The Nanny

The Nanny is an American television sitcom which originally aired on CBS from November 3, 1993, to June 23, 1999, starring Fran Drescher as Fran Fine, a Jewish fashionista from Flushing, Queens, New York, who becomes the nanny of three children from the New York-British high society.

Not to be confused with the British television series Nanny.
For other uses, see Nanny (disambiguation).

The Nanny
GenreSitcom
Created by
Developed by
  • Prudence Fraser
  • Robert Sternin
Starring
Theme music composerAnn Hampton Callaway
(Pilot episode: Cy Coleman and Dorothy Fields)
Opening theme"The Nanny Named Fran", written and performed by Ann Hampton Callaway (performed with Liz Callaway)
Ending theme"The Nanny Named Fran" (Instrumental)
ComposerTimothy Thompson
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons6
No. of episodes146 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
  • Fran Drescher
  • Prudence Fraser
  • Peter Marc Jacobson
  • Frank Lombardi
  • Caryn Lucas
  • Robert Sternin
  • Diane Wilk
Camera setupVideotape; Multi-camera
Running time22–24 minutes
Production companies
Distributor
Release
Original networkCBS
Picture format480i 4:3 (SDTV)
Audio formatStereo (CBS StereoSound)
Original releaseNovember 3, 1993 (1993-11-03) –
June 23, 1999 (1999-06-23)[1]
External links
Website
Production website

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 in Queens, involving names and characteristics based on her relatives and friends. 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 has also spawned several foreign adaptations, loosely inspired by the original scripts.

Plot

Jewish-American Fran Fine turns up on the doorstep of British Broadway producer Maxwell Sheffield (Charles Shaughnessy) to sell cosmetics after having been dumped, and subsequently fired by, her bridal shop owner boyfriend. Maxwell reluctantly hires her to be the nanny of his three children: Maggie, Brighton, and Grace. In spite of Mr. Sheffield's misgivings, Fran turns out to be just what he and his family needed.

While Fran Fine manages the children, 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 eyes on the very available Maxwell Sheffield. Niles is often seen making witty comments directed towards C.C., with C.C. often replying with a comment of her own in their ongoing game of one-upmanship.

As the series progresses, it becomes increasingly obvious that Maxwell is smitten with Fran even though he won't admit it, and Fran is smitten with him. The show teases the viewers with their closeness and "near misses" as well as with an engagement. Towards the later seasons, they finally marry and expand their family by having fraternal twins.[4] By the end of the series, it's also clear that Niles and C.C.'s constant sharp barbs are their bizarre form of flirtation; after a few false starts (including multiple impulsive and failed proposals from Niles), the pair marry in the series finale.

Episodes
See also: List of The Nanny episodes
SeasonEpisodesOriginally airedRankRating[lower-alpha 1]
First airedLast aired
122November 3, 1993 (1993-11-03)May 16, 1994 (1994-05-16)65[5]9.5[5]
226September 12, 1994 (1994-09-12)May 22, 1995 (1995-05-22)25[6]12.5[6]
327September 11, 1995 (1995-09-11)May 20, 1996 (1996-05-20)17[7]12.4[7]
426September 18, 1996 (1996-09-18)May 21, 1997 (1997-05-21)46[8]9.1[8]
523October 1, 1997 (1997-10-01)May 13, 1998 (1998-05-13)50[9]11.5[9]
622September 30, 1998 (1998-09-30)June 23, 1999 (1999-06-23)84[10]9.3[10]

Main
See also: List of The Nanny characters

Francine Joy "Fran" Sheffield (née Fine) is the nasal-voiced, outgoing protagonist of the series who stumbles upon the Sheffields' doorstep and winds up as the nanny to Mr. Sheffield's three children: Maggie, Brighton, and Grace. She starts off working for her boyfriend Danny Imperialli in a bridal shop but is dumped and fired not long after. She ends up meeting Maxwell Sheffield and his family while going door to door to sell cosmetics. Her character has an outgoing and humorous personality. Fran, as a result of her mother's overbearing personality, 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, Maggie, Brighton, and Grace. 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 Broadway 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.

