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6
7The cast of ''Series/TheNanny''. '''All spoilers are unmarked.'''
8----
9[[foldercontrol]]
10
11!'''Main Cast'''
12[[folder:Francine "Fran" Fine]]
13[[quoteright:345:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/the-nanny-hq-the-nanny-7669958-2029-2560_resized_8988.jpg]]
14[[caption-width-right:345:''"Oh, please! I come from Flushing. There is nothing that these kids can throw at me that I haven't seen before. Except maybe their trust funds."'']]
15->'''Played by: '''Creator/FranDrescher
16
17The titular nanny of the Sheffield household, a nasal-voiced woman from Flushing, Queens. Originally arriving at the Sheffields' door to sell cosmetics, she winds up becoming the nanny to Maggie, Brighton, and Gracie after showing some savvy with the kids.
18
19----
20* NinetiesHair: Her voluminous hairstyle has the poufiness and curl of [[EightiesHair the last decade]] but is stylish enough to compare to early 90s Supermodel hair. Later on her hair is toned down to resemble a [[SixtiesHair classic flip]].
21* AesopAmnesia: A lot of Season 4 episodes revolve around her learning why it might be a bad idea to pursue her boss (mainly how it might affect the kids), or how unhealthy her obsession with marriage and Mr. Sheffield is. Naturally, this will be forgotten by the next episode, leaving her to pursue Mr. Sheffield or crack jokes about his cold feet.
22* AlliterativeName: '''F'''ran(cine) '''F'''ine.
23* AnnoyingLaugh: Her nasal laugh is divisive at best with everyone else in the cast.
24* BabiesEverAfter: On top of adopting the Sheffield children, she also ends up pregnant and giving birth to Maxwell's twins during the final season.
25* BewareTheSillyOnes: She may come off as nasal, big-haired, and desperate, but, people tend to forget she is also a hypermanipulative master of the CoolAndUnusualPunishment, most often in the form of forced proximity with her overbearing mother. She's also skilled with Jewish guilt, and can reduce feelings of triumph to bitter sadness with a snap of her fingers.
26* BigEater: Though not to the same degree as her mother, Fran still has quite the appetite and frequently snacks on food no matter how inappropriate.
27* BigSisterMentor: She acts as an older sister figure to Maggie. This is established in the Season 1 episode "The Nuchshlep", when Fran tells Maggie she's too old for a nanny. Though this raises many problems once Fran and Maxwell are married, as Fran is expected to side with Maxwell on issues about the children.
28* BookDumb: Not very educated (her best qualification is beauty school) but extremely street smart.
29* BunnyEarsLawyer: She may be eccentric, but she's also a very competent nanny.
30* CainAndAbel: She's implied to be the Abel to her sister Nadine as Cain. It's telling Sylvia spends all her time harping on Fran to get married, despite that Nadine's married and has kids of her own. Sylvia apparently isn't fond of Nadine or her family, and Fran's only seen interacting with her sister in one episode out of the entire series.
31* CantHoldHerLiquor: Fran isn't usually a drinker; but after she believes she's about to be fired, she drinks ''one'' Pink Squirrel at a friend's retirement party. She ends up so wasted she can barely walk, and climbs into Maxwell's bed confusing it for her own.
32* CharacterCatchphrase: Has a few:
33** "Oy…"
34** "Good morning, everyone!"
35** "Oh, Mistah Sheffield!"
36* CuteButCacophonic: She's attractive but also has a very distinct and nasal voice, which often annoys others. A doctor once mentions that if Fran's adenoids were removed her head would cave in.
37* DeadpanSnarker: Although usually sweet, she's not above resorting to dry humour especially in response to the shenanigans at the Sheffields or her parents' place.
38* EarnYourHappyEnding: The show opens with her both jobless and homeless after being kicked out by her schlub of an ex-boyfriend. The show closes with her HappilyMarried to a handsome and rich producer, [[HappilyAdopted Happily Adopting]] his beautiful children whom she has grown to love as her own, on top of bearing [[BabiesEverAfter his twins]], all due to her being a kindhearted FriendToAllChildren.
39* FictionalFanRealCelebrity: Fran adores Music/BarbraStreisand. In "Ode to Barbra Joan," Fran makes friends with C.C.'s father, who invites her to see a Streisand show (which C.C. had refused). She gives up in the end because C.C. gets depressed and jealous of the attention her father is giving to Fran, but in the end, he asks Barbra to talk to Fran on the telephone. Fran eventually goes to one of Barbra's shows with Maxwell in another episode, and comments she'll never forget when Barbra told her "Give my boots back".
40* {{Flanderization}}: Her desperation for finding a man becomes a bigger and bigger part of her character as the show goes on. It becomes a plot point a few times, especially in a small Season 4 arc, where she seeks therapy to break out of her obsession and learn to love herself.
41* FormerlyFat: Was apparently very hefty (or not as thin) at one point in her life. She's on Weight Watchers during the series to maintain her current figure, though she regularly applies LoopholeAbuse to cheat on her diet.
42* FormerTeenRebel: One of the reasons she's so good at taking care of the children is that she's probably already pulled almost every stunt the Sheffield kids could ever think of. She once mentions skipping school so often, "my homeroom was [=McDonalds=]" and caused her mother so much grief, she once says, "When I started puberty, my mother was a size six, when I hit eighteen… so did she."
43* FourTemperamentEnsemble: Sanguine. She's the most energetic and bubbly of the adults.
44* FriendToAllChildren: Easily wins over the Sheffield children and most other kids due to her friendly personality. As the theme tune goes, "That's how she became the Nanny!"
45* GenkiGirl: She gets along with the kids also because she's very energetic and humorous.
46* GoKartingWithBowser: She and C.C. hang out with each other on girls' nights, with no issues. Outside of their rivalry, they get along fairly well.
47* HappilyMarried: Finally gets together with Maxwell in Season 5 and is shown to have a happy marriage for the remainder of the show, including the birth of their twins.
48* HeterosexualLifePartners: She and Val are best friends, ever since childhood.
49* {{Hypocrite}}: A common gag is for her to criticize someone (especially the children) for something while she's doing or about to do the exact same thing, such as criticizing her family/friends for lacking class while doing something un-classy herself.
50* InherentlyAttractiveProfession: She is particularly attracted to men who are doctors, especially Jewish doctors.
51-->'''Fran:''' All the while that you were selflessly raising your son Eric, while his mother, Cheree, was gallivanting all over Spring Valley, did you know that he wasn't your biological child?\
52'''Brock Storm:''' Yes, I've always known.\
53'''Fran Fine:''' You are a god. And a doctor. I gotta lie down.
54* JewishMother: Downplayed. She's Jewish and acts like a maternal figure to Maggie, Brighton and Grace, before literally becoming one in the last season. However she is a lot more lax than most other fictional Jewish mothers.
55* LadyInRed: As an attractive lady that joins the protagonist family, the ThemeTune characterises her as a lady who wears red when everyone else is wearing tan. Unlike most examples of the trope, she's neither TheVamp nor that much more sexualized than the rest (C.C. probably makes more lewd comments than Fran does, Niles is the ShipperOnDeck, and she findes Maxwell as attractive early on), just vivacious, high-spirited, more lively, and a breath of fresh air.
56* MagicalNanny: She's able to connect with the kids in a way they'd been missing, and she specifically helps neurotic youngest child Grace.
57* MamaBear: Even before she actually becomes their mother, she's very protective of the Sheffield children. When Gracie gets the wrong idea about whether Fran actually likes her beyond her nanny duties thanks to C.C., Fran warns her that if she "ever hurt[s] one of [her] kids again they'll be wiping [her] blue blood off the walls".
