The mischievous middle child, Brighton got up to plenty of trouble. His actor, Benjamin Salisbury, started acting in 1992 with the movie “Captain Ron” alongside Kurt Russell and Mary Kay Place. By the time he turned thirteen, Benjamin was practically a household name, but he would end up going back to high school, graduating at nineteen.
Salisbury is also an accomplished dancer who would treat audiences to dance routines between scenes. While he mostly stopped acting once “The Nanny” ended, he did appear in “Numb3rs” in 2005. He levied his modicum of fame in 2009 when promoting the campaign NO H8 — a campaign that was trying to promote marriage equality.
Charles Shaughnessy as Max Sheffield
A widowed Broadway theatrical producer, Sheffield needed help managing his three kids. The show started with him as Fran's boss, but by the end of the show, he was, of course, her husband. British actor Charles Shaughnessy played this role after getting his start on BBC 1's drama "Jury" as Julian Spears. He hasn't always been set on acting, though. Before becoming an actor, Shaughnessy studied law at the University of Cambridge.
His mother, Jean Lodge, was an actress, and his father, Alfred, was a TV writer, responsible for shows such as "Upstairs, Downstairs." This means that the world of acting was pretty accessible to him when he finally decided to give it a go. His big break was playing Shane Donovan on "Days of Our Lives," from 1984 to 1992. When "The Nanny" ended, he kept making appearances in projects such as "The Mentalist," "Mad Men," and more. He reunited with Fran to play her ex-husband in "Living With Fran," and would later return to "Days of Our Lives," reprising his old role.
Lauren Lane as C.C. Babcock
The closest thing the show has to an antagonist is C.C. Babcock, played by Lauren Lane. C.C. was Maxwell's business associate and Fran's romantic rival. This pompous blonde added even more wit and humor to the sitcom. In nearly one hundred and fifty episodes, Lane never disappointed. Lane grew up in Texas, graduating with a fine arts degree, and later an advanced education degree at the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco.
Before she appeared in "The Nanny," Lane showed up in films starting in 1984. A mere two years after "The Nanny" ended, Lane chose to focus less on TV and more on theater and teaching. She became a full-time lecturer at the Department of Theater and Dance at Texas State University in San Marcos. In 2010 she appeared as a guest on "The Fran Drescher Show."
Daniel Davis as Niles
Often an actor is known just because of one single role, no matter what else that actor does. Such is the case with Daniel Davis, who played Niles, Mr. Sheffield's loyal butler. Davis has had appearances on legendary shows such as "Texas," "Dynasty," and "Star Trek: The Next Generation," but he will always be Niles. His hilarious one-liners never gave anyone a chance to come back. Wasn't that British accent perfect?
You might be surprised to know Davis wasn't British – he grew up in Little Rock, Arkansas. He has also tried out comedy, singing, and dancing, though, of course, he'll always be Niles. When "The Nanny" ended, Davis was seen playing roles in "Frasier," "Ugly Betty," Christopher Nolan's "Prestige," "Gotham," "The Blacklist," and more. In 2010, he was part of the "Celebrity Autobiography" series, appearing alongside fellow cast member Lauren Lane.
Nicholle Tom as Maggie Sheffield
Nicholle Tom appeared in all 146 episodes, a feat few cast members achieved. Maggie was a preppy spitfire who had a sharp tongue (though she had to grow into it) that we all loved. Before she appeared as Maggie, Tom was in "Beverly Hills, 90210," as Scott Scanlon's sister and had the recurring role of Ryce Newton in the "Beethoven" movies.
In the last decade, she's been in "Master of Sex," "Gotham," "Criminal Minds," "Without a Trace," and "Burn Notice." Nicholle isn't the only actor in the Tom family as two of her siblings are known soap opera actors.
Benjamin Salisbury as Brighton Sheffield
The mischievous middle child, Brighton got up to plenty of trouble. His actor, Benjamin Salisbury, started acting in 1992 with the movie "Captain Ron" alongside Kurt Russell and Mary Kay Place. By the time he turned thirteen, Benjamin was practically a household name, but he would end up going back to high school, graduating at nineteen.
Salisbury is also an accomplished dancer who would treat audiences to dance routines between scenes. While he mostly stopped acting once "The Nanny" ended, he did appear in "Numb3rs" in 2005. He levied his modicum of fame in 2009 when promoting the campaign NO H8 — a campaign that was trying to promote marriage equality.
Madeline Zima as Grace Sheffield
Madeline Zima played the smartest, and youngest, of the Sheffield children, and she's been in plenty of other shows, too. We're talking big ones, like "Gilmore Girls," "7th Heaven," and "Grey's Anatomy." "The Nanny" was her big break, and since it happened when she was six, show business became her business.
Just by being on set, Zima received a masterclass in comedy and professionalism. After "The Nanny," She went on to collaborate with David Lynch, get involved with different projects and roles, and even write and direct her own film called "Warm Human Magic." Getting started at such a young age is nothing short of life-changing, as she's said.
Renée Taylor as Sylvia Fine
Fran might have been obnoxious, but Renée Taylor as Fran's mother was all that and so much more. Long before "The Nanny," Taylor had made a name for herself thanks to the Broadway comedy "Lovers and Other Strangers," which she co-wrote with her late husband. Taylor's early credits include "Last of the Red Hot Lovers," "The Producers," "Made for Each Other," "Lovesick," and "The End of Innocence."
