History Series / TheNanny

* AnchoredShip: The reason Fran and Max don't become a couple is because of his dead wife. However, the end result is a Type 1 when he proposes to her. [[spoiler:As it happens, Sarah herself was setting them up from the afterlife.]]

* MassiveMultiplayerCrossover: The infamous "Night of Elizabeth Taylor", which united ''The Nanny'' with the other shows on that night, ''Can't Hurry Love'', ''Murphy Brown'' and ''High Society''
%% * MatzoFever

* MatzoFever

* SlapstickKnowsNoGender: C.C. is by far the most abused character on the show (the show is also unique in the sense that the female slapstick violence is mostly the fault of a male character, namely Niles.)

* GenerationXerox: In S1 [=Ep14=], "The Family Plumbing" Fran has her cousin come over to fix the family's plumbing. He brings his granddaughter, who is basically a younger version of Fran and despite being a polar opposite to Brighton and constantly arguing they still end up making out, mirroring Maxwell's and Fran's eventual relationship.

-->'''Fran''': ''(creeps down the stairs, whispering)'' Who's ringing the doorbell at this hour? They're gonna wake everybody up. ''(bellows)'' '''NILES!'''\\

[[SheCleansUpNicely cleaned up nicely]]. Fran lampshades it;

--->'''I wasn't staying up to see how late you'd come back after your night out''

-->'''Maggie:''' Brighton, you are so pathetic. I mean, he walks around the house all day with his guitar and he doesn't even know how to play.
-->'''Brighton:''' Hey, you wear a bra.
-->'''Maggie:''' Hey, at least I've actually seen one.

-->'''Man at party 1:''' I owe you? You owe me! 1965, Fiddler on the Roof. I paid for the parking.
-->'''Man 2:''' You remember that? Who took three sips of my Coke?!

-->'''Sylvia''': Do I smell banana fritters with fresh fruit compote?
-->'''Niles''': No.
-->'''Sylvia''': Could I?

-->'''Max''': Now, is this the holiday Miss Fine said you can't eat all day, then stuff yourself? Or the one where you light candles, then stuff yourself? Or the one where you build a straw hut, then stuff yourself?
-->'''Niles''': I believe it's the one where you hide crackers from small children, then stuff yourself.
-->'''Max''': Ah, Passover.

-->'''Max''': MISS FINE!!!
-->'''Fran''': Shhh! This is the holiday where we don't yell... [[BrickJoke and then stuff ourselves.]]

-->'''C.C.'''(screaming): My mental health is just a ''sick game'' to you, isn't it?
-->'''Niles'''(perfectly calm): Rack 'em up, let's play again.

* CouldntFindALighter: Max uses a mini-blowtorch to light a cigar once, as a way of intimidating a {{Jerkass}} actor who had [[NoodleIncident set him on fire]] years before.

-->'''Man on TV''': ¡Carmencita, [[BigNo No!]] (Musical Sting) **Gunshot**
-->'''C.C.''': ¡No, aye, Carmencita!
-->'''Niles''': (Runs in the room) ¿Carmencita shoot Papa?
-->'''C.C.''': (Near tears) ¡Si!
-->'''Niles''': ¿ Es Papa...?
-->'''C.C.''': (Sullen) Muerte.

-->'''Fran''': Stop hitting me with that purse! Now what's wrong with this picture?
-->'''Bette Midler''': I give up!
-->'''Fran''': We're Jewish, we're running, and there's macaroons over there!
-->'''Bette Midler''': Are they fresh?
-->'''Both''': WHO CARES? [they start eating the cookies]

'''Mona''': That's what I thought. See, I was working in a bridal shop in Flushing, Queens, 'till my boyfriend kicked me out in one of those crushing scenes--"
--->'''Fran''': Stop it, Mona!

-->'''Maxwell''': Niles, how would you suggest I go about satisfying Miss Fine?
-->'''Niles''': ... Well, sir, the '''second''' way...

-->'''Val''': Let's see, most serial killers have three names: (''Counts on her fingers each time'') "John Wayne Gacy," "Richard [[AccidentalMisnaming Alan]] Speck," "Son of Sam"!
-->(''{{beat}}'')
-->'''Fran''': Oh, Val, what're we talking about here? We're not dealing with some sicko stranger! It's Niles, I know him very well! I stand behind Mr. Niles... (''{{beat}}'') ...the Killer.
-->'''Val''': (''{{GASP}}'')

* HappierHomeMovie: The end of "I Don't Remember Mama".