58* ManicPixieDreamGirl: She's an upbeat and exuberant Jewish working class woman, who brings a much needed new spirit into the entire household of her more uptight widowed British employer, Maxwell Sheffield. Fran is the protagonist though, so she's a more well-developed character than the more negative examples of the trope. And even though Maxwell is attracted to her already from early on, he has huge commitment issues and needs almost five years to finally propose marriage to Fran.
59* MsFanservice: One of her standout traits is her good looks and her stylish formfitting attire, such as her miniskirts.
60* NiceGirl: For the most part, she is usually very kind and compassionate to other people. For example, she is never initially hostile with C.C. and treats her very politely, despite the latter's often rude behavior directed at her, and she always takes C.C.'s insults in stride ([[BewareTheNiceOnes to a certain point, before she'll retaliate]]). That said, mess with her kids at your own peril.
61* NiceToTheWaiter: Her kindness to waiters and the like is nothing unusual, considering her upbringing, but it deserves special mention since it's frequently contrasted with the snooty blue-bloods she usually deals with. In "The Strike", she refuses to cross a picket line of striking busboys and had to be forcibly dragged by Maxwell. In "Personal Business", when she dates an obnoxious soap star, she addresses the driver by name whereas her date only calls him "Driver." In fact, the first person from the Sheffield household to accept Fran is Niles, the butler.
62* NoIndoorVoice: Still loud even in an indoor setting, which she got from her mother. They trade off on this quality, and then sometimes use it simultaneously.
63* OohMeAccentsSlipping: Intentionally played with after Fran goes out for sushi for the first time and eats enough wasabi to send her to the floor in pain. When she gets back up, she is amazed at how well her sinuses have cleared up and her shrill nasal accent is gone (a.k.a. Fran Drescher speaks in her normal voice). Just as she wonders how long it will last, her accent's back to what it always was.
64* OneOfTheKids: Fran can easily relate to the Sheffield's children due to her younger age and will go along with their quirks and hobbies, which is a reason she makes such a good nanny.
65* ParentalSubstitute: Becomes a maternal figure to the Sheffield children, even before she actually became their mother.
66* PhraseCatcher: Her antics often get out a frustrated ''"MISS FINE!"'' from her boss.
67* ThePiratesWhoDontDoAnything: In the later seasons, she's rarely shown doing any work as a nanny. Although this is {{justified|Trope}} since two of the three children she was hired to take care of are practically adults by this point, and keeps her job because of her UnresolvedSexualTension with Maxwell (he also mentions how he keeps her around at least partly as an act of sympathy as she's not really qualified to do much of anything else, but his primary reason is mostly the former.) It gets {{lampshaded}} frequently, such as in an episode of the last season where Fran, now Maxwell's wife, hires a new nanny who quickly realizes that she's not needed. C.C. still calls Fran "Nanny Fine", but largely out of disrespect due to taking Maxwell's affections.
68* PlatonicLifePartners: She develops a platonic but nevertheless tight friendship with Niles. Niles is the first to accept Fran into Maxwell Sheffield's household (and later becomes a ShipperOnDeck for Fran and Maxwell), the two of them confide in each other, and they love to snark about C.C.
69* PopCulturedBadass: Fran has an extremely detailed knowledge of pop culture, has the TV Guide memorized, and in at least one case even used her knowledge of pop culture to successfully track down the guy who kidnapped CC's dog (ItMakesSenseInContext). Fran's ability to personify this trope is one of the reasons she's able to reinvigorate the dry Sheffield household when she moved in.
70* QuirkyCurls: She has curly black hair, matching her enthusiastic and bubbly personality.
71* SavvyGuyEnergeticGirl: The cheerful GenkiGirl to the roper and reserved Maxwell.
72* SheCleansUpNicely: Granted, Fran is already an attractive woman in her day-to-day looks, but she's ''stunning'' when she wears formal attire and goes the extra mile to look stylish, even earning comparisons to Creator/AudreyHepburn at one point.
73* ShipperOnDeck:
74** In the final season, when she learns about Niles's feelings for C.C., she initially has a WhatDoesHeSeeInHer reaction but eventually starts being supportive of their relationship, giving advice to both of them to make it work.
75** While Maxwell is staunchly opposed to Maggie dating her boyfriend, Fran encourages it and tries to change Max's mind. The fact that the boyfriend is a doctor's son with his own apartment and a high-paying job, not to mention Jewish, are all reasons Fran likes him.
76* SignatureLaugh: Known for her nasal, snorty laugh.
77* SleepingWithTheBoss: After four seasons' worth of UnresolvedSexualTension between her and Maxwell, they almost wind up sleeping together while in Paris, during the Season 4 finale...but Maxwell [[SubvertedTrope backs out of it at the last moment]], offending Fran.
78* StacysMom: After she and Maxwell get married, there's episode that centers around Brighton getting in a fight at school because some boys were ogling her.
79* StreetSmart: She’s not very educated but she knows how to deal with the real world.
80* UnlimitedWardrobe: She seemingly has a bottomless closet and rarely, if ever, wears the same outfit twice. In "Fashion Show", it's explained that she gets her clothes from fashion designer Todd Oldham, who's her cousin, at discounted prices (well, alongside frequenting outlet malls and having '''astronomical''' credit card bills.)
81* VagueAge: A RunningGag is how Fran lies about being younger than she actually is and refusing to reveal it. All is known is that she's in her thirties.
82* VerbalTic: She often starts sentences with "meanwhile...", which she got from her mother.
83* WeightWoe: Fran suffers from this trope in "The Finale part 1" because she feels fat during her pregnancy with her twins. At the beginning of the episode, she fantasized herself and Maxwell on the beach during her pregnancy, and imagines the extra weight she gained mostly in the hips, thighs and butt.
84* WillTheyOrWontThey: The series spents a good chunk of the time teasing whether Maxwell and Fran will actually become an official couple or not. Lucky for them, they do eventually marry.
85[[/folder]]
86
87[[folder:Maxwell Sheffield]]
88[[quoteright:337:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/maxwell-hq-the-nanny-16880908-1775-1800_resized_3885.jpg]]
89[[caption-width-right:337:''"You're off your bloody rocker, you know that? Thank God you're not operating heavy machinery, just raising my children."'']]
90->'''Played by:''' Creator/CharlesShaughnessy, 5th Baron Shaughnessy
91
92The esteemed head of the Sheffield household, a somewhat successful Broadway producer and widower with three kids.
93
94* AgeGapRomance: Maxwell is in his early forties and eventually marries Fran who is implied to be in her early to mid thirties (and loves to lie that she's actually 29).
95* AlwaysSomeoneBetter: He deals with this twice over. In the present day, he's always playing second fiddle to Andrew Lloyd Webber; during his school days, he always seemed to be coming in second place to Creator/JeremyIrons.
96* BenevolentBoss: He treats Niles more like family than an employee, is always cordial to C.C. in spite of her usual cruelty, and that's not even beginning to examine his relationship with Fran.
97* BigScrewedUpFamily: His father was a philanderer who had at least one secret love child, his mother was emotionally distant, and his siblings are just plain elitist jerks. Maggie traces their family tree and discovers a bunch of past scandals, including one relative who may have married his sister (which Maxwell points out was never proven). This contrasts with Fran's family, who are ''a lot'' but are still loving and supportive.
98* BlueBlood: Comes from a rich family, although there's jokes that he doesn't have a title like his other family members (ironically, his actor Charles Shaughnessy became a real-life baron in 2007).
99* BritishStuffiness: He's British, uptight and prefers to not be overemotional. Runs in the family, with the exception of his brother and black sheep Nigel.
100* ButtMonkey: Not quite as much C.C., but he has been on the receiving end of Fran's antics more than once and has numerous plays of his flop until finally hitting it big near the end of the show.