Margaret "Maggie" Brolin (née Sheffield) 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 Grace, is generally much warmer. Towards 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.

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 doesn't bond with Fran Fine 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 doesn't have to work.

Grace "Gracie" Sheffield is the youngest and arguably most intelligent of the Sheffield children. At the start of the series, Grace was undergoing psychotherapy frequently, but under Fran influence and guidance, she quickly reaches the point where she doesn't 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.

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 and Babcock's serious moves on him are thwarted by Maxwell's own obliviousness or by 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 his longtime butler 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 only being revealed in the series finale, to both the other characters and the audience.

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.

Secondary

Sylvia Fine (née Rosenberg) is the mother of Fran Fine, portrayed in early seasons by Fran Drescher (in flashbacks to Fran Fine's childhood). Sylvia is based on Drescher's real-life mother.

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.

Valerie Toriello is the best friend of Fran since attending 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.

Cast

Main cast
Main article: List of The Nanny characters

The Nanny maintained an ensemble cast, keeping the same set of characters for its entire six-season run. Renée Taylor, Ann Morgan Guilbert, and Rachel Chagall were only given starring credit for their roles in the final season, even though they appeared in most episodes of the series, particularly in seasons where the role of the Sheffield children was somewhat reduced.

Character Actor
Fran Fine Fran Drescher
Maxwell Sheffield Charles Shaughnessy
Niles Daniel Davis
C. C. Babcock Lauren Lane
Margaret Sheffield Nicholle Tom
Brighton Sheffield Benjamin Salisbury
Grace Sheffield Madeline Zima
Sylvia Fine Renée Taylor
Yetta Rosenberg Ann Morgan Guilbert
Val Toriello Rachel Chagall

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 as Fran's paternal aunt Freida,[11] Steve Lawrence as Fran's never before seen father Morty Fine,[11] Pamela Anderson as Fran's bubble-headed nemesis Heather Biblow,[11] Ray Charles as Yetta's fiancé Sammy,[11] Spalding Gray as Dr. Jack Miller,[11] Fred Stoller for the frequently featured pharmacist Fred,[11] and Andrew Levitas as Maggie's boyfriend Michael.[11]

Several celebrities guested as characters in single episodes, such as Dan Aykroyd, John Astin, Jason Alexander, Robert Culp, Cloris Leachman, Rita Moreno, Robert Urich, Wallace Shawn, Joan Van Ark, Efrem Zimbalist Jr., George Murdock, Roseanne Barr as Fran's cousin Sheila, Joan Collins as Maxwell's stepmother, Robert Vaughn as Maxwell's father, Twiggy as Maxwell's sister (in her first appearance, in season 1), and Dina Merrill as his mother. Others appeared as themselves, primarily in connection with Maxwell's business relations, such as Bob Barker, Chevy Chase, Robert Culp, Billy Ray Cyrus, Lesley-Anne Down, Erik Estrada, Dan Aykroyd, Joe Lando, Joan Collins, Richard Kline, Bette Midler. Eydie Gormé, Jane Seymour, Dame Elizabeth Taylor, Elton John, Lamb Chop and Shari Lewis, Andrew Dice Clay, Lynn Redgrave, Hugh Grant, Margaret Cho, Jeanne Cooper, Melody Thomas Scott, Eric Braeden, Shemar Moore, Joshua Morrow, Hunter Tylo; media personalities Roger Clinton, Alicia Machado, Jay Leno, David Letterman, Sally Jessy Raphael and Donald Trump; and musicians Ray Charles, Michael Bolton, Patti LaBelle, Lisa Loeb, Eartha Kitt, Brian Setzer, Celine Dion, Rapper Coolio, Whoopi Goldberg, Steve Lawrence, and Rosie O'Donnell. Jonathan Penner appeared as Fran's former fiancé, Danny Imperialli. James Marsden appeared as Maggie's boyfriend, Eddie, and Telma Hopkins appeared as Fran's "mother" in the episode "Fran's Roots". Scott Baio made an appearance as a rookie doctor who was Fran's former schoolmate. Jon Stewart 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 Fran Drescher.[12]

Marvin Hamlisch appeared as Fran's former high school music teacher, a Marvin Hamlisch look-alike. Fran 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. Charles Shaughnessy had a double role as a fictional Middle Eastern oil potentate in one episode. Drescher's real-life parents, Morty and Sylvia, initially appeared as a couple in the waiting room of Grace'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 actually knew each other in high school.[13] 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, would make her last television appearance in an episode in which the Fines would buy the mansion (made famous in the aforementioned series) she was selling (Douglas was a realtor in real life), and in a nod paid homage to the Hillbillies closing scene with Donna and the cast waving goodbye to viewers.

