home entertainment distribution division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony. Background SPHE is responsible for the distribution of the Sony Pictures libra ...
has released seasons 1, 2 and 3 of ''The Nanny'' on DVD in regions 1, 2 and 4. Season 3 was released on March 17, 2009, in Region 1, almost three years after the release of season 2. On August 27, 2013, it was announced that Mill Creek Entertainment had acquired the rights to various television series from the Sony Pictures library including ''The Nanny''. They subsequently re-released the first two seasons on DVD on August 5, 2014. On January 12, 2015, it was announced that
Shout! Factory Shout! Factory, LLC, doing business as Shout! Studios (formerly doing business as Shout! Factory, its current legal name), is an American home video and music distributor founded in 2002 as Retropolis Entertainment. Its video releases, issued i ...
had acquired the rights to the series; they subsequently released a complete series set on May 26, 2015. It contains all 146 episodes. In late 2015, Shout! began releasing individual season sets; the fourth season was released on September 22, 2015, followed by the fifth season on December 22, 2015. The sixth and final season was released on March 15, 2016.


Reception

The show received positive critical reviews, with an 85% "fresh" rating on
Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review aggregator, review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee ...
for the first season. The website's consensus reads: "Fran Drescher elevates ''The Nannys formulaic writing with chutzpah, hairspray, and a one-of-a-kind comedic performance." However, the show performed poorly in its first year; when it was nearly cancelled,
CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...
executive Jeff Sagansky championed the show, citing the pilot's historically high test numbers. According to Jacobson: "At all those affiliate meetings, he used to say, 'Stick by ''The Nanny''!' He knew it was something special." Although later emerging as a favorite at
CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...
, sponsors questioned whether the writers had ventured too far in terms of ethnicity and Drescher acted too obviously Jewish. The actress, however, declined to change Fran Fine into an Italian American: "On TV, you have to work fast, and the most real, the most rooted in reality to me is Jewish. I wanted to do it closest to what I knew." By contrast, the producers came to the conclusion that to oppose her should be a family of British origin, so "she wouldn't come across as Jewish so much as the American you were rooting for," Sternin explained. "The idea was to make her the American girl who happens to be Jewish rather than the Jewish girl working for the
WASP A wasp is any insect of the narrow-waisted suborder Apocrita of the order Hymenoptera which is neither a bee nor an ant; this excludes the broad-waisted sawflies (Symphyta), which look somewhat like wasps, but are in a separate suborder ...
s."


Awards and nominations


Other media


Reunion specials

On December 6, 2004, the Lifetime network aired a reunion special '' The Nanny Reunion: A Nosh to Remember''. The special reunited the entire cast with the exception of Davis, who had work commitments. Drescher and Gary Rosenthal served as executive producers of the special. In March 2020, Drescher announced that the cast would reunite for a live reading of the pilot episode amid the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
. The reading was released to
YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...
by Sony Pictures Television on April 6, 2020. The reading featured the entire cast of the pilot—with the exception of
James Marsden James Paul Marsden (born September 18, 1973) is an American actor. He began his acting career guest starring in the television shows '' Saved by the Bell: The New Class'' (1993), '' Touched by an Angel'' (1995), and '' Party of Five'' (1995). Ma ...
, who was replaced by Alex Sternin—as well as narration of the original pilot script by Jacobson and a live performance of the theme song by Ann Callaway.


Foreign adaptations

''The Nanny'' was shown in more than eighty countries worldwide. In addition, several local versions of the show have been produced in other countries. These shows follow the original scripts very closely, but with minor alterations in order to adapt to their respective country's culture. The remake in Russia was so popular that some original American writers of the show were commissioned to write new scripts after all original episodes were remade.


Potential revival

In June 2018, in regards to reviving the series, Drescher said, "We're talking about it. Peter and I are talking about it," Drescher told ''
Entertainment Tonight ''Entertainment Tonight'' (or simply ''ET'') is an American Broadcast syndication, first-run syndicated news broadcasting news magazine, newsmagazine program that is distributed by CBS Media Ventures throughout the United States and owned by Par ...
'', referencing her ex-husband, Peter Marc Jacobson, who co-created the series with her. "She would've maybe gotten involved in more things
hat A hat is a Headgear, head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorpor ...
Fran Drescher is involved with," the actress told ''Entertainment Tonight''. "All kinds of things from environmental issues, to health, to civil liberties, that's what I think Fran inewould be doing now – opening her big Queens mouth for the greater good."


Stage adaptation

On January 8, 2020, it was announced that Drescher and Jacobson were writing the book for a musical adaptation of the series.
Rachel Bloom Rachel Leah Bloom (born April 3, 1987) is an American actress, comedian, singer, writer, and producer. She is best known for co-creating and starring as Rebecca Bunch in The CW musical comedy-drama series ''Crazy Ex-Girlfriend'' (2015– ...
and
Adam Schlesinger Adam Lyons Schlesinger (October 31, 1967 – April 1, 2020) was an American musician, songwriter, composer, and record producer. He was a founding member of the bands Fountains of Wayne, Ivy, and Tinted Windows, and was also a member of the ban ...
of ''
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend ''Crazy Ex-Girlfriend'' is an American romantic musical comedy-drama television series that premiered on October 12, 2015, on The CW and ran for four seasons, ending on April 5, 2019. The series was created, written, and directed by Rachel Bloo ...
'' fame were to write the songs, while Marc Bruni ('' Beautiful: The Carole King Musical'') was slated to direct. Drescher will not portray the title role, as she joked that if she did "We'd have to change the title to ''The Granny''." However, since Schlesinger's unexpected death from
COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...
, the status of the musical is unknown.


See also

*
List of television show franchises The following is a list of international television shows media franchise, franchises. These are shows remake, remade for foreign markets rather than adaptations. Reality shows * ''10 Years Younger (UK), 10 Years Younger'' * ''30 Seconds to Fa ...


Notes


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Nanny, The 1993 American television series debuts 1999 American television series endings 1990s American multi-camera sitcoms 1990s American romantic comedy television series American English-language television shows Jewish comedy and humor Metafictional television series Television series about families Jewish American television series Television series about show business Television series about widowhood Television series by Sony Pictures Television Television series created by Fran Drescher Television series created by Peter Marc Jacobson Television shows remade overseas Television shows set in Manhattan Works about social class Television series about nannies Television series about single parent families CBS sitcoms