November 3, 1993 (1993-11-03) – June 23, 1999 (1999-06-23)[1]
The Nanny is an American sitcom that originally aired on CBS from November 3, 1993, to June 23, 1999, starring Fran Drescher as Fran Fine, a Jewishfashionista from Flushing, Queens 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, 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.
The show earned a Rose d'Or,[2] and one Emmy Award, out of a total of twelve nominations;[3] Drescher was twice nominated for a Golden Globe and an Emmy. The sitcom was the first new show delivered to CBS for the 1993 season and the highest-tested pilot at the network in years.[4] The series was hugely successful internationally, especially in Australia,[4] where it was one of the highest-rated programs of the decade. The Nanny has been called "the '90s version of I Love Lucy" and "well written and entertaining."[5]
Plot
Fran Fine (Drescher) turns up on the New York City doorstep of British Broadway producer Mr. Maxwell Sheffield (Charles Shaughnessy) peddling cosmetics 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 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 widower), does his best to undermine Maxwell's business partner C.C. Babcock (Lauren Lane), 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.
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 named Jonah and Eve.[6] 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.
Francine Joy "Fran" 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 "Max" 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, 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.
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 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 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 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 slang and dressing habits.
Supporting characters
Sylvia Fine (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.
Valerie 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 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. Yetta is based on Drescher's real-life maternal grandmother.
Cast
Main
The Nanny maintained an ensemble cast, keeping the same set of characters for its entire six-season run.
Drescher also reprised her role of Bobbi Fleckman from the 1984 film This Is Spinal Tap and made a cameo appearance 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, and their son Gabriel Bologna had guest roles on the show. Ray Romano appeared as Fran's former high school classmate Ray Barone, linking The Nanny with his comedy Everybody Loves Raymond. Romano and Drescher both actually knew each other in high school.[15]Tom Bergeron appeared as himself, the host of Hollywood Squares, in an episode in which Maxwell appeared as a star on the show's board as a replacement for Andrew Lloyd Webber. Tyne Daly appeared as a fellow nanny facing forced retirement. David Letterman 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, 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", performed by Gwen Verdon from the 1966 Broadway musical Sweet Charity.[16] Following the pilot, the theme changed to "The Nanny Named Fran", written by Ann Hampton Callaway and performed by her and her sister Liz Callaway.[17] 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 to Manhattan, 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. 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, for whom she had starred in the short-lived TV series Princesses. 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.[18]
Later, Drescher was visiting friend Twiggy Lawson and her family in London, 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.[4] Drescher immediately called her husband in Los Angeles with her sitcom idea, which she pitched as a spin on The Sound of Music, except, in Drescher's words, "Instead of Julie Andrews, I come to the door." Jacobson replied: "That could be it" and the idea for The Nanny was spawned.[19]
Back in Los Angeles, the pair pitched their idea to Tim Flack and Joe Voci, both in comedy development at CBS.[4] Sagansky brought in experienced producers Robert Sternin and Prudence Fraser,[4] another husband-and-wife team with whom Drescher had worked before while guesting on Who's the Boss? in 1985 and 1986.[20] 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. As a result, the characters draw deeply on the Drescher family, including Fran Fine's parents, Sylvia and Morty, and grandmother Yetta, who all were named after their real-life counterparts.[4]
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, 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.[21] While visiting with his relatives in Fort Lauderdale 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.[22]