Theme song

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.[14] 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.[15] Two instrumental versions of the theme song were used in the closing credits: one that is a direct instrumental version of the theme (used only in a few season one episodes), and another with a slightly different arrangement.

Opening credits

Along with the change of the theme song from "If My Friends Could See Me Now" to "The Nanny Named Fran" came the change of the opening sequence, which like the theme, describes (with the main characters in animated form) the story of how Fran Fine went from being fired from the bridal shop by Danny Imperiali to becoming the nanny of the Sheffield children.

The animated opening sequence begins with Fran Fine walking into the bridal shop, only to be kicked out by an unseen Danny Imperalli. Then, she hitches a ride in a cab, crosses the bridge from Queens, New York to Manhattan and arrives at the Sheffield mansion. Maxwell Sheffield opens the door and observes Fran. Then, he pulls her inside and she falls into the flower pot. Niles dusts her off and puts a cap on her head that reads Nanny. Fran whistles for Maggie, Brighton, and Gracie and the four of them form a conga line. C.C. arrives at the door and Fran bumps the door with her hip to close it in her face. Finally, the Sheffields, Niles and Fran gather on the couch for a group picture similar to that of the One Day at a Time series opening. However, when Fran presses the camera's button, smoke emits from the camera, covering the entire group in dust and messing up their best clothes.

Rosie O'Donnell employed the same team that created The Nanny's opening credits to do the opening credits for her popular daytime talk show. O'Donnell mentioned this in an interview with Drescher on that show.

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.[16]

Later, while in London, Drescher was visiting friend Twiggy Lawson and her family in London, England, 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.[17]

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.[18]

Back in Los Angeles, the pair pitched their idea to Tim Flack and Joe Voci, both in comedy development at CBS.[17] Sagansky brought in experienced producers Robert Sternin and Prudence Fraser,[17] another husband-and-wife team with whom Drescher had worked before while guesting on Who's the Boss? in 1985 and 1986.[19] 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.[17] Drescher also drew from her own life in creating her character. Like the character in The Nanny, Drescher was born and raised 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.[20] 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.[21]

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. During later seasons the taping was no longer performed before an audience due to the complexities of the fantasy sequences, costume changes, etc. 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.[22]

Nearly 100 crew members were involved in the shooting of a single episode.[23] Although Drescher, Fraser, Jacobson and Sternin, the show's only executive producers for the first four seasons, coordinated "pretty much everything" at the beginning,[23] according to Sternin, they eventually found their niche and in the following years, Drescher and Sternin decided to focus on writing story outlines along with Timothy Kavanagh of Montreal. Kavanagh, known mainly for his writing with Fraser, added a recognizable dry humor to the show. Jacobson presided over the writing team, and Fraser observed the run-throughs.[23] The four of them were later joined by Frank Lombardi, Caryn Lucas and Diane Wilk, who served as the series' executive producer throughout the fifth and sixth season respectively.[11]

Professional laughers

Stemming from a home invasion and attack she experienced in 1985, Fran Drescher requested the show to provide prescreened audiences, 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 new type of service, which would continue to be used on other shows.[24][25]