101* CelebrityResemblance: Being mistaken for Creator/PierceBrosnan is a RunningGag.
102* CharacterCatchphrase: Maxwell's enraged bellow of ''"MISS FINE!"''
103* CigarChomper: He enjoys the occasional fine cigar.
104* ClingyJealousGirl: He becomes prone to jealousy once he starts realizing his feelings for Fran. He doesn't go [[CrazyJealousGuy crazy]], but he gets very envious and petty whenever she finds a new beau. He'll usually jump into pissing matches where he attempts to one-up the love interest, or just goes straight to insulting them.
105* DeadpanSnarker: Plays up the dry humour whenever aggravated.
106* DependingOnTheWriter:
107** Maxwell will go back and forth between being savvy and a hapless buffoon in Fran's antics.
108** In the early seasons, Maxwell will either be aware about his feelings for Fran or comically oblivious about it.
109* EmbarrassingMiddleName: His middle name is Beverly, a GenderBlenderName.
110* FatalFlaw: His CommitmentIssues. He openly cares for Fran, but fears making things official with her because he's worried about how the kids might react if the relationship falls apart. He still treats their dynamic as a romantic relationship though, leading to several instances where Fran gives up on him because he doesn't want to waste her life waiting on him to ''possibly'' changing his mind.
111* FormerTeenRebel: Mentions having been a "Jack the lad" in his younger days.
112* FourTemperamentEnsemble: Melancholic. The most straight-laced of the adults.
113* HappilyMarried: Finally gets together with Fran in Season 5 and is shown to have a happy marriage for the remainder of the show, including the birth of their twins.
114* IAmNotMyFather: Values family above all else, as opposed to his aloof, philandering father.
115* IAmVeryBritish: Speaks with a "posh" British upper-class accent. It doesn't hurt that he's played by an actual British aristocrat.
116* MyGreatestFailure: It's been mentioned numerous times that he turned down the chance to produce ''Cats'' as he found its premise to be ridiculous; he still insists he made the right call, despite the mockery he's received for it.
117* NiceGuy: While usually a staunch professional, he's also generally a friendly person, who loves his children more than anything, and treats his staff like they were family.
118* NoHeroToHisValet: He and Niles have an odd relationship: Niles is obviously subervient to him, but the two also grew up together and every so often relate more like brothers than master and servant. Niles is devoted to Maxwell and the family, but isn't above trolling him, criticizing him or – even in the early seasons – even refusing to do as he asks if it's a sufficiently stupid idea, and their relationship only becomes more casual over the series.
119* ObliviousToLove: PlayedForLaughs, though it's more like Oblivious To Lust, as Maxwell constantly misinterprets or overlooks C.C.'s attempts at winning his heart.
120* OnceDoneNeverForgotten: Turning down the chance to produce ''Theatre/{{Cats}}''; whenever anybody feels like he's about to make a big mistake or doing something stupid, they bring this up for comparison.
121* OnlySaneMan: Has the most serious personality compared to the other adults.
122* PhraseCatcher: Usually gets an "Oh, Mistah Sheffield…" from Fran.
123* QuintessentialBritishGentleman: Always dressed in suits, addresses his butler as "old man", has an aristocratic-sounding name, speaks with an upper class British accent and is played by a real-life British aristocrat.
124* SavvyGuyEnergeticGirl: The down-to-earth and uptight guy to Fran's fiesty and energetic Girl.
125* SheIsNotMyGirlfriend: He's quick to correct people when they assume Fran is his wife or girlfriend for most of the series.
126* SitcomArchNemesis: Maxwell loathes Creator/AndrewLloydWebber simply because the man in question always one-ups him.
127* TallDarkAndHandsome: He's quite tall (5' 11.5" or 1.82 metres), dark-haired, and a good-looking man.
128* UptightLovesWild: A rather stuffy upper class Brit who falls for a loud, flamboyant and carefree woman.
129* UptownBoy: He’s a rich Broadway producer falling for working-class Fran.
130* WillTheyOrWontThey: The series spents a good chunk of the time teasing whether Maxwell and Fran will actually become an official couple or not. Lucky for them, they do eventually marry.
131[[/folder]]
132
133[[folder:Niles]]
134[[quoteright:333:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/niles-hq-the-nanny-16880887-2560-2539_resized_7071.jpg]]
135[[caption-width-right:333:''"Ms. Fine, you spend so much time up this creek, I should think by now you'd have bought a paddle."'']]
136->'''Played by:''' Creator/DanielDavis
137
138The snarky butler of the Sheffield household. He becomes fast friends with Fran, and is always quick to drop a creative insult against C.C.
139
140* AudienceSurrogate: As a ShipperOnDeck for Fran and Maxwell, he will express the feelings of the viewers in comical fashion. He is quite frustrated with the show's constant WillTheyOrWontThey (such as "The Thing" or the quote below in WhatTheHellHero). He is supremely happy when things are finally moving forward rather than remaining status quo.
141* BelligerentSexualTension: Despite his rivalry with C.C., some moments reveal they can tolerate one another and they even share a passionate kiss in a middle of a SnarkToSnarkCombat. They eventually do get married in Fran's ''delivery room''.
142* BigWhat: This is his reaction when he finally discovers what "The Thing" is.
143* BigYes: He lets out one when [[spoiler:C.C. accepts his marriage proposal]] in the series finale.
144* BreakoutCharacter: Has been a fan favorite since season 1.
145* DeadpanSnarker: His main trait is making snarky comments while maintaining a stoic professional look.
146* FourTemperamentEnsemble: Phlegmatic. The witty one of the adults.
147* TheGadfly: Loves messing with C.C.
148* GentlemanSnarker: The otherwise polite butler Niles' snarks are usually directed at people who deserve it, such as C.C.
149* GossipyHens: Niles is often mentioned to gossip with the butlers of other people in Maxwell's social circle and his favorite activity other than tormenting C.C. is eavesdropping.
150* HiredHelpAsFamily: He's considered an honorary Sheffield as early as Season One, when Maxwell defends him to the Butlers' Association, saying that they'd all do anything to help him and that he's essentially family now. Niles in turn clearly loves the Sheffields and treats them like his own relatives.
151* IconicItem: Usually seen with his feather duster due to his cleaning duties.
152* InSeriesNickname: Maxwell often calls him "Old Man".
153* IWasQuiteALooker: In one episode, when Max writes a thinly veiled story based on his life, Niles is moping that he isn't invited to the premiere since he was the inspiration for the character of the houseboy. Fran snarks, "He was twenty-five with a blond pompadour and an impish grin." Niles bites back, "Well, so was I six hundred thousand Brillo pads ago."
154* TheJeeves: He's British, polite, sophisticated, and loyal to his employer… for the most part. He increasingly becomes a DeadpanSnarker, thinking Maxwell's stubborn for his reluctance to admit his true feelings to Fran. Eventually, in a late season, he gains enough backbone to finally tell his boss off and speak his true mind about it, and this finally convinces Maxwell to propose to Fran, and it sticks.
155* JerkassToOne: A loyal and polite butler who can be considered a nice person... unless he's around C.C. While she's a RichBitch who deserves much of the torment, Niles can be ''ruthlessly'' sadistic towards her.
156* LameRhymeDodge: He does this after he finally learns from Maxwell what "The Thing" is.
157--> '''Niles:''' Oh, I could kick you in the seat of the pants!\
158'''Maxwell:''' I beg your pardon?\
159'''Niles:''' I said, "I need to press the pleat in your pants", but that's beside the point.
160* LegacyOfService: His father was the Sheffield butler before he was.
161* LovingBully: Spends majority of the series annoying C.C. Although it's assumed to be genuine hatred, in Season 6 it's revealed that Niles has loved C.C. all along and all the insults and pranks are his way of flirting.