-->'''Fran:''' Bonsoir, Philippe~
-->'''[[EveryoneLooksSexierIfFrench Philippe:]]''' Did you study your French last night?
-->'''Fran:''' Well, how's this?
-->(''The two share a French kiss, and then...'')
-->'''Fran:''' Did I pass the oral exam?
-->(''Maxwell walks in'')
-->'''Maxwell:''' Ah, Philippe, I see you're exposing my nanny to your native tongue...
-->'''Fran:''' Oh, Mr. Sheffield, I'm sorry. I guess I have no French Resistance.

-->'''C.C.:''' If I'm going to see my father, everything has to be perfect. He is demanding, critical, judgmental... you have no idea what it's like to be around someone like that.
-->(''Niles and Fran look at each other, speaking at the same time'')
-->'''Niles:''' [[SarcasmMode Totally in the dark.]]
-->'''Fran:''' [[SarcasmMode Don't have a clue.]]

-->'''Fran''': Niles, do we have any old nipples around here?
-->'''C.C.:''' (''walking in'') Hello, hello!
-->(''Niles stuffs a coat in his mouth to stop himself'')

** A quite jarring case: throughout the series Niles insinuates that C.C. is unattractive, despite the fact that she actually looks quite beautiful (it was her ''personality'' that was unattractive!). Justified later on in the series when it turns out that Niles has just been saying this to cover up the fact that he's actually madly in love with C.C. (For the most part, in the early episodes, it would appear that Niles simply hates her so much he's coming up with every insult he can to throw at her. He also calls her a cow, a hooker, and a witch.)
* ImpossibleHourglassFigure: Fran has this in the animated opening of the show.

-->'''Nettie:''' Tramp...
-->'''Sylvia:''' You better believe it!

* IvyLeagueForEveryone: Brighton gets into Harvard despite not being a very good student.

* TheJeeves: Niles

-->'''C.C.:''' What's that?!
-->'''Maxwell:''' That's... the nanny.
-->'''Fran:''' You like? I borrowed from my cousin, Miss Long Island 1989.
-->'''Niles:''' A very good year.

* NoodleIncident: Maxwell taking back [[spoiler:that he loves Fran]] becomes this for Niles.
** In one episode he figures it out (cue epic OhCrap from Maxwell), but then decides that can't be it, because no one could be stupid enough to do something like that.

-->'''Sylvia''': ''(to Yetta, who is senile)'' Ma, these are not Fran's children. SHE'S NOT MARRIED! SHE'S ALL ALONE!
-->'''Fran''': Louder, Ma. I don't think they heard you '''IN URUGUAY!'''

-->'''Fran''': ''(creeps down the stairs, whispering)'' Who's ringing the doorbell at this hour? They're gonna wake everybody up. ''(bellows)'' '''NILES!'''
-->''(Niles appears beside her)''
-->'''Fran''': Oh, you heard me?
-->'''Niles''': ''Van Gogh'' heard you. He's dead AND missing an ear.
* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: In "Samson, He Denied Her" we meet [[OnlyOneName Vincenzo]], a LatinLover model known for his lush, long hair and his appearances in romantic novel illustrations, who's rather obviously based on [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fabio_Lanzoni Fabio]]. This gets subverted later in the episode, though, as we find out [[spoiler:the supposedly Italian "Vincenzo" is actually Bernie Schwartzberg, a New York Jew.]]

-->'''Maxwell''': You see? We didn't have to bother Fran with that. I'll buy you a bicycle.
-->'''Grace''': Dad, I'm talking about my period.

-->'''Fran:''' Val, what comes after a sentence?
-->'''Val:''' [[ComicallyMissingThePoint A parole]]?
-->'''Fran:''' (''to Maggie'') You may have guessed Val is not short for valedictorian. Now what's going on? You've had your period 4 times this month.
-->'''Maggie:''' So?
-->'''Fran:''' SO, women don't get their periods 4 times a month, otherwise all the men would be institutionalized.