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 (to never pay retail price, to go after men like doctors, etc.) 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 on that long-running show), Maxwell remembering how he wanted to hire a former cast member from Days of Our Lives but thought he wasn't "British" enough (a reference to Charles Shaughnessy's former series), C.C. using props to hide Lauren Lane's real-life pregnancy at the time,[26] and Fran meeting her idol—Fran Drescher—who gave her a hint on what she (the TV Fran) was going to do in the next scene in the second-to-last episode in the last season. Drescher also appeared in the series as tough-talking music publicist Bobbi Fleckman, reprising her role from the 1984 film This Is Spinal Tap, setting up an obvious visual gag where Drescher (as the Nanny) 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 (such as Gilligan's Island and Bewitched) and her many eccentric family members (some never shown, most of them dying); 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; Sylvia loving food in excess;[26] Niles delivering sharp one-liners, often aimed at C.C.; C.C. cold-heartedly reacting to situations that are usually sentimental to others (e.g. the death of Bambi's mother); Gracie psychologically analyzing various situations; Niles getting fired because he embarrasses Maxwell or gives Fran ideas that Maxwell extremely dislikes (such as suggesting that Max, C.C. and Fran go to Barbra Streisand's house); Fran and Val lacking intelligence and obsessing over material possessions (e.g. clothes); frequent references to Fran's flamboyant wardrobe, her "big hair" and her nasal voice (which was much less grating in early episodes). ; Fran frequently mentioning shopping at Loehmann's; Yetta making disconnected comments revealing her senility; Fran criticizing Maxwell's and Niles' reserved and inhibited British nature; Brighton morphing into a hopeless dork; Fran's attraction to Jewish males; Maxwell passing up the incredibly popular musical, Cats, then becoming upset when such an idiotic idea became a success; Niles' last name never being revealed; C.C. covering her long-unrevealed name (finally given as Chastity Claire in the series finale); C.C. failing to remember the names of the Sheffield children (even convinced by Niles in one episode that there was a fourth child named Sydney; note: she didn't have trouble remembering in the early seasons); Sylvia constantly nagging Fran to get married; Fran finding solace in food when she's depressed; Fran's father, Morty, often featured in the series but never actually seen (until portrayed by Steve Lawrence in a few later episodes); Morty's only physical trait being the fact that he is bald, in which he is always comically losing his wig, and has several head mannequins to hold different wigs; Niles offering obvious hints to Maxwell and Fran about them realizing they should be together and hints from each other; C.C. pining over her unrequited romantic interest in Maxwell; C.C. developing a nervous tic and eventually ending up in a sanitarium; Fran obsessing with Barbra Streisand. In one episode Streisand's sister, Roslyn Kind appears singing as 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" (the fact that in the season 3 finale Maxwell tells Fran he loves her, but then in the Season 4 premiere he takes it back). It's also following "The Thing" that whenever Maxwell makes comments denying he has feelings for Fran, she is temporary "paralyzed" (she can't feel her arm, her entire left side shuts down, etc.).

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.[27] 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 (in which the family travels to Hollywood) is when he alludes to Fran and "Ethel" stealing John Wayne's footprints, 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 as a guest star) 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." Also, there was a reference from the episode of I Love Lucy called "Ricky has Labor Pains" where Lucy and Ethel dress up like men and go to Ricky's daddy shower. In an episode of The Nanny, Fran sees a man watching I Love Lucy on TV and as the theme song plays she gets a sneaky look on her face and gets the idea to gain entry into Mr. Sheffield's men's only club dressed as a man. Viewers for Quality Television called The Nanny "the '90s version of I Love Lucy. It was well written and entertaining."[28]

Impact

Reception

The show performed poorly in its first year. When it was nearly canceled, Sagansky stepped in as its champion. According to Jacobson: "At all those affiliate meetings, he used to say, 'Stick by The Nanny!' He knew it was something special."[17] The sitcom was the first new show delivered to CBS for the 1993 season and the highest-tested pilot at the network in years.[17] The series was also hugely successful internationally, especially in Australia,[17] where it was one of the highest-rated programs during the mid-to-late 1990s.

Although soon emerging as a favorite among the company, sponsors questioned whether the writers had ventured too far in terms of ethnicity and Drescher acted too obviously Jewish.[17] 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."[29] 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."[17]

Reunion special
NameAir date
The Nanny Reunion: A Nosh to Remember December 6, 2004

Syndication

The show began off-network syndication in September 1998, distributed by Columbia TriStar Television Distribution (now Sony Pictures Television Distribution) on various broadcast television networks in the U.S. The show had aired on Lifetime Television from 2000 until 2008. The show 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, Fran Drescher hosted a week-long marathon of The Nanny, titled "Valentine Schmalentine", on Nick at Nite.[30] 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.[31] 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. Similarly, on April 30, 2018, Freeform (TV channel) began airing the series, showing 5-episode blocks in the early morning hours. Additionally, the show can be seen on local US television channels.