Her post-Nanny days include credits in projects such as "Everwood," "Bob's Burgers," "Shake It Up," and "The Do-Over." Taylor once again shared the screen with Drescher in "Happily Divorced." Her last project with her husband was an autobiographical play called "My Life on a Diet," based on her 1986 memoir. The two co-wrote the play before his death in 2017.
Ann Morgan Guilbert as Grandma Yetta
Gray hairdo: check. Cigarette in hand: check. Ann Morgan Guilbert played one of the most memorable characters on the show despite only appearing in fifty-six episodes. Guilbert's career began all the way back in the 1950s as a singer, but she soared to fame as Millie Helper on "The Dick Van Dyke Show."
She never stopped acting, appearing on "Seinfeld," "Law & Order: SVU," and even "Curb Your Enthusiasm." As an accomplished Broadway actress, Guilbert wowed in "The Billy Barnes Revue" and "A Naked Girl on the Appian Way." After a battle with cancer, Guilbert passed away at the age of eighty-seven in 2016.
Rachel Chagall as Val
Val was Fran's ditzy best friend since elementary school. Both characters had thick New York accents, both worked at a bridal shop, and both were from Queens. Val loved to visit Fran at the Sheffield mansion, where they would catch up over fancy snacks and hot tea.
Rachel Chagall, Val's actress, is best known for her role as Val, having appeared in seventy-nine episodes of the show. After that, she made some small appearances in shows like "Just Shoot Me!," "Strong Medicine," and "What I Like About You." She appeared in "The Nanny Reunion: A Nosh to Remember" in 2004.
Fran Drescher as Fran Fine
Before screeching into our lives as the actual Nanny, Fran Fine was in a few movies such as "Saturday Night Fever" and "Stranger in Our House." She began comedy roles in movies like "UHF" and "The Hollywood Knights," but it would be in "The Nanny" that her star would rise to incredible heights.
Her role as Fran Fine earned her two Emmy Award nominations and two Golden Globes for Best Actress in a Comedy Series. Thanks to the popularity of the series, she appeared in the film "Jack" with Robin Williams. After "The Nanny", she played the lead characters in "Living with Fran" and "Happily Divorced," though both shows only lasted two seasons.
Why Did the Show End?
According to Drescher, the reason the show ended was because of the romance between the main characters. When Fran Fine and Max Sheffield got married, Drescher says that it made the show predictable and took away any surprise it could offer. There was nowhere else for the show to go, and ending the relationship wouldn't fly with the fans.
The show always drew large audiences, but once the relationship was set in stone, it marked the beginning of the end. Shortly after Max and Fran became an item, the sexual tension from the show disappeared and audiences started tuning out.
An Important Lesson for Other Shows
The choice to finally marry Max and Fran may have ended the show, but it told a lot of other showrunners something very important. Drescher has said that the show died because they changed the dynamic – it attracted millions of viewers thanks to the relationships, and changing those same relationships hurt the show.
As soon as the characters got together, viewers lost interest. Drescher apparently warned the producers multiple times that getting the main characters married would spell doom. However, it was up to the producers to create a storyline, which led to them doing something that would attract more viewers. It didn't work this time.
Fran Always Looked So Good. But...
As one of the stars of the nineties sitcom scene, Dran Drescher was always dressed to the nines. Drescher's slender frame came in handy showing off these clothes, but there's an awful truth to her look.
In an interview at New York City's "The Wing," Drescher revealed that about 10 years before "The Nanny" she had been a victim of a violent crime and she hadn't really dealt with that. “Thank God I was in therapy! Honestly, I just loved going to work and being Fran Fine, because she was nothing but funny and light, and my life was kind of a mess.”
More Than the Midnight Oil
Looking back on old episodes, Drescher recalls what was going on behind the scenes. When the show began, Drescher was a healthy 142 pounds, but by the fifth season, she had dwindled to 110 pounds. Drescher admitted to spreading herself too thin.
Drescher, now in her sixties, has also battled cancer and has returned to a healthy weight. She doesn't miss her old body. She's saved some of her favorite wardrobe pieces, but will happily say that most of them don't fit anymore.
Mutterings of a Reboot
Reboots of favorite shows from the nineties are in right now, which has made fans of "The Nineties" raise their heads and their eyebrows. A reboot has been discussed, and showrunners were interested mostly in making a prequel. But, it's not to be. Drescher says: “It's not true. I mean, never say never, but....”
Drescher has revealed she and her ex-husband Peter Marc Jacobson, who co-created "The Nanny," were working on a new project. Rebooting (or continuing) the show would mean big changes since Fran was no longer the nanny – she'd be the mom!
Nanny Girl in a Nanny World
The jokes and remarks on Fran's wardrobe were quite a staple throughout the show, as were remarks on her having the right figure to wear them. She was pretty much a blonde wig away from being a human Barbie doll (if Barbie had a nasal voice and a Queen's accent.)
Fran's status as a fashion icon went beyond the confines of the show. Mattel even used Fran's iconic look to create an official line of Barbies. We can only assume that these Barbies can now be found in the hands of limited-edition toy collectors or diehard fans of the show.
Both Sides of the Pond
Actors putting on accents different than their own is nothing new in the world of film and television. However, it doesn't happen very often that they manage to sound artificial when speaking naturally. Mr. Sheffield is famously British, as is his butler Niles. However, a whole lot of British viewers thought that Mr. Sheffield (or rather, Charles Shaughnessy) had a somewhat insincere or fake-sounding accent.