162* {{Manchild}}: Often enjoys pulling pranks on C.C., as well as being playful with Fran.
163* MoralityPet: Ironically, to C.C., though not because ''she's'' concerned about insulting him. In most cases, his snark gets her irritated enough to back down a little during the worst yandere-like moments. He's also eventually the one to actually call her out on her obsessive nature towards Maxwell.
164* MrViceGuy: He can be a pretty harsh DeadpanSnarker at times and is particularly rude to C.C Babcock. However he is mostly a good-hearted and likable guy who has always stayed true to the Sheffield's and Fran. He deeply cares for them and will always defend or protect them when they are abused, mocked, or whatever else.
165* NoFullNameGiven: Nobody seems to know the rest of Niles's name. At one point he claims, "It's just Niles. Like Cher."
166* NoHeroToHisValet: Niles and Maxwell have an odd relationship: Niles is obviously subervient to him, but the two also grew up together and every so often relate more like brothers than master and servant. Niles is devoted to Maxwell and the family, but isn't above trolling him, criticizing him or - even in the early seasons - even refusing to do as he asks if it's a sufficiently stupid idea, and their relationship only becomes more casual over the series.
167* NotSoStoic: Later seasons have him breaking his collected exterior and burst out in a rage. These moments are usually caused by his Maxwell's waffling on his feelings for Fran, or when someone gets in the way of him finding out about The Thing.
168* OlderThanTheyLook: Niles was a teenager when Max was still young enough to have a nanny himself, but he looks roughly the same age as him and Fran.
169* OOCIsSeriousBusiness:
170** Lampshaded by C.C. when he's recovering from a heart attack and she tells Fran and Maxwell about it--she figured out something was wrong with him when he failed to respond to her taunting with a witty remark.
171--->'''CC:''' And then the scariest thing happened!\
172'''Fran:''' He had the heart attack?\
173'''CC:''' No, not yet! There I was, waiting for a zinger… and ''nothing!''
174** On a more serious note, when C.C. mocks and berates him over his failed proposal to her, Niles ''furiously'' rakes her over the coals for pining over a man who doesn't love her rather than just make a snide remark. This gets her to stop pining over Maxwell.
175* OohMeAccentsSlipping: Has a flawless British accent in the show (to the point that a fan assumed the actor was actually British and sounded more "authentic" than Maxwell, who's played by an actual British actor). However in later seasons the actor's American accent sneaks in now and then when his delivery becomes faster and louder (could be justified in-series as Niles has spent a number of years in America at this point).
176* PayEvilUntoEvil: Considering C.C's JerkAss attitude, most of his insults towards her tend to fall under this category.
177* PlatonicLifePartners: Develops a platonic but nevertheless tight friendship with Fran. Niles is the first to accept Fran into Maxwell Sheffield's household (and later becomes a ShipperOnDeck for Fran and Maxwell), the two of them confide in each other, and they love to snark about C.C. Babcock.
178* ThePrankster: He's at his happiest tormenting C.C. with tricks and pranks. Lampshaded by C.C. herself:
179-->'''C.C.:''' You set me up, didn't you? The run, the chase, getting stuck in the door, ''everything!'' My mental health is just a ''sick game'' to you, isn't it!?\
180'''Niles:''' Rack 'em up, let's play again!
181* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: He delivers an incredibly critical speech to C.C. after she begins mocking him for thinking he had a chance with her. Niles lays into her that at least he is trying to move on from his rejection, whereas she's spent a good chunk of her life chasing after a man (Maxwell) who has no interest in her and never will, and is still chasing after him even though he's now married and is having a child with his new wife. The thing is, rather than give a snappy comeback, this really hits C.C. where it hurts and she decides to resign from being Maxwell's partner. In the end, though, she doesn't, and she and Niles really do get together.
182* SarcasticDevotee: Played with. He's the snarky butler of the Sheffield family but rarely insults them directly, and mainly shows his snarky side around C.C. Babcock. That said, he is known to chide Maxwell more boneheaded moments, and has had episodes where he lashed out at the family when he didn't have his other outlets, or Fran on the rare occasions that her antics backlash onto him.
183* ServileSnarker: He's pretty much a classic example of the witty, sarcastic butler.
184* SexGod: Is apparently very good in the bedroom, according to C.C.
185-->'''C.C.''': I found my man and I am completely and totally... and multiply satisfied.\
186'''Fran''': Reeeeeeallyyyyyy?\
187'''C.C.''': That is the joy of being with a man who lives to serve others, baby. ''[they giggle perversely]''
188* ShipperOnDeck: Is one of the biggest supporters of Maxwell and Fran as a couple. It's to the point where, when Maxwell tells him he's going to propose, Niles' expressions of happiness sound more like he was getting proposed to.
189* SitcomArchNemesis: By his own admission, he ''revels'' in the chance to be C.C.'s, whether it's delivering acidic barbs and putdowns or actively spoiling her plans, while she rarely lands a hit on him. Understandably, he's also the more involved one in their love affair at first.
190-->'''C.C.:''' So tell me, Rochester. What'd you do to kill an afternoon before I came along?\
191'''Niles:''' Well, truth be told, my life WAS rather empty. ''[With wicked glee]'' But ''now'' I have ''a hobby.''
192* UncannyFamilyResemblance: According to Maxwell's father, Niles looks exactly like his father did at that age.
193* UndyingLoyalty: He has been loyal to Maxwell since he still needed a nanny himself. This loyalty has also spread to his family, Fran, and [[spoiler: ''even C.C'' later on]].
194* WhatTheHellHero: After finally getting tired of Maxwell's [[CommitmentIssues indecisiveness with Fran]], Niles gives him one of his biggest rants ever.
195-->'''Niles:''' I am so bloody sick of hearing this year after year. "Niles, what am I to do? I told her I love her, I took it back, I'm afraid of commitment, I'm worried about the children!" ''[grabs Max]'' FOR GOD'S SAKE! MAKE A MOVE! DO ''SOMETHING!'' [[OnceDoneNeverForgotten You passed on]] ''Theatre/{{Cats}}''! '''DO YOU WANT TO REGRET ''THIS'' FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE, TOO!?'''
196[[/folder]]
197
198[[folder:C.C. Babcock]]
199[[quoteright:327:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/c-c-hq-the-nanny-17084303-2512-2560_resized_6313.jpg]]
200[[caption-width-right:327:''"I want to be alone with Maxwell tonight. What's it gonna cost me to make you disappear?"'']]
201->'''Played by:''' Creator/LaurenLane
202
203A haughty, frigid socialite and Maxwell's longtime business partner. She is smitten with him and constantly schemes to find a way to end up with him, only to be debunked at every turn, mostly due to Niles' manipulations.
204
205----
206
207* AntagonistInMourning: She's shown to worry or miss Fran and Niles on a few occasions despite her disdain for them.
208** When Fran leaves to become a soap opera star, C.C. is ecstatic until she finds out that Maxwell has hired [[Creator/PamelaAnderson Heather Biblow]] to take over as nanny. When Fran returns, C.C. hugs her, exclaiming "Don't you ever leave me again!" to a perplexed Fran.
209** C.C is horrified after Niles suffers a heart attack during a verbal spar with him and is legitimately worried for his wellbeing until he awakens at the hospital.
210* BelligerentSexualTension: Despite her rivalry with Niles, some moments reveal they can tolerate one another and they even share a passionate kiss in a middle of a SnarkToSnarkCombat. They eventually do get married in Fran's ''delivery room''.
211* BettyAndVeronica: She ''thinks'' [[WrongGenreSavvy she's the "sweet" and preppy Betty to Fran's "annoying" and vampish Veronica]] when fighting for Maxwell's affections, but she's not even in the equation.
