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Fairly recently I've become OBSESSED with the sitcom The Nanny. A sitcom hasn't interested me on this level since watching Friends & Parks & Rec. Thanks to HBO Max, I'm able to watch all six seasons of the show on my laptop.
I became familiar with The Nanny back in college because my roommate constantly watched the reruns on Roku. All it took was watching one episode for me to get hooked forever.
The Nanny is an entertaining 90s sitcom based in New York City. A highly addictive show alongside the likes of; Friends, Seinfield, Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, etc, but the show doesn't seem to get the same attention as other sitcoms. The Nanny totes potential romance between Fran and her boss Maxwell, three equally charming children, a sarcastic butler Nigel, Fran's noisy mother Sylvia, a marriage-obsessed mother who means well, inappropriate-but-extremely-hilarious-chain-smoking Grandma Yetta, CC who is in love with a Maxwell, and a ditzy but loving best friend named "Val."
The storyline revolves around Fran Fine, a former cosmetic saleswoman, who became jobless after her fiancee dumped her for another woman. She unexpectedly finds herself getting a nanny position for a Broadway producer's three children. What ensues is comedic gold because Fran is one fire-cracker of a character. And the fashion is to die for! So much interesting clothing pieces that it's impossible to choose a favorite. Since I've already written an article about the iconic fashion from the show, I won't go into any more detail. Just know you'll be wanting to wear most of her colorful and sometimes crazy outfits.
Here are the top 10 reasons why everyone should watch The Nanny. Some of the video clips may contain spoilers so be advised and watch them at your discretion.
Fran and Maxwell are a match made in heaven. When will they get together no one knows, it's been a will-they-won't-they struggle for the last few seasons? Despite never knowing when they'll officially become a couple, the chemistry between them is insane. Fran gets her boss to calm down and spend more time with his children while Maxwell instills more responsibility in Fran. It's a giving relationship that organically grew from strangers to almost lovers.
Season 2 Ep 7
Get you a butler who is a sound piece for Fran and a supporting friend for Maxwell but spends every waking minute making fun of Cici. You can say Niles is the Chandler of The Nanny. Extremely sarcastic, witty, nosey, does more snooping around other people's business than actually cleaning, but one of the show's funniest characters.
What can we say about Sylvia? She is such a character with a flair for dramatics. Her two main obsessions are food and making sure her daughter doesn't end up an old maid. There was never a time that Sylvia turned down food, like seriously, I can't think of an episode. Despite her overbearing advice to Fran and her food obsession, Sylvia is best remembered as one of the best characters on the show.
You can't talk about The Nanny without mentioning the fantastic wardrobe that Fran and Co wore. Loud colors and patterns from Sylvia, Grandma Yetta's signature waist bag and sunglasses, Maxwell's various three-piece suits & neutral-colored sweaters, Nanny Fine's two-piece sets & mini dresses, and Cici's well-tailored power suits that screamed "old money." The show knew how to style the cast in fashionable ways that showed the character's personalities.
In a lot of sitcoms, the characters of the children tend to be overlooked as the adult cast overshadows them. However, The Nanny does a great job of keeping the children relevant and equally as hilarious as the older cast. Grace, Brighton, and Margaret were some of the best child actors I've ever seen. While funny, they were also very endearing and helped add depth to the wealth of characters on the show.
However, my favorite out of the children was Grace. In some ways, she became the mini Fran of the family but her epic one-liners were something I looked forward to.
One of the mysterious characters of the show is Fran's dad Morty. We always see the back of his head or see his wigs lying around the house, but never a glimpse of his face. I've only watched up to season four and so far still no sighting of Morty. It's surreal that they can keep this character so interesting by never revealing his face.
Fran always found herself getting into situations that wouldn't happen in normal circumstances. Fran got arrested for accidentally kidnapping a baby, she was mistaken for a nurse and forced on the prep team for Maxwell's appendicitis surgery and got mugged in the middle of Central Park. And those are just a few of the compromising positions Fran got herself into.
Season 2 Ep 4
Season 2 Ep 21
She may be getting a bit senile as time goes on but Grandma Yetta was one interesting character. The dynamics between Grandma Yetta, her daughter Sylvia & Granddaughter Fran are always hilarious. Though the actresses played fictional characters, the chemistry between all three is so familial and funny to watch. I'm sure we all have come across a Grandma Yetta in our lifetime, you never forget such colorful people.
Seeing the various celebrity cameos throughout the seasons was enjoyable. Every season I would wonder which big-name celebrity would make an appearance. Where can you find a sitcom that had such stars as old Hollywood starlet Elizabeth Taylor, triple-threat darling Bette Midler, soap star Joan Collins, and Lainie Kazan from My Big Fat Greek Wedding fame? It brought a lot of nostalgia to its viewers' hearts.
Season 3 Ep 20
Season 4 Ep 6
The last aspect of the show that surprised me was Fran breaking the 4th wall. It didn't happen that frequently but those few moments made the audience feel as they were part of the show.