The Brits thought that he should sound more like Niles. The thing is, Shaughnessy was born in London so his accent was all-natural, but Daniel Davis, who played Niles, was actually born in Arkansas and is apparently quite gifted when it comes to putting on foreign accents.
Love and Marriage
Fran Drescher wrote "The Nanny," that much is common knowledge. You don't need to look past the opening theme song to know that. However, there was an important man behind the scenes who did not become as famous. Peter Jacobson, who was Fran Drescher's husband at the time, produced the show!
We wonder what it must have felt like to be in a relationship in which one side has to watch the other play a romantic role with a third party. The levels of maturity and professionalism must have been through the roof for Drescher, Jacobson, and Shaughnessy to be collaborating the way they did.
Keeping the Names the Same
Despite the fact that Drescher and Jacobson are now divorced, they had already talked about children. Drescher loved the names Brighton, Grace, and Maggie, which you may recognize as the names of the Sheffield children.
Drescher specifically wanted names that she connected with, in order to have more emotion with those who would turn out to be her step-children. This takes on a sad tone when Drescher not only went through a divorce but had to go through a hysterectomy as part of her cancer treatments. Her children on the show were the only ones she would ever have.
Performing for the Audience
Drescher wanted a live audience for each filming, but she also wanted them pre-screened. Due to safety reasons, Drescher didn't want random people to show up at the production, and the network agreed to meet her request. Their Central Casting department got to work finding professional “laughers” that would add their voices to the episodes.
The audio tracks of the laughers were added to each episode. The show's casting director, Lisette St. Claire, became the world's first “laugher wrangler,” which became a big part of sitcoms in particular thanks to the need for a laugh track. It was all thanks to Fran's fear of strangers.
The Power of Running Gags
The main draw of "The Nanny" was the comedy, and a lot of that comedy came from running gags, which were all character-based. Every major character had specific traits and quirks. Parodying the traits of other characters, sometimes even breaking the fourth wall to do so, was a common tactic.
Fran often looked directly into the camera to deliver a punchline. A lot of the running gags came thanks to Beatles songs, "Fiddler on the Roof", and "My Fair Lady." A lot of Jewish and Yiddish humor gilded the show as well.
Before Becoming Fran
After "The Nanny", Drescher had a few sitcoms: "Living with Fran," from 2005 to 2007, and "Happily Divorced," from 2011 to 2013. She lent her voice to Eunice from "Hotel Transylvania," and even appeared on Broadway as Cinderella's evil stepmother.
But long before Fran became famous, she was competing in beauty pageants in Queens, New York. She was only in high school when she met her future husband and business partner, Peter Jacobson. One of her classmates in high school was fellow TV comedian Ray Romano. Somehow, these two famous names never even met until their twentieth high school reunion.
Still Friends
When Drescher and Jacobson graduated high school in 1975, they went on to Queens College, but they both dropped out after only a year. (All the acting classes were filled.) They got married at twenty-one years old, in 1978, and both enrolled in cosmetology school. While the couple divorced in 1999, they've remained supportive of each other.
They remained together as business partners and friends. “We choose to be in each other's lives in any capacity. Our love is unique, rare, and unconditional. Unless he's being annoying,” Drescher has said. Jacobson was there for Drescher emotionally as well as professionally, giving support during her cancer scare.
Cancer Couldn't Take Her
After years of different symptoms and misdiagnoses, Drescher received the diagnosis of uterine cancer. Following a radical hysterectomy, she penned a book about her experience which she titled "Cancer Schmancer." Her goal was to raise cancer awareness for both men and women, focusing on the early warning signs of the disease.
Drescher has received the City of Hope Spirit of Life Award, which recognizes those who work to raise awareness and spread information about cancer. In 2010, she was the guest of honor at the Dancer Against Cancer charity ball in Austria. This is also where she received a My Aid Award for her role in support of cancer prevention and rehabilitation.
One Fine Flight
After small roles in "Saturday Night Fever" and "This Is Spinal Tap," Drescher was still relatively unknown, but that all changed when she sat next to the president of CBS on a flight from the US to London.
“I started talking to him and he was a captive audience, because where was he going to go, coach?” After the nine-and-a-half hour flight, the president told Drescher, when she returned to Los Angeles, to bring in Peter Jacobson (the show's co-creator) and they could officially pitch the show to the network's development department.
A Big Stable of Guest Stars
From Hollywood stars to future presidents, "The Nanny" had all kinds of guest stars appear on one episode or another. For recurring guests, there was Ray Charles as Yetta's life partner Sammy, Pamela Anderson as Fran's bubble-headed nemesis Heather Biblow, Lainie Kazan, Steve Lawrence, Spalding Gray, Fred Stoller, and Andrew Levitas.
One-shot appearances as characters include Dan Aykroyd, Jason Alexander, Roseanne Barr, and Joan Collins. Guests who came on as themselves include Chevy Chase, Elton John, Hugh Grant, Jay Leno, David Letterman, Celine Dion, Billy Ray Cyrus, Whoopi Goldberg, Rosie O'Donnell, and even a very pre-presidential Donald Trump. And all that is barely half the list.
Acting for Two
The cast of "The Nanny" was never very large, and though they had plenty of guest stars, sometimes actors had to play two separate characters. This included Drescher playing her "This Is Spinal Tap" character Bobbi Flekman, and there's even an episode featuring Drescher as Fran Drescher AND Drescher as Fran Fine in the same episode.