212* BigBadWannabe: Tried to be the main force driving a wedge between Fran and Maxwell, but failed every attempt.
213* BitchAlert: Her first interaction with Fran is a frostbitten sarcasm about her appearance.
214* BitchInSheepsClothing: She at least acts superficially nice around Maxwell, but it's pretty obvious to everyone else that she is not exactly a kind person.
215* BlueBlood: Born into money.
216* BreakTheHaughty: C.C's arrogant ways often bite her in the ass, especially by the hands of Niles.
217* BunnyEarsLawyer: C.C. doesn't have much in the way of social skills or kindness, but she's frequently shown to be an ''extremely'' talented producer (even outpacing Maxwell on many occasions). She handles all of the paperwork for their partnership, and is a master at schmoozing donors get financial backing for their latest projects. It's telling that when C.C. temporarily quits, Maxwell's business goes to pieces in a matter of days without her.
218* CatchPhrase:
219** Often enters with "Hello, hello!"
220** "Oh ''puh-leeze!''
221* CharacterDevelopment: She goes from being a punching bag for Niles and a love rival for Fran to [[spoiler: being Nile's wife and becoming friends with Fran later on]].
222* ChildHater: Almost pathologically ignorant of, and disgusted by, anything related to children or child-rearing (once pronouncing the initialism "P.T.A." as "p'TAH" because she didn't recognize it). She can't even remember the names of Maxwell's children, or even the number, despite knowing them all their lives and ''working from their home.'' When she's planning to entertain a group of wealthy ladies and solicit them for donations, she mentions how she's up against the Children's Milk Fund and comments, "I don't want any thirsty little brats beating me out of that money."
223* DeadpanSnarker: Usually makes a snarky comment with a scornful side-eye, especially towards Fran and when engaging in SnarkToSnarkCombat with Niles.
224* DefrostingIceQueen: She mellows out towards the end, especially in Season 6. Interestingly, with the defrosting comes more than a few scores against Niles as well.
225* EmbarrassingFirstName: In the finale the Sheffields are bewildered by C.C's full first name which is Chastity Claire. Niles, on the other hand, thinks it's a beautiful name.
226* EnemyToAllLivingThings: Animals do not like her, and vice versa. She's very neglectful or dismissive of her dog Chester – who often growls at her, especially when in Fran's arms – and in "The Car Show" she was able to tell, over the car phone, that Fran had hit a rabbit while driving merely by recognizing the ''sound'' alone. It's to the point that [[DidYouJustHaveSex after having sex with Niles]], she's shown singing and dancing with animals like WesternAnimation/{{Snow White|and the Seven Dwarfs}} to drive home how out of character she's become.
227* EntitledToHaveYou: Her outright obsession with Maxwell is firmly rooted in this belief.
228* EveryoneHasStandards: While she might loathe Niles for his remarks at her, she legitimately doesn't want him dead, as telling when he had his heart attack, she was extremely worried.
229** This happens when she discovers she's been flirting with ''Brighton'' online and is genuinely embarrassed about it.
230* EvilLaugh: C.C. laughs at all her own mean-spirited jokes, usually being the only one doing so. Her laugh tends to be as loud and mocking as possible, but unlike the typical NoblewomansLaugh, it's very deep and throaty, almost like a raven cawing.
231* FemininityFailure: Niles' will never miss a chance to insult her femininity and call her mannish, even though she's quite feminine but she usually wears formal business suits as opposed to Fran's flashy and fanciful outfits.
232* FormerlyFat: Maxwell's brother remembered C.C. (not recognizing her slim and blonde appearance) as following Maxwell around in college and being "a plump brunette". The WeightWoe and dieting hasn't left her and she is envious that Fran can eat so much and keep her shape and size.
233* FourTemperamentEnsemble: Choleric; she is the hot-tempered and rude member of the group.
234* TheFriendNobodyLikes: Aside from Maxwell, nobody in the Sheffield household likes her, especially Niles, who particularly despises her ([[LovingBully or so it seems]]).
235* HopelessSuitor: To Maxwell throughout the series. She just doesn't want to accept that he only sees her as a business partner.
236* ImaginaryLoveTriangle: Was apparently in one with Maxwell's first wife. Sara most likely wouldn't have made C.C. her maid of honor if she had known about C.C.'s obsession with the groom.
237* InsistentTerminology: She ''always'' calls Fran "Nanny Fine"--even after Fran and Maxwell are married and expecting children of their own. It's both a sign of her snobbery (she only sees Fran as a member of the household staff) and a subtle way of insisting that she'd be a better match for Max (since she comes from the same class as he does).
238* InsufferableGenius: C.C. is a heartless jerk who has a hard time making friends, but she's an exceptionally talented producer, effortlessly using her connections, superficial charm, and outright ruthlessness to secure donations. In "Val's Boyfriend," C.C. strikes out on her own after Maxwell refuses to promote her, and Max's company goes to pieces after just a few days without her around to handle the paperwork and schmoozing.
239* IronicName: Her full name Chastity-Claire sounds like such a sweet, feminine name and C.C.'s so... not. It should be noted that when this is announced, the entire room (including Fran who's in labor) stop and look at her rather surprised.
240* ItsAllAboutMe: Even though [[DefrostingIceQueen she mellows out]] in the end, she still goes on and on about herself, even going as far as having a priest marry her and Niles ''while Fran's in labor'' (although that was Fran's idea), so that her jitters (later revealed to be due to her pregnancy) go away.
241-->'''C.C.:''' Nanny Fine, you're right! I don't feel like I'm gonna throw up anymore!\
242'''Fran:''' (''Mid-contraction'') '''I'm so friggin' happy for you!'''
243* JerkassHasAPoint: Sometimes C.C. is the only one to spot glaring flaws in everyone's plans. She points it out in a rude way, and she tends to be ignored. At some point before Maxwell and Fran's wedding day: 1) Maxwell is preparing a rap musical while knowing precious little about rap, 2) he tries to attract investors by promoting the charisma of the protagonist, while actually having cast nobody in the role, 3) Maxwell is interrupting their business meetings to tend to personal matters, leaving unresolved business problems, 4) Fran is trying to cast a totally unknown man as the protagonist, just because she is on friendly terms with the man's grandfather. C.C.'s warnings that they are heading for disaster keep being ignored.
244* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Although her terrible personality remains, she eventually becomes someone the others can count on and softens up.
245* JerkWithAHeartOfJerk: Just when you think C.C.'s about to show an ounce of decency, she'll do a 180.
246* KarmicButtMonkey: By far the most abused character on the show, especially when she is around Niles who always loves making fun of her.
247* LackOfEmpathy: Is incredibly insensitive and reacts inappropriately in certain scenes.
248-->'''Fran:''' Question: When they shot WesternAnimation/{{Bambi}}'s mother, did you find that a sad moment?... At all?\
249'''C.C.:''' I'm sure she's mounted on a nice wall in a fine home somewhere.
250* LadyDrunk: She frequently suffers from alcoholism, implied to be due to her romantic troubles.
251* LargeHam: Especially in the first seasons, her two expressions were either icy indifference or full-throated rage.
252* LaserGuidedKarma: Her constant bitchiness often leads to her getting what she deserves, usually delivered swiftly by the machinations of Fran and/or Niles. In fact, most of Niles' barbs and pranks are done in direct response to a moment of JerkAss or callousness on C.C.'s part.
253* LastNameBasis: Maxwell calls her C.C., but everyone else usually refers to her as Miss Babcock.
254* MeaningfulName: Her full name is Chastity-Claire, which is befitting of a woman who is unlucky is with men, especially Maxwell.
255* OldMaid: She's very self-conscious about being unmarried and (most of the time) single at her age, and Niles never misses a chance to rub it in her face... until he proposes to her himself and eventually marries her.