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. It is currently re-airing on newly launched channel TLC. 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"). The character of Fran Fine is very famous in France.

Other countries where The Nanny airs include the following:

Possible reboot

In June 2018 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."[37][38]

Home media

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 3 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.[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 Season22July 12, 2005August 9, 2005July 13, 2005
  • Commentary with Fran Drescher
  • The Making of The Nanny
The Complete 2nd Season26May 2, 2006June 8, 2006May 10, 2006
  • None
The Complete 3rd Season27March 17, 2009March 5, 2009March 11, 2009
  • None
The Complete 4th Season26September 22, 2015TBATBA
  • None
The Complete 5th Season23December 22, 2015TBATBA
  • None
The Complete 6th Season22March 15, 2016TBATBA
  • None
The Complete Series146May 26, 2015TBATBA
  • 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

Awards and nominations
YearAward-giving BodyAwardResult
1994Young Artist AwardsYouth Actress Leading Role in a Television Series (Nicholle Tom)Nominated
1994Young Artist AwardsOutstanding Youth Ensemble in a Television Series (Benjamin Salisbury, Nicholle Tom, Madeline Zima)Nominated
1994Young Artist AwardsBest New Television SeriesNominated
1995Primetime Emmy AwardsOutstanding Individual Achievement in Costuming for a Series (Brenda Cooper, for 'Canasta Masta')Won
1995Primetime Emmy AwardsOutstanding Individual Achievement in Directing for a Comedy Series (Lee Shallat Chemel, for 'Canasta Masta')Nominated
1995Primetime Emmy AwardsOutstanding Individual Achievement in Hairstyling for a Series (Dugg Kirkpatrick, for 'Stock Tip')Nominated
1995Young Artist AwardsBest Performance by a Youth Ensemble in a Television Series (Benjamin Salisbury, Nicholle Tom, Madeline Zima)Nominated
1995Young Artist AwardsBest Performance by a Youth Actress – TV Guest Star (Jacqueline Tone)Nominated
1995Young Artist AwardsBest Performance by an Actress Under Ten in a TV Series (Madeline Zima)Nominated
1996American Comedy AwardsFunniest Female Performer in a TV Series (Leading Role) Network, Cable or Syndication (Fran Drescher)Nominated
1996BMI Film & TV AwardsBMI TV Music Award (Timothy Thompson)Won
1996Golden Globe AwardsBest Performance by an Actress in a TV-Series – Comedy/Musical (Fran Drescher)Nominated
1996Primetime Emmy AwardsOutstanding Costuming for a Series (Brenda Cooper, for 'The Kibbutz')Nominated
1996Primetime Emmy AwardsOutstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series (Fran Drescher)Nominated
1996Primetime Emmy AwardsOutstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series (Renée Taylor)Nominated
1996Young Artist AwardsBest Performance by a Young Actor – TV Comedy Series (Benjamin Salisbury)Won
1996Young Artist AwardsBest Performance by a Young Actress – TV Comedy Series (Madeline Zima)Nominated
1996Young Artist AwardsBest Performance by a Young Actress – TV Comedy Series (Nicholle Tom)Nominated
1997Golden Globe AwardsBest Performance by an Actress in a TV-Series – Comedy/Musical (Fran Drescher)Nominated
1997Primetime Emmy AwardsOutstanding Costuming for a Series (Brenda Cooper, for 'The Rosie Show')Nominated
1997Primetime Emmy AwardsOutstanding Costuming for a Series (Shawn Holly Cookson and Terry Gordon, for 'The Facts of Lice')Nominated
1997Primetime Emmy AwardsOutstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series (Fran Drescher)Nominated
1997Satellite AwardsBest Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy (Fran Drescher)Nominated
1998Primetime Emmy AwardsOutstanding Lighting Direction (Electronic) for a Comedy Series (Jimmy E. Jensen, for 'The Wedding')Nominated
1998Primetime Emmy AwardsOutstanding Costuming for a Series (Shawn Holly Cookson and Terry Gordon, for 'Not Without My Nanny')Nominated
1998Young Artist AwardsBest Performance by a Young Actress – TV Comedy Series (Madeline Zima)Nominated
1998Young Artist AwardsBest Performance by a Young Actor – TV Comedy Series (Benjamin Salisbury)Nominated
1999NAACP Image AwardsOutstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series (Whoopi Goldberg)Nominated
1999Primetime Emmy AwardsOutstanding Costuming for a Series (Shawn Holly Cookson and Terry Gordon, for 'Oh Say, Can You Ski?')Nominated
1999TeleVizier-Ring Gala, NetherlandsSilver TeleVizier-TulipWon
1999TV Guide AwardFavorite Actress in a Comedy (Fran Drescher)Nominated
1999Young Artist AwardsBest Performance by a Young Actress – TV Comedy Series (Madeline Zima)Nominated
1999Young Artist AwardsBest Performance by a Young Actor – TV Comedy Series (Benjamin Salisbury)Nominated
2008TV Land AwardsFavorite Nanny (Fran Drescher)Won
2019 Online Film & Television Association Hall of Fame Television Program[48][49] Won