There's also the episode “Not Without My Nanny,” which has Charles Shaughnessy playing both Max Sheffield as well as a character known as the Sultan. The character wouldn't fly today, since Shaughnessy wore dark foundation and might appear as offensive.
Living the Same Life
The show is pretty much Drescher's life slightly adjusted for TV. Not only is her first name the same on the show, but there are plenty of extra details that are the same. Both Frans are from Queens, both have parents named Morty and Sylvia and a sister named Nadine, and both graduated from Hillcrest High.
Also, both went to school with Ray Romano (though his name was Ray Barone in the show.) Drescher even was the nanny for Twiggy Lawson's daughter before starting the show (Twiggy appeared on the show as Max's sister during one episode). The big difference was that Drescher never worked at a bridal shop – her mother worked at one.
Cultural Details
Mexico adores "The Nanny." The network TV Azteca put the reruns on for years, and even after decades, the show is still a bedrock of the afternoon on Azteca 7, along with "The Simpsons" and "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air."
The Italian dub changed Fran to Francesa and turned her into a fish-out-of-water Italian woman in New York. The Russian remake has plenty of different jokes thanks to cultural differences. The show was as loved overseas as it was in the States, but the episode with Lamb Chop, the famous lamb puppet, didn't do so well. Lamb Chop isn't very well known outside the US.
Those Meddling Executives
Drescher originally only wanted two children on the show, a boy and a girl, but executives thought it would be a good idea to have an older child that Fran could bond with on more than a generational basis. Thus, Maggie Sheffield, the oldest child, joined the cast.
Fran mentored Maggie through many of life's trials, up to and including Maggie getting married. While this wasn't too bad, the execs also wanted the romance between Fran and Max to move faster – stating if they didn't do it in season five, there wouldn't be a season six.
Pregnant or Crazy? Both
During the run of the show, Lauren Lane, who played C.C. Babcock, got pregnant. It happens. There was a hilarious send-up of other show's attempts to hide the fact that a female character has gotten pregnant, using tactics like wearing slimming black outfits or holding items in front of themselves.
It's just that the characters often commented on Babcock doing such things, including at one point holding a big poster with the word “Baby” in front of her body. When Lauren finally took time off the show to give birth, her absence is explained as Babcock spending time at a mental hospital.
Really, He Hated Everyone Except Fran
One of the show's running jokes is that C.C. Babcock isn't right, and may in fact be evil. One way it presented this was by having her try to connect with Chester the pomeranian, picking him up and kissing him. At this point, he would fly into a snarling rage.
In reality, this is because Chester was Fran's dog in real life. He was so fiercely protective of her, that if anyone other than Drescher picked him up, he would squirm and bark. Of course, the show developed this into showing that Babcock was evil, crazy, or whatever else made sense, and saying that the dog had a good judge of character.
You Better Believe It's Set in the Nineties
The show took place entirely during the 1990s, and it's pretty easy to see that in each and every episode. The fashion sense of the era is notably different, such as Maggie's babydoll dresses and all of Fran's navel-exposing outfits. There are also references to events such as the O.J. Simpson trial and the Menendez brothers.
Max's office doesn't have a computer in it in the beginning, and if a phone is cordless, then it's huge. No mini-laptops or cell phones in sight. Plus, it can be depressing to count the number of guest stars who have already passed away since appearing on the show.
Real-Life Relatives
More than one family member appeared on the show. Chester the dog was Drescher's pooch in real life (which explains his excitement around her.) Joseph Bologna, Renée Taylor's husband, guest-starred in a pair of episodes as two different characters.
Fran Drescher's real parents Morty and Sylvia appeared in several episodes as “Uncle Stanley and Aunt Rose.” Model Twiggy Lawson, the woman Drescher nannied for in real life, appears in the show once, alongside her husband, Leigh Lawson, who played her chauffeur in “Stop the Wedding, I Want to Get Off.”
History Never Stops Changing
More than anything else in the series, Yetta's background changes the most during the show. She had her sweet sixteen on Ellis Island. She came to America for an arranged marriage. She got married in the old country. She flew to Poland for her first wedding anniversary. She got married because she got knocked up by the “seltzer man” (we don't know either).
She was at Pearl Harbor, she was on the Titanic. The story is constantly changing, but the show made a running gag of the character being senile, so there is at least a reason for the different details. While the show made light of a serious disease, it was light-hearted enough not to offend.
Two Out of Three Isn't Bad
Out of the three young actors who got into a romantic relationship with Maggie Sheffield, two of them went on to become big stars. First, there was James Marsden, the delivery boy who gave Maggie her first kiss. Marsden has been in dozens of shows and scores of movies, including the original X-Men series, "Ally McBeal," and "Westworld."
The second actor was Barry Watson, a consummate TV actor and part of the main cast on "7th Heaven." Andrew Levitas, Maggie's final boyfriend, was a model when he appeared on the show. He is now married to British musician Katherine Jenkins.
Fresh Flowers Every Day
Fran and the rest of the cast were always seen in classy clothing that made them look their best, but the actors and actresses weren't the only part of the production that required to be prettied up every day. Besides beautiful pieces of furniture and art that the cast lounged on, every episode featured fresh flowers for the entryway to the Sheffield home.
In addition, the exterior of the glorious Sheffield home looks similarly beautiful – though it was actually a luxury apartment building worth almost fifteen million dollars. Only the best for the Sheffield family.