256* OnlyKnownByTheirNickname: She's primarily referred to as C.C, if not Miss Babcock. It's only at the end of the series that her nickname is revealed to be short for Chastity-Claire.
257* ProfessionalButtKisser: Will not hesitate to kiss up to potential investors or actors/musicians for her and Maxwell's musicals.
258-->'''Fran:''' Can that woman suck up, Niles.\
259'''Niles:''' If she came with attachments, we could throw out the Hoover.
260* PutOnABus: When Lauren Lane went on maternity leave, CC suffered a VillainousBreakdown and ended up in a mental institution. TheBusCameBack once Lane returned to work and CC was released from the institution.
261* RichBitch: She's a rich businesswoman who is also mean, obnoxious, snobby, and egocentric.
262* TheRival: She thinks she's a rival to Fran for Maxwell's love. However, she never gets the better of her and isn't even on Maxwell's radar.
263* SanitySlippage: She becomes more and more unstable after Maxwell proposes to Fran until finally she has a nervous breakdown and requires several months in a mental hospital to recover. (In reality, her actress had to take maternity leave.)
264* SitcomArchNemesis: Despite working with/for the same man and being around each other a lot, she and Niles always throw insults at one another and find ways to annoy each other. As the series goes on, the two went from hating each other to ''loving'' that they hate each other. After C.C.'s hospitalized after suffering a nervous breakdown, she tells Niles that she began hearing voices while she was there. It turns out Niles had actually been visiting her and making her ''think'' she was hearing voices. C.C. is touched that he visited.
265* SmallNameBigEgo: She is a narcissist with a big ego who looks down on nearly everyone.
266* SmugSnake: With a couple exceptions, her attempts to undermine both Niles and Fran are always met with failure. Doesn't stop her from trying...
267* {{Socialite}}: Her usual occupation, she's the one who ensures Maxwell's business connections are optimal.
268* SourOutsideSadInside: We rarely get to see a softer side of her, but when it happens, it becomes clear that her icy disposition and her bitchiness are more the result of feeling lonely and unloved rather than actual malevolence.
269* StalkerWithACrush: Her crush on Maxwell leads her to become disturbingly obsessive with him, with borderline {{Yandere}} tendencies.
270* StepfordSnarker: She's very scornful and sardonic, but as the series goes on, she's shown to be a very depressed and lonely woman.
271* StrawLoser: Being a foil/rival to the main character, she's often used to make Fran look cool. Unlucky in love, bitchy, often pathetic and desperate, treated like a ButtMonkey by Niles, who regularly insults her and calls her [[InformedDeformity "ugly"]]... just to make it clear that Maxwell would never pick her over Fran.
272* TeamRocketWins: She occasionally got one over on Niles, such as by getting him in trouble with Maxwell or tricking him into helping Sylvia exercise instead of her.
273* ThemeNaming: She mentions having a cousin named G.G., a sister named D.D., and mother B.B..
274* TwitchyEye: Her eye tends to twitch whenever she sees and/or hears about Fran and Maxwell getting along.
275* UptownGirl: She's a rich businesswoman and falls for Niles the butler at the end.
276* UrbanLegendLoveLife: Despite Niles often calling her a whore, it's mostly to insult her. She's actually a very lonely woman who hasn't been with that many men.
277* VagueAge: It's left unclear exactly how old she is, though she's very self-conscious about it. On one occasion she lets slip that she's in her forties.
278--> '''C. C.''': ''(about Fran, who always lies she's 29)'' She could be-\
279'''Niles''': Your age.\
280'''C. C.''': That's right, she could be close to for- [[LastSecondWordSwap get it, Niles!]]
281* WellDoneSonGuy: In the Season 1 episode "Ode To Barbra Joan" it's revealed that she secretly wishes for her father's attention and approval.
282* WrongGenreSavvy: Downplayed. She's convinced she and Maxwell are a couple in a romance story and she's vying for his affections with Fran. Even after the two are ''married'' and ''Fran is pregnant'', CC still somehow thinks she and Maxwell will end up together. It takes a ''massive'' TheReasonYouSuckSpeech from Niles in the final season to make her finally come back down to reality.
283[[/folder]]
284
285[[folder:Margaret "Maggie" Sheffield]]
286[[quoteright:338:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/maggie-the-nanny-34353097-1990-2480_resized_5415.jpg]]
287->'''Played by:''' Creator/NicholleTom
288
289The oldest of Maxwell's children.
290----
291* ACupAngst: Is sensitive about her modest endowments.
292* AesopAmnesia: In one episode where Fran suspects her of having started her sex life, Maggie is quick to assure her that she would never take such an important step without talking to her first, leading to a beautiful highlight of the close bond she and Fran have. Cue to the sixth season, where Maggie casually comments about sleeping with her boyfriend, which completely shocks Fran – who nevertheless seems to have forgotten about Maggie's words as well.
293* BewareTheNiceOnes: Early in the series, Fran's very wealthy AlphaBitch cousin Marsha (clad in a teal jumpsuit) starts insulting Fran for being a nanny instead of a TrophyWife, the passive and quiet Maggie takes offense to this.
294-->Who asked you anyway, you big green ''cow''!
295* BrattyTeenageDaughter: Averted. She has all the ammo to be just that but is actually a self-effacing and demure young woman.
296* CatchPhrase: Prone to letting out a very giggly "yeah" whenever cute boys are involved.
297* DaddysGirl: Maxwell dotes on her too much and refuses to accept that she's growing up, much to her frustration.
298* DeadpanSnarker: From season 2 onwards, Maggie throws some good zingers due to Fran's influence, usually at Brighton's expense.
299* {{Foil}}: She starts the show as a foil character to Fran. Originally, there were only two Sheffield children, Brighton and Gracie, but the producers decided to add a socially-awkward daughter who'd serve as a contrast.
300* HairOfGoldHeartOfGold: She's a beautiful blonde, and generally kind.
301* HappilyMarried: After growing into a beautiful young woman, she ends up married to a handsome, Jewish underwear model.
302* HormoneAddledTeenager: A downplayed female example. She isn't shown being overly promiscuous but is always very interested in any attractive male she meets.
303* IntergenerationalFriendship: It's a plot point a few times that even though Fran's at least a generation older than her and hired to be a caregiver, Maggie's frankly too old to have a nanny anymore (fourteen years old at the start of the series) and they act more like sisters or girlfriends than anything else. It becomes problematic later when Fran officially becomes her stepmother.
304* MissingMom: Her mother Sara Sheffield passed away before the series begins. How she died has never been revealed.
305* NaiveEverygirl: Initially she's awkward and insecure, and despairs that no boy will ever fall for her.
306* SheCleansUpNicely: Maxwell is stunned when she dresses up for the party (with Fran's help) in the pilot episode, saying that she looks grown up and a lot like her mother.
307* SheIsAllGrownUp: She starts out as a pretty, but dowdy young woman with no confidence and with Fran's help, obtains more beauty skills and adopts a very stylish preppy look. At the end of the series when preparing for Maggie's wedding, Fran comments on how much her step-daughter has grown since they first met.
308* ShiksaGoddess: Although she's Christian, Fran always refers to her as a Shiksa goddess. She attracts the attention of a young Jewish neighbour of Fran's parents' home, and at the end of the series she marries her Jewish boyfriend.
309* ShrinkingViolet: In the beginning she's very shy and awkward, but Fran helps her grow out of this.
310* SpoiledSweet: She's born into wealth and privilege, but still is a very kind and sweet-natured girl.
311* StrongFamilyResemblance: Maggie is noted to look the most like their late mother.