-->'''Sylvia:''' Fran, my future freeloading in Florida depends on this party. There's no way that I'm going to...
-->'''Fran:''' He'll do it for a $10
-->'''Sylvia:''' You're hired!

* PopCulturedBadass: Fran is very much this trope.

-->'''Fran:''' Can that woman suck up, Niles.
-->'''Niles:''' If she came with attachments, we could throw out the Hoover.

-->'''C.C.''': Ah this is a dream come true. I feel like I have died and gone to heaven!
-->'''Niles''': I have that dream too but you go in the other direction.

-->'''Fran''': Oh, don't worry about him, he's like [[Series/HogansHeroes Schultz]].
-->'''Niles''': [[{{Catchphrase}} I know nothing, nothing...]]

--->'''Gracie:''' Should we worry about this?\\

-->'''C.C.''': I loathe you.
-->'''Niles''': I despise you.
-->'''C.C.''': Servant.
-->'''Niles''': Trollop.
-->'''C.C.''': Bell-boy.
-->'''Niles''': ''Brunette''.
-->''[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYvZZ5NxZpk (cue passionate embrace)]]''

* SpiritualSuccessor:
** ''Living With Fran''. Also, yet ''another'' Spiritual Successor in ''Series/{{Jessie}}'' (on, of all things, the Creator/DisneyChannel) by way of Pamela Eells O'Connell, executive producer of both shows.
** In this way, ''The Nanny'' itself could be considered a Spiritual Successor to ''Series/CharlesInCharge'', another show O'Connell had previously wrote episodes for as a freelance writer.
** The 2014 Mexican telenovela ''Mi Corazon es Tuyo'' (based on a Spanish soap opera called ''Ana y Los 7'') also qualifies. The two series' plotlines and some of the characters' personalities are a lot alike; among the main differences include the fact that Isabela (who's a lot like C.C., but a more blatant ChildHater) is part of a full-fledged love triangle with her boss (the series' equivalent to Maxwell), Fernando, who in turn has a WillTheyOrWontThey situation with Ana (who is a pluckier Fran)... oh, and the fact that Ana leads a double life as an exotic dancer for much of the series, something Fran definitely didn't do.
** ABC's 2010 sitcom ''Melissa & Joey'' shares the same premise but inverts the roles, with the female part of the main couple being a rich and successful professional who hires the male as a nanny after he's fired from his job and publicly disgraced.

-->But it doesn't matter what I'm paid,
-->Because I'm finally getting--
-->Six bucks an hour!
-->Includes a room and shower!

-->'''Niles:''' Try to relax sir. I'll have your brandy and cigar.
-->'''Maxwell:''' ...waiting for me when I get out?
-->'''Niles:''' Um... yeah.
* SweetAndSourGrapes: S2 [=Ep2=], "The Playwright", had this happen to Brighton. He asks his geeky study partner, Brooke, to the school dance, only to deny it and turn her down when she talks to him about it in front of his friends and gets lectured by Fran for it. Later on, after agreeing again to take her to the dance, she shows up and has [[SheCleansUpNicely cleaned up nicely]]. Fran lampshades it;
-->'''Fran''': See? You did the right thing, and God smiled on you. God, Maybelline, and half a box of Kleenex.
** In "Immaculate Concépcion," Maxwell's father dies--and to everyone's shock, he leaves his ''entire'' estate (valued at $100 million) to the title character, a secret love child he had in his old age (he explains that she was unable to receive the advantages the other kids got growing up, and so he's trying to right that wrong now). The Sheffield clan is naturally furious, with the adults trying to contest the will and the kids whining about the loss of their riches. Sylvia convinces Fran to visit Concépcion and try to get the money back--but when she arrives at the hotel where the young woman is staying, she discovers that they're almost identical (right down to dressing alike and having BigEater mothers who love to meddle). Concépcion gushes about how she's not only thrilled with her newfound fortune, but happy that her father--who she assumed hated her all his life--really did love her after all. Fran realizes that she can't hurt the young woman, and instead invites her to her and Mr. Sheffield's upcoming wedding as a member of the family. Though Max swears that he still loves Fran and refuses to break off the engagement to seek a richer woman, things still look somewhat bleak...until the family lawyer arrives. It turns out that Concépcion was so grateful to Fran for treating her like a sister and friend that she's decided to share her riches with her siblings--she's [[IJustWantToBeLoved always wanted a family]], and Fran has offered her just that. So Fran gets the guy of her dreams, a new friend, ''and'' a healthy share of the Sheffield fortune--all by choosing to show kindness over greed.