Only One Jacket for Max
While Fran Fine changes outfits multiple times per episode – and makes sure to remain a pop of color around the marble floors – Max Sheffield reuses clothes pretty often. In particular, he has a green safari jacket that he wears in nearly every episode at least once.
While the show was running it wasn't obvious, but when reruns started running four in a row, people started noticing that he was wearing the jacket often. He even seems to have two versions of the same jacket. The green jacket was a thick cotton canvas, and there was a deep terracotta color that seemed to have been made of suede.
Could Have Been Related
Nicholle Tom, who played Maggie Sheffield, and Lauren Lane, who played C.C. Babcock, bore a striking similarity. Their hair color and haircut were so similar that they could have been mother and daughter. With a few changes to their wardrobe, the two could have been spitting images of each other.
For the most part, this is never brought up on the show, but in the episode “The Two Mrs. Sheffields,” C.C. says that the two of them could have been twins. The show had an opportunity to inject some drama into the show as far as Maggie's parentage, but it wasn't the right tone for the show.
True to Life
Just like his character on the show, Charles Shaughnessy did in fact go to Eton College. However, while Sheffield's family members constantly remind him that he went there with famous actor Jeremy Irons, Charles never attended the same school as Irons.
While Maxwell saw Irons as his biggest competition at school, Irons actually went to a different boys' boarding school — Sherborne School. A perfect combination of details taken from the actor's real-life, yet adjusted to create more drama and humor. It's exactly what shows should be doing since it's easy for the actor to incorporate the details.
Who's Rocking Whom?
In 1992, a movie came out ("The Hand That Rocks the Cradle") about a woman who infiltrates the life of a woman who hurt her as revenge. The review of "The Nanny" from the "Los Angeles Times" joked that Max Sheffield should have been more careful about who he hired, in order to avoid the movie's situation.
Madeline Zima, who played Gracie Sheffield on "The Nanny", actually starred in the movie, playing the daughter for which the nanny was hired. No doubt the review took that detail into account.
She Came Around
Madeline Zima didn't enjoy her time on the show very much. She would eventually come to appreciate all the skills and training she got for her career in the entertainment world. However, while she was actually on the show she said she was treated more like a prop than a human being.
Of course, Gracie was the youngest of the Sheffield children, so she had the least acting experience to help her, and the older Sheffield children were easier to work with. Still, the actress's opinion of the show took a while to shift to an appreciative tone.
The Final Mystery
Throughout the entire run of the show, one particular detail was never explained or revealed: That of what “C.C.” of C.C. Babcock stands for. The show teased viewers over and over about what the letter could have meant, and fans applied themselves to try and guess it before the show revealed it – even if it took ages.
And at last, in the very last episode, the secret was explained: C.C. stands for “Chastity Claire.” Now, aren't you glad you spent all that time trying to figure it out? It's good to apply yourself to the great mysteries of the world.
Stay Away From the Sweets
Fran's on-screen mom, Sylvia Fine, was known for her voracious appetite, eating pretty much constantly whenever she appeared on the show. Unfortunately, it became a problem for the actress, who gained anywhere from thirty-five to fifty pounds depending on the source.
Her doctor explained that she should try not to eat on set, and when she explained how much appetite her character had, he wrote her a note to give the producers. Again, information differs, but some say the note required fat-free food, while others say that she should try to eat as little as possible.
Davis vs McDowell
Niles the butler is one of the most memorable characters on the show. He gets the best punchlines and as a confidant of both Fran and Max, he also gets the best gossip. Picturing anyone other than Daniel Davis playing this role is impossible but someone came very close to manning that post.
Another person who auditioned for Niles's role was actor Roddy McDowell, who had already been an actor with an established career well before the show. This is why Davis didn't think you could stand a chance but we all know how that turned out. When he got the call from Fran Drescher about getting the part he was surprised but Fran told him that if McDowell took the part "it would have been the Roddy show, and this is the Fran Drescher show."
A Permanent Guest
The red tape and bureaucracy involved in creating a TV show are unimaginable to the fans and viewers. One thing that many aren't very well versed in is the intricacies of a network's involvement in the development of a series. Casting, for example, is a little more detailed than we realize.
This is why Renée Taylor, who played Sylvia Fine, was billed as a guest star rather than a series regular. Things had to be that way in order to stop the network from getting involved in her casting. This means that despite being featured in nearly 100 episodes, Taylor was still formally considered a guest.
Twinning
During the course of the show, Rachel Chagall, who played Fran's best friend Val, became pregnant and had twins. In the final season, Fran goes through the same thing as a new mother for the new Sheffield twins. This is not where the similarities end, though.
Chagall's twins were named Jonah and Eve, and if you've been following the show diligently those names might ring a bell. Yep, that's right. It's the same as the new baby Sheffields — Jonah Samuel and Eve Catherine who were born on season 6. It looks like those two best friends were twinning on more levels than one.
A Truly Family Show
The Nanny was created by a husband and wife duo — Fran Drescher and her now ex-husband Peter Mark Jacobson. However, they were not the only married couple on set, and we aren't talking about the Fine/Sheffield marriage.
Rachel Chagall, who plays best friend Val Toriello, met her one true love while working on the show. His name is Greg Lenert and he was a stage manager for the production, which is where he first laid eyes on the love of his life. In March 1999, the two were blessed with a pair of twins, a boy and a girl.