In short, a laugh-out-loud show that constantly keeps its viewers on their toes with the various shenanigans Fran and Co find themselves getting into. There will never be another show quite like The Nanny. Its charm lies within the characters and storylines that carried it through six seasons. Not a lot of shows can survive for long seasons and keep the same energy from start to finish. All thanks to Fran Drescher and the rest of The Nanny cast, it was a splendid sitcom to watch.
The wedding episode was perfect. They really knew how to deliver on big moments.
Watching Fran interact with high society was always entertaining. She never lost her Queens charm.
Its amazing how many quotable lines came from this show. I still use them today!
I think this show had some of the best guest star appearances of any 90s sitcom.
The way they handled the evolution of Fran and Maxwell's relationship was actually pretty mature.
Fran's accent could have been annoying but somehow it just made everything funnier.
Even the minor recurring characters were memorable. Remember the doorman?
They don't make theme songs like that anymore! It told you everything you needed to know.
The flashback episodes were always fun. Seeing young Fran and Val was hilarious.
I think what made it work was how they balanced the comedy with real emotional moments.
You could tell the writers really understood family dynamics. The relationships felt genuine.
The contrast between Fran's Queens family and Maxwell's upper-class world never got old.
The relationship between Fran and Maggie was so sweet. She really helped her come out of her shell.
Sometimes I watch just to see what outrageous outfit Fran will wear next.
Does anyone else think the show ended at the right time? They didn't drag it out too long.
The way they handled serious topics while keeping the show light was really well done.
I actually learned a lot about Broadway from this show. Maxwell's producer storylines were interesting.
Margaret's transformation throughout the series was fantastic. She really came into her own.
The show really hit its stride when they started letting Niles be more sarcastic.
CC's obvious crush on Maxwell could have been sad, but they made it so entertaining.
The holiday episodes were always special. Remember the Hanukkah one where Maxwell tried to help?
I loved how they incorporated Fran's Jewish heritage into the show without making it stereotypical.
The show had such great physical comedy too. Fran's pratfalls were always perfectly executed.
Every time I hear that theme song I can't help but sing along. It's so catchy!
Brighton's character development throughout the series was actually really well done.
The production value was really high for a sitcom of that era. Those sets were gorgeous!
I miss shows like this that could be both funny and family-friendly without being cheesy.
Niles' devotion to matchmaking Fran and Maxwell was so wholesome. He was the original shipper.
The running gag about Fran's age was hilarious. She stayed 29 for what felt like decades!
True, but I think some of the cultural references might go over younger viewers' heads now.
Those outfits must have cost a fortune! I read somewhere that the wardrobe budget was huge.
The way they handled class differences was actually pretty nuanced for a 90s sitcom.
I always wondered how much of Fran's character was based on Fran Drescher's real personality.
The show really captured that fish-out-of-water story perfectly without making it feel cliche.
Val deserves more recognition. Her dim-witted moments were perfectly timed and never felt forced.
Those fourth wall breaks were brilliant! Made me feel like I was in on all the jokes with Fran.
The chemistry between the entire cast was incredible. You could tell they genuinely enjoyed working together.
Sylvia's food obsession was so relatable. I still laugh thinking about her carrying emergency snacks in her purse.
I actually enjoyed the later seasons. The dynamic changed but it kept things fresh and interesting.
Anyone else think the show peaked in seasons 3-4? The later seasons weren't quite as strong in my opinion.
You're absolutely right about Grace being the standout among the kids. Her therapy sessions were comedy gold!
I loved how they balanced the comedy with genuine heart. The relationship between Fran and the kids felt so authentic.
The celebrity cameos were amazing but let's be real, Elizabeth Taylor's appearance was the most iconic one.
That's interesting about Morty never showing his face. I never noticed that detail before! Reminds me of Wilson from Home Improvement.
I watched this with my mom when I was younger and now I'm showing it to my kids. It's amazing how well it's aged.
The writing on this show was so clever. All those cultural references and double entendres still hold up today.
Grandma Yetta was hands down my favorite character. Every scene she was in had me crying with laughter.
Can we talk about how ahead of its time this show was? A Jewish working-class woman as the main character in a mainstream sitcom was pretty groundbreaking for the 90s.
I actually disagree about the romance being dragged out. The tension made it more exciting and realistic. Not every workplace romance happens quickly.
Honestly the slow burn romance between Fran and Maxwell got a bit frustrating after a while. They dragged it out way too long.
Am I the only one who thinks CC and Niles had better chemistry than Fran and Maxwell? Their banter was the highlight of every episode for me.
The fashion in this show was incredible. Every outfit Fran wore was a statement piece. I still find myself wanting to recreate some of those looks today!
Finally someone giving The Nanny the recognition it deserves! I've always felt it was underrated compared to other 90s sitcoms.
I absolutely love The Nanny! Fran Drescher's comedic timing is just perfect. The way she delivers those one-liners with that signature laugh is pure gold.