* TheTease: Fran loves running around the house in her short skirts and stilettos, or coming in unannounced to Maxwell's office to sit on his desk. Niles doesn't always mention it but he enjoys the view too.

-->'''Maggie''': Fran, you can't control what your mother eats. She doesn't live here.
-->'''Gracie''': When did she move out?

-->'''Brighton''': Is it true back then people used to listen to their music on some sort of primitive, large, black, vinyl disc?
-->'''Fran''': Only when we weren't enjoying our favorite past-time. Child hurling.

--->'''Maureen Wentworth:''' (''observing a sculpture'') What a lovely artifact. Is it Mayan?
--->'''Fran:''' No, it's his-en.

* WTHCastingAgency: In-universe. One way to show Max's... ''abilities'' as a producer was to mention that he would make some bizarre casting choices. Some of which were Debbie Boone as Yentl and putting Lyle Waggoner in ''Fiddler On The Roof.''
** Played with in another episode, which has him putting on a play with Creator/KatharineHepburn in a role...but also as catcher on the cast's Broadway Show League baseball team.
* WannabeLine: Fran and Valerie usually spend their nights off at one of those lines to see celebrities entering. One day, feeling Maxwell needed to get out more, Fran invited him along. Because Fran and Val didn't want to drive away potential boyfriends, they asked him to pretend he didn't know them. It backfired on them when ''he'' was let in.
* WaxingLyrical: When someone asks about Fran, she quotes the first two lines of the theme song, verbatim. Fran's status as a PopCulturedBadass would occasionally lead her to use things like that. When Maxwell was planning a very stuffy affair for Maggie's Sweet Sixteen at the Guggenheim, Fran responded with [[Series/ThePattyDukeShow "While Cathy adores a minuet, a Ballets Russes, and crepes suzette. Our Patty likes to rock 'n' roll."]]

* AffectionateParody: They did several of these for shows like ''Series/{{Dynasty1981}}'' and ''Series/TheDickVanDykeShow''.

What was she to do? Where was she to go?\\
She was out on her fanny\\

Who would have guessed that the girl we described\\

She’s the lady in red while everybody else is wearing tan\\
The flashy girl from Flushing\\
The Nanny named Fran!"''

* MsFanservice: Fran herself. [[ShesGotLegs Love those miniskirts]].

* PlayingGertrude: Creator/AnnGuilbert, who plays Grandma Yetta, is only 5 years older than Creator/ReneeTaylor, who plays Sylvia Fine. C.C. Babcock is meant to be several years older than Fran, but Creator/LaurenLane is actually 4 years younger than Fran Drescher.

* BunnyEarsLawyer: Fran leans toward this trope.
* BunnyEarsPicturePrank: Brighton does this to Gracie in the animated title sequence

** A mild case in "An Offer She Can't Refuse." Fran and her new boyfriend Tony go to see the stage adaptation of Disney's ''Beauty and the Beast''. Tony is played by Burke Moses, who originated the role of Gaston in that musical (something hinted at when he briefly sings at the end of the episode).

* ChuckCunninghamSyndrome: Fran's sister, Nadine, eventually disappears from the series altogether. While it would be perfectly reasonable to assume the two are just too busy to be present in each other's lives, its strange Nadine would not be included in her sister's wedding as part of the bridal party (or at least being the caterer), or being completely absent for her sister's pregnancy.

* EmbarrassingMiddleName: Maxwell's middle name is Beverly. In the last episode, we find out that C.C. [[spoiler: is a Subversion, as her first name is embarrassing: Chastity Claire]].

* EvenTheGirlsWantHer: In "Oy Vey you're gay", a female publicist mentions she wanted to ask Fran out on a date.