Age Is but a Number
One of the ongoing gags on the show is not revealing Fran's real age. Helplessly clinging to her twenties, she even managed to avoid it on her birthdays by just putting one candle on the cake and excusing it to Jewish tradition (a convenient lie.) It appears that age was more of an obscure construct while casting for the show as well.
While Renée Taylor, who played Sylvia, Fran's mother, was 25 years older than her on-screen daughter, Ann Guilbert (grandma Yetta) was only 4 years older than Taylor. This makes her 29 years older than Fran Drescher and probably one of the youngest grandmothers in television history.
Italy Schmitaly
It is impossible to miss Fran's Jewish background. It's everywhere from her family to her slang. However, the producers initially wanted the character in the lead to be Italian-American. Drescher, who based a good bunch of the story and characters on her own life, would have none of it and insisted on keeping the character Jewish.
She ended up getting her way, however, the Italian-American theme did make its way onto the show eventually. The whole plot is set in New York after all. Val Toriello, Fran's best friend, is Italian-American. Interestingly, Rachel Chagall who plays Val, is actually Jewish.
Success Was Not Instant
"The Nanny" ran for a total of six seasons and ended up being a big pop culture staple. That being said, it took a while for the show to get there. In fact, the ratings for the first season were so poor it was almost canceled. The person who championed for the show to move forward was CBS executive Jeff Saganski.
He believed that the network had something really special in its hands and that the high test numbers that were shown when the pilot was aired were going to make a comeback. All these years later, we know that he was right.
Must Be Cool to Be Friends With Fran Drescher
Fran Drescher keeps her friends close. It only makes sense for someone producing a big project to involve the people who are closest to them. After all, in these kinds of things you need to surround yourself with people who care about you and whose loyalties cannot be questioned.
Fran and her then-husband co-created the show, her relatives and friends were often seen on screen as guest stars or even regulars, and the production staff also featured people close to her. Admittedly, it worked well since there were no major changes in casting or otherwise throughout the show's 6-year run.
If It Ain't Broke...
American sitcoms from the '80s and '90s follow a certain formula. Sure, there can be different stories or premises and a certain variety of quirks, however, narratively speaking, there is a lot of overlap. There is the family-oriented environment, the slow-burning love story, and the certainty that everything will turn out for the best no matter what.
Two prominent sitcoms that "The Nanny" references are "Ellen" from 1994 and "Who's the Boss?" from 1984. The similarities with "Who's the Boss?" practically write themselves as both shows feature a person working as someone's domestic staff until the relationship between the two becomes romantic.
The Italians Took Some Liberties
When an American sitcom (or any other American show for that matter) is sold and broadcast overseas, it doesn't necessarily remain the same. In order to make the content more entertaining for the foreign audience, the show might get tweaked and adapted. In the Italian adaptation of "The Nanny", it seems that the changes made were quite critical.
For example, Fran Fine the Jewish Nanny from Queens became an Italian woman named Francesca who was born in Ciociaria, Frosinone, and moved to the US. We wonder what they did with all the religious jokes and Jewish humor that is so heavily ingrained into the show. Moreover, Sylvia, Fran's mom, was Rewritten to be her aunt Assunta.
Keeping Things Sustainable
A big part of Fran's character was her wardrobe. She was often seen wearing bright colors and bold prints that made her pop in the frame like an exotic animal. Her character famously enjoyed shopping for clothes she couldn't afford and she was often seen wearing a nice variety of items and outfits.
That being said, there was a notable amount of times when a certain piece was seen on set more than once. Interestingly, the production chose to show Val wearing certain garments that were previously worn by Fran. In a very life-like fashion, it seems that whenever her friend was cleaning out her closet, Val got to reap some of the best friend's loot.
Cutting C.C.?
One of the most memorable characters of the show is obviously C.C. Who has her eyes on Maxwell from day one. Often pinned against Fran, she is the closest thing to an antagonist that this family-friendly show has to offer. But did you know that her part could have been significantly diminished?
After airing the pilot it seems that the network thought that C.C. Didn't have to be featured in every episode and could do with only 13 episodes throughout the first season. Thankfully, they changed their mind and we got to enjoy the delightful Lauren Lane for six whole seasons.
A Very Different Nanny
Fran Fine is one of the most famous nannies out there, however, we dare not say that she is the most famous one. Among some well-known on-screen nannies, we can find Mrs Doubtfire and obviously Mary Poppins. A nanny character that heavily inspired Fran Drescher's show was Maria from "The Sound of Music."
Sure, this American sitcom is a far cry from the von Trapp kids and Julie Andrews, but it appears that Fran Drescher originally pitched the series as a spin on the famous musical. While we can't escape the similarities in the two stories, it looks like the smartest thing that the nanny did was to stay off musical territory thanks to Fran's notoriously nasal signature voice.
Looking for a Sign
It would take a pretty devoted nanny fan to spot this glitch in continuity, but it's there nonetheless. While no one is ever allowed to know Fran's real age or year of birth, there are some hints that can put us in the ballpark. One of the hints is that she mentions that she was born during the Kennedy administration.
This means that she could have been born between the years 1961 and 1963. Now, as for her star sign, we got some conflicting answers. In two episodes Fran says that she was born on November 26th, which makes her a Sagittarius. However, a different episode has Fran telling someone that she's a Libra. So which is it? We may never know.
They Must Be Estranged
Maxwell Sheffield was famously raised in a cold household. They had money and lots of it, but there weren't that many displays of parental affection (or other types of affection for that matter) present while he was growing up. This might explain why Maxwell's brother and sister, Nigel and Jocelyn, are never seen together.