Crew
7 East 75th Street on the Upper East Side of New York City was used for the exterior shots of the Sheffield townhouse.
Most of the early episodes of The Nanny were shot in front of a live studio audience on Stage 6 at the Culver Studios. On Mondays, the cast went through the script as a table read. 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 sequences, costume changes, etc.[23]
Nearly 100 crew members were involved in the shooting of a single episode.[24] Although Drescher, Fraser, Jacobson and Sternin, the show's only executive producers for the first four seasons, coordinated "pretty much everything" at the beginning,[24] 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.[24] 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.[13]
Professional laughers
Stemming from a home invasion and attack she experienced in 1985, Fran Drescher requested the show to provide prescreenedaudiences, 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 Lisette St. Claire became the world's first "laugher wrangler" for this new type of service.[25][26]
Humor
The comedy in The Nanny was formulated with many running gags, 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, Niles and C.C., Maggie and Brighton). Occasionally the characters would break the fourth wall 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 songs and the musicals Fiddler on the Roof and My Fair Lady. 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 role that Guilbert played), Maxwell remembering how he wanted to hire a former cast member from Days of Our Lives 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.[27] 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 and Bewitched) 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; Maxwell's physical resemblance to Pierce Brosnan; Maxwell's fondness for Kaye Ballard; and Sylvia loving food in excess.[27]
In one episode Streisand's sister, Roslyn Kind 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 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's portrayals of Lucy Ricardo and Lucy Carmichael.[28] 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'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 (who also appeared on Here's Lucy) 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 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 1998, 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 could also be seen on Nick at Nite 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 in the Philippines, Super RTL 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.[29]
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, commencing with a week-long marathon and remained on the channel until 2016.[30] On January 1, 2011, The Nanny began airing on Antenna TV, a new digital broadcast network. On August 16, 2011, "The Nanny" began airing on Logo. On January 1, 2018, Cozi TV started airing the show. Similarly, on April 30, 2018, Freeform began airing the series, showing 5-episode blocks in the early morning hours. 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,The Roku Channel rotates between seasons 1–2 and 3–4, and on April 1, 2021, the entire series became available on HBO Max.[31] The entire series is also available to stream on Peacock 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 and posted some episodes and clips of the show.[32]
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. 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"). Other countries where The Nanny airs include:
Sony Pictures Home Entertainment 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.[39] 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.[40] They subsequently re-released the first two seasons on DVD on August 5, 2014.[41]
On January 12, 2015, it was announced that Shout! Factory had acquired the rights to the series; they subsequently released a complete series set on May 26, 2015. It contains all 146 episodes.[42][43] In late 2015, Shout! began releasing individual season sets; the fourth season was released on September 22, 2015,[44] followed by the fifth season on December 22, 2015.[45] The sixth and final season was released on March 15, 2016.[46][47]
DVD name
Ep #
Release dates
Special features
Region 1
Region 2
Region 4
The Complete 1st Season
22
July 12, 2005
August 9, 2005
July 13, 2005
Commentary with Fran Drescher
The Making of The Nanny
The Complete 2nd Season
26
May 2, 2006
June 8, 2006
May 10, 2006
None
The Complete 3rd Season
27
March 17, 2009
March 5, 2009
March 11, 2009
None
The Complete 4th Season
26
September 22, 2015
TBA
TBA
None
The Complete 5th Season
23
December 22, 2015
TBA
TBA
None
The Complete 6th Season
22
March 15, 2016
TBA
TBA
None
The Complete Series
146
May 26, 2015
TBA
TBA
Executive Producers Fran Drescher And Peter Marc Jacobson in a New, Never-Before-Seen Interview
The Making of The Nanny
Selected Episode Commentary by Fran Drescher
Reception
The show received positive critical reviews, with an 85% "fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes for the first season. The website's consensus reads: "Fran Drescher elevates The Nanny's formulaic writing with chutzpah, hairspray, and a one-of-a-kind comedic performance."[48] However, the show performed poorly in its first year; when it was nearly cancelled, CBS 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."[4]
Although later emerging as a favorite at CBS, sponsors questioned whether the writers had ventured too far in terms of ethnicity and Drescher acted too obviously Jewish.[4] 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."[49] 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 WASPs."[4]
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.[52] The reading was released to YouTube by Sony Pictures Television on April 6, 2020. The reading featured the entire cast of the pilot—with the exception of James Marsden, 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.[53]
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.[54]
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, referencing her ex-husband, Peter Marc Jacobson, who co-created the series with her. "She would’ve maybe gotten involved in more things [that] 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 [Fine] would be doing now – opening her big Queens mouth for the greater good."[55]
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 and Adam Schlesinger of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend 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."[56] However, since Schlesinger's unexpected death from COVID-19, the status of the musical is unknown.
^Ratings figures for seasons 5 and 6 are in viewers (millions), not household figures.
References
^"Episodes". TV.com. Archived from the original on January 8, 2012. Retrieved September 23, 2020. The series finale of The Nanny aired on May 12, 1999. Because they had not been shown in March and April as originally scheduled, CBS showed the six unaired season 6 episodes in June 1999. The last first-run episodes of The Nanny aired on June 23, 1999.
^Stewart, Jon (host) (June 29, 2011). "Tom Hanks". The Daily Show. Comedy Central.
^Gliatto, Tom; Tomashoff, Craig (October 14, 1996). "Home Truths". People. Archived from the original on May 28, 2014. Retrieved December 29, 2014. While a student at Hillcrest High (where The Nanny's Fran Drescher was a classmate), he performed in a comedy troupe at church.
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