Foreign adaptations
Countries with local versions
Main article: List of foreign adaptations of The Nanny

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.[50]

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 will write the songs, while Marc Bruni (Beautiful: The Carole King Musical) will 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."[51] However, since Schlesinger's unexpected death from COVID-19, the status of the musical is unknown.

See also

Notes
  1. Ratings figures for seasons 5 and 6 are in viewers (millions), not household figures.

References
  1. "Episodes". TV.com. 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.
  2. "Rose d'Or: winners". The Guardian. London. May 2, 2006. Retrieved July 30, 2013.
  3. "The Nanny". Emmy Awards. Retrieved July 30, 2013.
  4. "The Story of The Nanny, FAQ & Trivia". The Nanny Home Page. Retrieved September 22, 2020.
  5. "The TV Ratings Guide: 1993-94 Ratings History".
  6. "The TV Ratings Guide: 1994-95 Ratings History".
  7. "The TV Ratings Guide: 1995-96 Ratings History".
  8. "The TV Ratings Guide: 1996-97 Ratings History".
  9. "What ranked and what tanked". EW.com.
  10. "TV Winners & Losers: Numbers Racket A Final Tally Of The Season's Show (from Nielsen Media Research)". GeoCities. June 4, 1999. Archived from the original on October 29, 2009. Retrieved December 20, 2020.
  11. "Full cast and crew for "The Nanny" (1993)". IMDb. Retrieved July 30, 2013.
  12. Stewart, Jon (host) (June 29, 2011). "Tom Hanks". The Daily Show. Comedy Central.
  13. 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.
  14. "Original Nanny Intro from the Pilot episode". YouTube. August 1, 2009. Retrieved July 30, 2013.
  15. "Theater, Performance & Cabaret: Ann Hampton Callaway". Los Angeles Magazine. February 2001. p. 138. ISSN 1522-9149. Retrieved August 2, 2013.
  16. Rosenthal, Phil (October 28, 1994). "The Nanny Finds A Home With Viewers". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved September 22, 2020.
  17. Abbott, Denise (May 21, 1997). "Enter Winning". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on August 23, 2007. Retrieved September 22, 2020.
  18. Drescher, Fran (1996). Enter Whining. Regan Books. p. 126. ISBN 978-0-06-039155-3.
  19. Fox, Jesse David (March 8, 2013). "Comedy Undercard: Who's the Boss? vs. The Nanny". Vulture. Retrieved January 13, 2016.
  20. Belson, Eve (October 1994). "Diva". Orange Coast. p. 46. ISSN 0279-0483. Retrieved September 22, 2020.
  21. Boedeker, Hal (March 2, 1994). "Nanny Loves South Florida, And So Does Fran Drescher". Miami Herald. Retrieved September 22, 2020.
  22. Abbott, Denise (May 21, 1997). "Nanny on the Spot". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on July 3, 2013. Retrieved July 30, 2013.
  23. Abbott, Denise (May 21, 1997). "In A Family Way". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on July 3, 2013. Retrieved July 30, 2013.
  24. Warner, Joel; McGraw, Peter (January 25, 2012). "The Humor Code: Professional Laughers, Straight Out of Central Casting". Wired. Retrieved May 30, 2018.
  25. Flaherty, Julie (June 6, 2011). "Look Busy, Feign Interest and Be Paid". The New York Times. Retrieved May 30, 2018.
  26. "The Nanny: 1993–1999". People. June 26, 2000. Retrieved July 30, 2013.
  27. Tucker, Ken (February 9, 1996). "The Nanny Review". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved August 8, 2013.