A FishOutOfWater family sitcom airing for six seasons ([[TheNineties 1993–99]]) on Creator/{{CBS}} and starring the raspy-voiced, big-haired Creator/FranDrescher in the title role. The show's pitch was also conceived by Drescher, inspired by ''Theatre/TheSoundOfMusic'' as well as a conversation with Twiggy's adolescent daughter. Perhaps one of ''The Nanny''[='s=] greatest successes was its big and colorful EnsembleCast, ranging from the sarcastic British Butler to the JewishMother.

[[caption-width-right:350:L-R: Brighton, Gracie, Maxwell, Fran, C.C., Maggie and Niles]]

A FishOutOfWater family sitcom ([[TheNineties 1993-1999]]) starring the raspy-voiced, big-haired flashy Creator/FranDrescher. The pitch was also conceived by Drescher, inspired by ''Theatre/TheSoundOfMusic'' as well as a conversation with Twiggy's adolescent daughter. The series ran for a respectable six seasons. Perhaps one of the greatest successes this show had was its big and colorful cast, ranging from the sarcastic British Butler to the JewishMother.

As seen above, the ExpositoryThemeTune pretty efficiently sums up the basic plot, but to briefly provide just a bit more context; Drescher plays Fran Fine, a loud, flashy and big-hearted Jewish-American woman who, after a series of personal and employment-related calamities, ends up as a door-to-door cosmetics salesperson at the residence of Maxwell Sheffield (Creator/CharlesShaughnessy), a wealthy, stuffy and thoroughly British producer of Broadway musicals. From there, Fran manages to wrangle herself a job as nanny to Maxwell's three children despite Maxwell's initial reservations. From ''there'', general shenanigans, chaos and romance between Fran and Maxwell ensues, gently prodded on by the DeadpanSnarker butler Niles and not-so-gently resisted by C.C., Maxwell's snooty business partner with her own romantic designs on Maxwell.

As seen above, the ExpositoryThemeTune pretty efficiently sums up the basic plot, but to briefly provide just a bit more context; Drescher plays Fran Fine, a loud, flashy and big-hearted Jewish-American woman who, after a series of personal and employment-related calamities, ends up as a door-to-door cosmetics salesperson at the residence of Maxwell Sheffield (Creator/CharlesShaughnessy), a wealthy, stuffy and thoroughly British producer of Broadway musicals. From there, Fran manages to wrangle herself a job as nanny to Maxwell's three children despite Maxwell's initial reservations. From ''there'', general shenanigans, chaos and romance between Fran and Maxwell ensues, gently prodded on by the DeadpanSnarker butler Niles and not-so-gently resisted by CC, Maxwell's snooty business partner with her own romantic designs on Maxwell.

What was she to do, where was she to go\\

She had style, she had flair, she was there!\\
That's how she became '''The Nanny'''!"''

She had style, she had flair, she was there\\

** In "The Cradle Robbers", Maggie accuses Fran of being this for dating a 25 year-old while insisting Maggie shouldn't do the same. Arguably justified [[UnfortunateImplications since Maggie is only 17...]]

* {{Corpsing}}: Reaches ''Series/TheCarolBurnettShow'' levels at times. Most notably during the genital shaving scene in "A Close Shave".

The show [[GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff was immensely popular in many countries outside USA]] (Argentina, Australia, Chile and Russia, to name a few), even getting the [[UpToEleven "the most viewed program" spot]] in some. This success led to [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_foreign_adaptations_of_The_Nanny many foreign adaptations]], to cash in on the show's popularity and give some local flavor.

** In one episode, it's mentioned that Maxwell passed on producing ''Theatre/{{Hair}}'', which went on to become a hit musical. However, Max is said to be in his early 40s, meaning he was still a teenager in 1967, when ''Hair'' had its premiere. (Not to mention that back then he was living in England, while ''Hair'' premiered in New York.) But he did say he starting producing plays at age 17.
** Famous actor Jeremy Irons is mentioned as Maxwell's biggest rival in his school days, but he didn't go the same school. In real life, he went to another boarding school 172 kilometers away.

* WhoWouldWantToWatchUs: In "When You Pish Upon a Star", the family meets an actor from a sitcom called "Royal Flush" which is literally just the in-universe version of ''The Nanny'' which leads to a lot of meta jokes such as Maxwell wondering why the dad character lets the servants have the run of the house..