312* TookALevelInBadass: As part of her CharacterDevelopment. In early episodes, her only response to Brighton's barbs is to yell "Shut up, Brighton!" and storm out of the room angry and/or hurt. Thanks to Fran working on her self-esteem and teaching her how to stand up to him, by the end she's able to give as good as she got and gets the better of him frequently.
313[[/folder]]
314
315[[folder:Brighton Sheffield]]
316[[quoteright:347:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/brighton-hq-the-nanny-19909908-1388-2148_resized_9136.jpg]]
317[[caption-width-right:347:''"Thank you, thank you, I am a crook!"'']]
318->'''Played by:''' Creator/BenjaminSalisbury
319
320The only son of Maxwell and the middle of the three Sheffield children.
321----
322* AccidentalMisnaming: Due to Grandma Yetta's senility, she calls him "Schmooey", this becomes an affectionate monicker from then on.
323* AnnoyingYoungerSibling: Frequently makes fun of Maggie, especially in the beginning.
324* BrilliantButLazy: He's a whiz at card games and numbers (especially when money is involved) but scrapes by on barely-passing grades. Despite this he manages to apply himself enough to get into ''Harvard.''
325* DeadpanSnarker: Loves acting as the snarky AnnoyingYoungerSibling, especially to Maggie.
326* HiddenDepths: He's ''very'' good at card games, being Yetta's canasta partner and taking his dad and Niles to the cleaners at Gin Rummy (granted they weren't paying very close attention, but still).
327%%* HighSchoolHustler: He shows shades of this once he reaches high school.
328* HormoneAddledTeenager: The older he gets, the more girl-crazy he gets. He notably has no problem with Heather Biblow when she temporarily replaces Fran as the Sheffields' nanny.
329* IntergenerationalFriendship: A rather endearing friendship grows between him and Yetta, who eventually becomes his great-grandmother.
330* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Is quite rebellious and annoying, especially at the beginning of the series thanks to his mother's death and his distaste for all the previous nannies. However he still shows he cares for his family, such as not dobbing in Fran when he tried smoking because of her.
331* MiddleChildSyndrome: Downplayed. He's the troublesme middle child of the three Sheffield kids and it's lampshaded by Gracie in the pilot episode that he acts out because of middle child syndrome. However while Maxwell likes to dote on his daughters he's still eager to spend father-son time with him.
332* MissingMom: His mother Sara Sheffield passed away before the series begins. How she died has never been revealed.
333* MouthyKid: A classic example. He has a mouth and he wouldn't let anyone forget about it. And while he's not exactly the voice of reason in the house, that doesn't stop him from stating his opinion, especially when no one asks for it.
334* ThePrankster: Especially at the beginning of the series where he displays a clear penchant for pulling pranks and jeering at everyone. One of the reasons Fran gets the job is because she is the only applicant not to be fooled by him.
335[[/folder]]
336
337[[folder:Grace "Gracie" Sheffield]]
338[[quoteright:339:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/gracie-hq-the-nanny-19909865-1414-2128_resized_1279.jpg]]
339[[caption-width-right:339:''"Oh, you have no idea how complicated I am."'']]
340->'''Played by:''' Creator/MadelineZima
341
342The youngest of the Sheffield children.
343----
344* AdorablyPrecociousChild: Despite being only a little girl, Gracie has a habit of naming medical conditions and complicated words.
345* BrainyBrunette: She has brown hair and is WiseBeyondTheirYears.
346* CreepyChild: She said a lot of unsettling things especially in earlier seasons, where her therapy and subsequent extensive knowledge of psychology makes her come across as a little twisted. In the pilot, after Fran snarks about Grace saying her therapist took her back through her childhood (she's six years old at the time) Grace turns to her and says, "Oh, you have no idea how complicated I am." Fran later remarks that Grace has multiple personalities.
347* DaddysGirl: She seems to be the closest to her father and is the most disappointed when he can't spend time with them. {{Justified|Trope}} as Gracie has the most trouble remembering her mother due to her young age, and thus is more attached to her remaining parent.
348* TheIngenue: {{Justified|Trope}} due to being a little girl and being barely a young teenager at the end of the series.
349* LittleMissSnarker: She's more soft-spoken than the trope usually would be but Gracie is quick to say something snappy and brutally honest, even witty about the adults and her siblings.
350* MissingMom: Her mother Sara Sheffield passed away before the series begins. How she died has never been revealed. Gracie is shown to struggle the most with this, being the youngest.
351* MoodWhiplash: Part of Grace's charm is the fact that she pinballs back and forth between a WiseBeyondTheirYears pseudo-adult and a very typical little girl, once saying her ideal man was a combination of Barney… and Ted Koppel.
352* OutOfFocus: Has less focus after Season 2, probably to 1) make room for Fran's growing romance with Maxwell, 2) give more story lines to Val, Sylvia, and Yetta, and 3) accommodate for Madeline Zima still being under age and subject to child labor laws.
353* ShipperOnDeck: Like everyone else, she's very supportive of Fran getting together with her father because she sees Fran as a mother.
354* WiseBeyondTheirYears: Her main trait ever since her debut is that she's creepily sophisticated with the thing she says. She even confuses the grown-ups.
355[[/folder]]
356
357!Recurring Characters
358
359[[folder:Sylvia Rosenberg-Fine]]
360->'''Played by:''' Creator/ReneeTaylor
361
362Fran's mother.
363----
364* AmazinglyEmbarrassingParents: Sylvia has a bad habit of eating all the food in sight, constantly nagging Fran about not being married, and telling wildly inappropriate stories to anyone around to hear.
365* BigEater: She is known for her constant and voracious eating. Once she was on a diet and she hallucinated Brighton and Yetta as [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0krMu5h_I9M&ab_channel=jamesparth roasted turkey and chicken]].
366* CharacterizationMarchesOn: In an early episode, she actually takes in the entire main cast during a blizzard and keeps all of them well-fed. Later on, she's quick to snatch up any food someone else was about to sink their teeth into. The first example is [[JustifiedTrope justified]], though: the blizzard is not only a major crisis, but the Sheffields, Fran, Niles, and C.C. were ''guests'', and Sylvia clearly believes in SacredHospitality, as multiple episodes show her happily offering food to anyone who comes to visit her.
367* CovertPervert: Averted. Fran notes that her parents keep their old dog's collar and leash in their bedroom, likely using it for personal reasons. [[SarcasmBlind Sylvia tells her to mind her own business.]] Later in the episode, it's implied that Sylvia's Halloween costume (a full-body latex suit) also falls into her purview.
368* DeathGlare: She's prone to giving a terrifying glare to anybody who annoys her, and delivers an epically big one during Maxwell and Fran's wedding so that nobody will object to their marriage.
369* EveryoneHasStandards:
370** As obsessed as she is with Fran finding a husband, Sylvia draws the line at Fran's ex-fiancé Danny and was even glad when the engagement was over.
371** Sylvia wouldn't care if Fran was gay, but for God's sake she can do better than Val.
372* ExtremeOmnivore: There's a few times when her love of food goes up to eleven. Fran mentions she ate half a plastic cookie before realizing it was a refrigerator magnet, she eats a chunk off a ''plaster'' cake Fran made, and once complains about how a rice cake tasted like cork before Fran notices she's eating a coaster. Fran inherits this, snacking on a bowl of trail mix that was actually potpourri. Sylvia likely got it from Yetta, who doesn't notice the grapes she's eating are actually part of a wax fruit display.
373* FormerlyFat: She likely slimmed down from her childhood where she must have been a pudgy thing. One episode has Yetta hold up a dress she wore as a newborn (tiny and lacy) and then Sylvia's newborn dress (larger and plainer).
374* FormerlyFit: She was once as slim as Fran in her youth, only to get larger with age and with the stress of raising Fran as a teenager.