  28. "The Nanny: About the Show". Sony Pictures. Archived from the original on August 24, 2011. Retrieved June 11, 2008.
  29. "I'm a Survivor!". The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles. Archived from the original on July 8, 2012. Retrieved June 18, 2007.
  30. "Fran Drescher Dishes on Love and Romance as Host of Nick at Nite's Valentine's Week Marathon Beginning Monday, February 8" (Press release). Nickelodeon. January 29, 2010. Retrieved July 31, 2013 – via PRNewswire.
  31. "Fran Drescher is in Charge When 'The Nanny' Joins TV Land Beginning August 2" (Press release). TV Land. July 29, 2010. Retrieved July 31, 2013 – via PRNewswire.
  32. "Die Nanny". TV Wishlist (in German). Retrieved September 22, 2020.
  33. "Dadilja". RTL Televizija (in Croatian). Archived from the original on November 28, 2009.
  34. "Chůva k pohledání". Prima televize. Retrieved July 30, 2013.
  35. "Alletiders barnepige" (in Danish). Archived from the original on June 18, 2010. Retrieved September 22, 2020.
  36. "Die Nanny". wunschliste.de. Retrieved July 30, 2013.
  37. Statz, Augusta (June 22, 2018). "Fran Drescher Says 'The Nanny' Reboot Is Possible". Simplemost. Retrieved September 22, 2020.
  38. Bacardi, Francesca (June 19, 2018). "Fran Drescher teases 'The Nanny' reboot". New York Post. Retrieved June 23, 2018.
  39. Lacey, Gord (December 25, 2008). "The Nanny – Season 3 is coming (finally)". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Archived from the original on July 29, 2013. Retrieved July 30, 2013.
  40. Lacey, Gord (August 27, 2013). "Mill Creek, Sony Ink Deal for Rereleases of Nanny, Jeffersons, Married..., Bewitched, Jeannie, more". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved September 16, 2015.
  41. Lambert, David (June 5, 2014). "Season 1 and 2 Package Art for Mill Creek's Upcoming Re-Releases". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Archived from the original on September 20, 2015. Retrieved September 16, 2015.
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  44. Lambert, David (June 2, 2015). "Fran's 'Season 4' Gets a Separate Season Set this September". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Archived from the original on October 4, 2015. Retrieved September 16, 2015.
  45. Lambert, David (September 15, 2015). "'The Complete 5th Season' DVDs...JUST Before Christmas!". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Archived from the original on September 17, 2015. Retrieved September 16, 2015.
  46. "The Nanny DVD news: Announcement for The Final Season: Season 6". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Archived from the original on April 22, 2016. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
  47. "The Nanny DVD news: Box Art for The Final Season: Season 6". TVShowsOnDVD.com. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
  48. "Television Hall of Fame: Productions - Online Film & Television Association". Retrieved November 21, 2020.
  49. "Online Film & Television Association (2019)". IMDb. Retrieved November 21, 2020.
  50. Levy, Clifford J. (September 10, 2007). "Still Married, With Children, But in Russian". The New York Times. Retrieved February 2, 2008.
  51. Meyer, Dan (January 8, 2020). "Fran Drescher Working on The Nanny Musical; Rachel Bloom and Adam Schlesinger to Pen Score". Playbill. Retrieved January 8, 2020.
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