Not even in the wedding episode! In fact not only are they not seen together, they aren't even mentioned in the same episodes. We can only hope that somewhere down the line, Fran will work her lovable magic on all the Sheffield siblings and get them together somehow.
The Recast
While not very common now, sitcoms of the past have had their fair share of recasts for whatever reason. One famous example is Carol, Ross's first wife from the show "Friends." At the beginning of the first season, she was played by Anita Barone but was soon replaced by Jane Sibbett who carried the role throughout the rest of the series and somehow everybody was cool with it.
In "The Nanny," all major characters are played by the same people throughout the show but there is one little character that gets to be played by two different people: Jocelyn, Max's sister. Yep, the first time we're introduced to Jocelyn she is played by British supermodel Twiggy, but her following three appearances are played by Sophie Ward.
The Toriellos
Fran Drescher has used real-life names for several characters on the show, herself included, and famously used events or stories from her own life when writing the series. One name that came to her later on was Val Toriello's. The lead character's best friend had her surname inspired by Erica Toriello, the show's costume designer.
Erica was the talented brain behind everything that everyone wore on set and Drescher honored her by naming a character after her. In fact, Fran was such a fan of her work that she hired her to work on her future projects, such as "Happily Divorced" in 2011 and "The Fran Drescher Show" in 2010.
It's All in the Same TV Universe
Have you ever given any thought to what happens to characters when they're off the screen? What they are up to with nobody is writing a story for them? It's kind of a philosophical question but we're not above being philosophical. The thing that prompted this thought experiment was learning about the crossovers that the nanny did with another TV show — "Can't Hurry Love."
In two instances, the two shows make an appearance one within the other: In episode 13 of the first season of "Can't Hurry Love", we see none other than Maxwell Sheffield coming on screen to tend to his landlord duties. The other crossover is when Liz Taylor loses and then recovers her pearls. You would have to watch both episodes of both shows to get the full story.
A Ray of Sunshine
Fran Drescher went to school with famous American comedian Ray Romano. This must have been one hell of a school as it produced these two comedic icons. The two ended up not only gracing the same halls but also creating pretty memorable shows in American pop culture.
It is no surprise then that they decided to have their characters cross paths in the TV universe as well. In one famous episode of "The Nanny," Fran goes to her high school reunion where she meets her old classmate Ray. Interestingly, both Fran and Ray chose to keep their real names for their on-screen versions of themselves.
The Set Had a Previous Life
Maxwell Sheffield is famously rich. It's a substantial part of establishing the power dynamic between him and Fran. However, it seems that even this handsome millionaire had to unknowingly recycle instead of buying new things. As it turns out, the network recycled the set of the show from the 1992 sitcom "The Powers That Be."
If you don't remember that show, don't worry about it. It was aired more than three decades ago and only ran for a grand total of two seasons and 20 episodes. That sitcom revolves around the unattractive yet funny side of politics. A notably different vibe from "The Nanny."
Second Chances
"The Nanny" was not the only time when Charles Shaughnessy and Madeline Zima worked together. The two got to collaborate on another project as well. It was the 1998 movie "Second Chances." The film follows the aftermath and rehabilitation of a little girl who lost her father and a considerable part of her own spirit in a car accident.
Her journey to recovery is made possible with the help of therapeutic horseback riding. Those of you who might want to give the movie a watch, look out for Zima in the part of Melinda Judd and for Shaughnessy as Doctor Hugh Olson.
Meet Joy Miller
Those of you who are sad that "The Nanny" is over and that you don't have any more of Fran's shenanigans to drown your sorrows in would be happy to hear about "The Beautician and the Beast." This 1997 project created by Fran Drescher tells the story of a New York cosmetologist who somehow ends up in the castle of an Eastern European dictator.
She ends up changing his life as well as the lives of his three children. Sounds familiar? Well, the beautician's name in the show is Joy but the character is practically a copy of Fran Fine. It might as well be an extended episode of "The Nanny" in an alternate universe.
How Do You Say Nanny in Turkish?
"The Nanny" may have ended in 1999 but it wasn't until 2001 that the show got a Turkish version. Yes, that's right. There is a Turkish version of "The Nanny." This Turkish adaptation is named "Dadi" and features all the key elements of the original show with a few differences.
First of all, the names are obviously different with the main character being called Melek instead of Fran. Secondly, Ömer, who is the Turkish equivalent of Maxwell Sheffield, is not a Broadway producer but a media tycoon. It seems like this adaptation was not as successful as the original, as it only ran for three seasons.
Niles and C.C. Sitting in a Tree?
Maxwell and Fran had the main romantic narrative in the show, but that doesn't mean that there was no love left for anyone else. One of the love stories that became more apparent towards the end of the show was that of C.C. and Niles.
Going from being at each other's throats to being in each other's arms, their relationship was a real roller coaster. Apparently, though, it was the network that chose to push them together. While all the people involved sold the story well, Daniel Davis who plays Niles thought that the narrative choice was odd as the two characters were so "oil and water."
Sir Elton Took His Time
There's a good bunch of celebrities who have made cameos on the show. Sometimes they played themselves, and sometimes they came on to bring life to other minor characters. Since the show was such a success, most of them didn't need much to agree to make an appearance, however, there was one person who took about two years before accepting the offer — Sir Elton John.
Fran Drescher has always been an avid supporter of Elton John's AIDS Foundation and the two had a good, friendly relationship. His publicist only agreed to their collaboration when the show was in its fifth season. At the time, Elton had a documentary titled "Tantrums & Tiaras" and the publicist figured the cameo could be a good way to promote it.
The Theme Song
It doesn't take too many episodes to get "The Nanny" theme song stuck in your head. The sweet cartoon animation and the playful trumpets in the background all make for a memorable way to start an episode. But did you know that the pilot featured a different theme song?
The pilot opened with a version of the song "If My Friends Could See Me Now" from the Broadway musical "Sweet Charity" from 1966 performed by Gwen Verdon." The Nanny Named Fran" which survived the rest of the show, was written by Ann Hampton Callaway. She and her sister Liz are also the vocalists who perform it.
Inspiring Rosie
The animated clip that opened every episode of "The Nanny" made quite a lasting impression. Not just on the viewers but on other TV personalities as well. One of them is Rosie O'Donnell.
O'Donnell, who also made a couple of cameos on the show, was such a fan of the opening credits that she decided to hire the same people to create the opening credits for her own daytime talk show. Rosie even mentioned it when Fran Drescher came as a guest on the show! It doesn't take more than one glance at the two animated pieces to see that they speak the same language.
The '90s Version of I Love Lucy
One of the very obvious inspirations Fran Drescher drew from when creating "The Nanny" was the beloved sitcom "I Love Lucy." The list of similarities and references to "I Love Lucy" featured in "The Nanny" can go on and on and it even includes a complete "I Love Lucy" themed sketch written into the show.
Drescher's acting style also draws heavily from Lucille Ball's acting style and it is most apparent especially when Fran's character is acting shocked or surprised. The parallels and influences are so apparent that "The Nanny" was once dubbed "the '90s version of I Love Lucy."
Where to Stream
Streaming platforms are nothing new these days and every network under the sun seems to be creating one of its own. However, back in the '90s, people had to wait for a new episode for days on end and stick to the TV schedule if they wanted to make sure that they caught their favorite show.
This means that the original viewers of "The Nanny" had to be quite dedicated. Nowadays, if you want to watch the whole series at your own pace (or binge it in a few days, which could be likely) you can stream it on HBO Max.
The Favorite Nanny
The show ran its course in the year 1999. Yes, reruns are still pretty common around the world but it's not like there are any new episodes coming out. Still, Fran Drescher managed to win an award nine years after the show was over.
In 2008 the TV Land Awards had a favorite Nanny category and you can probably see where we're going with this one. Fran Drescher won the award for her fabulous character and surpassed the other three nominees: Sebastian Cabot from "Family Affair," William Demarest from "My Three Sons," and Jo Frost from "Supernanny." We are hardly surprised.
Two Decades Later
2020 was a pretty bleak year for reasons we would rather keep in the past. During that dark time, there were lots of entertainment initiatives that were aimed at helping those who had to stay at home keep their spirits up.
Fran Drescher had her own way of contributing to the situation and collaborated with Sony Pictures Television and YouTube to create a reunited live reading of the pilot episode. Every single person who was featured in the episode, apart from James Marsden (who was replaced by Alex Sternin) participated in the project. Even Ann Callaway who performed the theme song live!
The Musical
Needless to say, the famously nasal Fran Fine is no singer. However, that did not stop Fran Drescher and Peter Jacobson from working on a musical adaptation of the show. The people who were meant to write the songs are Rachel Bloom and Adam Schlesinger ("Crazy Ex-Girlfriend") though we don't know who was meant to play Fran.
While many of us would love to see Drescsher reprise her role, it has been several decades since the last time it happened, and as she puts it, if it was her, the musical would have been called "The Granny." Sadly, however, due to Schlesinger's unexpected death, the whole project was put on hold.
Imitation Is the Most Sincere Form of Flattery
Fran Fine's character had a rather... let's call it a distinct voice. It was loud, it was nasal, and it was one of the running gags of the show. Diehard fans might even remember the time Fran ate a blob of wasabi by mistake which cleared up her sinuses and gave her a normal voice for a few seconds.
Not anyone can achieve that kind of level of grating on one's eardrum while still remaining friendly and lovable, but they can try. Charles Shaughnessy is actually pretty good at it and a quick YouTube search would treat you with a couple of results of him doing his best Fran Fine impression which is surprisingly good.
Acting With Your Crush
Jon Stewart, who we all now know as the host of "The Daily Show," had quite a career before that. One of his earliest acting credits was his guest appearance as Bobby in "The Nanny." The episode he was in was titled "Kissing Cousins" and if you've seen the show you know what we're talking about.
Fran and Bobby, who seemed to have been hitting it off quite well, shockingly discovered that they were related. In 2017, Drescher did an interview with SheKnows and said that she had a crush on Stewart and thought he was really cute! She didn't dare to do anything about it because he was married and she's obviously not the kind of girl to go after someone else's man.
An Off-screen Friendship
When two people work very closely for a good number of years, it is only natural for them to become close friends or even more than that. And after reading about Fran Drescher's kind and friendly nature, we know that the show has brought some everlasting friendships to her life.
After playing a mother and daughter for six years, Renée Taylor and Fran Drescher remained close. In fact, if you've been following Fran Drescher's Instagram you might remember seeing Taylor being featured in it several times. The two reportedly have a fantastic off-screen relationship and see each other all the time. We bet that their on-screen characters would have been proud to know that.