375* InformedDeformity: While Sylvia is a BigEater and definitely a bigger woman, in show she's treated as if she's a whale. During one of her many elaborate freakouts, she threatens to throw herself in the Hudson River, to which Fran responds, "Ma, ''flooding New Jersey'' is not gonna solve anything!"
376* IWantGrandkids: ''Constantly'' nags Fran for grandchildren. Note that she already ''has'' grandkids from Nadine -- she just doesn't like being around her family as much.
377* IWasQuiteALooker: Sylvia looked like a blonde Fran in the flashbacks.
378* JewishMother: She and Sylvia's mother Yetta both act as Jewish Mother/Grandmother to Fran and the Sheffield children.
379* MyBelovedSmother: An example of the mother-daughter relationship, with the running joke of her badgering Fran to get married and have kids.
380* NoIndoorVoice: Sylvia is prone to shouting, much like her daughter. They trade off on this quality, and then sometimes use it simultaneously.
381-->'''Sylvia''': ''(to Yetta, who is senile)'' Ma, these are not Fran's children. ''She's not married, she's all alone!''\
382'''Fran''': Louder, Ma. I don't think they heard you '''in Uruguay!'''
383* OOCIsSeriousBusiness:
384** For someone who is that obsessed with her daughter getting married, if Sylvia was unhappy with Fran getting back together with Danny then you ''know'' he has to be bad news.
385** Subverted in one episode where Sylvia appears so upset she turned down the option of having pudding. Only for her to ask "When did I turn it down?"
386* OpenMindedParent: Sylvia apparently has no issue with the idea of Fran being gay or attracted to women. As long as Fran gets married, that's all she cares about. She just draws the line at [[DumbBlonde Val]].
387* ParentalFavoritism: She paid more attention to Fran than to Nadine for most of their childhood and even though Nadine did get married and have children (things Sylvia wanted for Fran and nags her about), Sylvia barely acknowledges her eldest daughter and finds her grandchildren to be horrible.
388* ParentalSubstitute: Or rather, a Grandparental Substitute to the Sheffield children. When Fran tries to get Sylvia to stop giving Grace chocolates, Sylvia shoots back that at the pace Fran's going in having kids this is going to be the closest she'll have to having grandchildren to spoil.
389* ShipperOnDeck: While she ships Fran with just about any potential marriage partner as a stereotypical JewishMother, she's particularly keen to see Fran and Maxwell get together.
390* TheThingThatWouldNotLeave: Frequently hangs around at the Sheffields' house. [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] several times:
391-->'''Maggie''': Fran, you can't control what your mother eats. She doesn't live here.\
392'''Gracie''': When did she move out?
393* VerbalTic: [[ItRunsInTheFamily Like her daughter]], she often starts sentences with "Meanwhile...".
394* WeightWoe: She occasionally laments her large size and tries her hand at dieting, the gym, and plastic surgery to get thinner. None of it ever sticks as she can't resist food.
395* WellIntentionedExtremist: A typical trait of the MyBelovedSmother on sitcoms of the time, she always genuinely seems concerned with Fran's happiness (she just had trouble understanding that happy =/= married.) She pairs Fran up with any available male she sees, and it's mentioned how Fran had no privacy as a child (Sylvia's acrylic nails could open any door she needed through ("Doors, diaries, my ex-boyfriend Chevy" and she apparently read her diary like it was a cookbook).
396[[/folder]]
397
398[[folder:Grandma Yetta Rosenberg]]
399->'''Played by:''' Creator/AnnGuilbert
400
401Fran's grandmother and Sylvia's mother.
402----
403* BreakoutCharacter: Makes a single appearance in the first season but eventually becomes a regular character due to her wacky personality.
404* {{Cloudcuckoolander}}: She often says and does weird things as a result of her senility.
405* DirtyOldWoman: Quite notoriously so. She is unusually active for an old lady her age and is often depicted as being highly interested in all things sexual.
406* EveryoneHasStandards: Due to misunderstanding Fran and Max thinks she told Maggie to "Go for it" in her current relationship. It turns out she was talking to Gracie about not worrying about the end of the world. When Yetta finds out she's insulted.
407-->"Hot pants, tell ''her'' to go for it? What am I senile? Your husband would throw me out of the house!
408* {{Flanderization}}: She was crankier and more "there" in her early appearances, with shades of DirtyOldWoman. Later jokes about her senility overtook all other aspects of her character. This might be a JustifiedTrope as a result of her getting older, and thus her mind's slowly starting to go.
409* JewishMother: She and Sylvia both act as a Jewish mother/grandmother to Fran and the Sheffield children.
410* MultipleChoicePast: As a possible result of her increasing senility, her backstory changes a lot. Such as the fact that she supposedly got married after immigrating to America, but mentions for her first anniversary she and her husband fled Poland. The plot of "Yetta's Letters" appears to be the definitive version of her past.
411* MustHaveNicotine: She is an avid cigarette-smoker. Her addiction and consequential health problems is enough to scare off Brighton from smoking.
412* NoodleIncident:
413** In one episode she implies she got pregnant with Sylvia after being "knocked up by the seltzer man," though considering her MultipleChoicePast we have no clue if she means Sylvia's dad.
414** Due to being incredibly sexually active, she's accidentally mentioned she's had at least one three-way.
415* ReallyGetsAround: Yetta's the luckiest character sexually in the show, by far. She even eventually gets to marry Music/RayCharles.
416* ScatterbrainedSenior: Yetta became more like this as her appearances increased.
417[[/folder]]
418
419[[folder:Val Toriello]]
420->'''Played by:''' Creator/RachelChagall
421
422Fran's best friend.
423----
424* DumbBlonde: Val is blonde and, as Fran puts it, "[her name] wasn't short for 'valedictorian'" in high school.
425* HeterosexualLifePartners: She and Fran have been best friends ever since childhood and apparently even went to the prom together. When their "adopted" daughter comes to visit them, they have a fight over her as if they're a real couple.
426* HiddenDepths: Despite her lack of brain smarts, she does possess an intricate understanding of Main/TheMafia.
427* KindheartedSimpleton: Helpful, good-natured, but really not the brightest crayon in the box.
428* StrawLoser: Fran looks like a genius and total success in life compared to her. Fran outright admits she likes being around Val because it makes her feel smarter.
429[[/folder]]
430
431!Minor Characters
432
433[[folder: Morty Fine]]
434->'''Played by:''' Steve Lawrence
435
436Fran's rarely seen father.
437----
438* AmazinglyEmbarrassingParents: Fran's comments suggest her father is just as embarrassing as her mother. When he does finally appear in Season 6's "Ma'ternal Affairs", his first scene has him bringing his hubcaps into the house with him so they can't be stolen.
439* BigEater: Hinted to have a huge appetite, though not as much as his wife.
440* UnseenNoMore: A running gag is that the audience never properly sees him until the final season, despite the numerous times Sylvia calls for him or when characters visit their house. At best, the back of his body is shown and his voice is heard. He finally appears in the final season (creating a Celebrity Paradox since he's played by Steve from "Steve and Edie").
441[[/folder]]
442
443[[folder: Danny Imperialli]]
444->'''Played by:''' Jonathan Penner
445
446Fran's ex-boyfriend who both dumps and fires her from his bridal shop in the pilot.
447----
448* AmbiguouslyBi: During his funeral, Fran encounters a man implied to have been one of Danny's many exploited lovers. What gives him away is the fact he's wearing a tiger stripe tie, as all of Danny's female lovers are wearing tiger stripes at the funeral. {{Averted|Trope}} as he explains that while indeed gay, he never knew Danny and just crashed the funeral as a way of dealing with the loss of his own partner.
449* AssholeVictim: After he dies, nobody genuinely mourns him.
450* DisposableFiance: Downplayed. He and Fran were, in her words, "pre-engaged" for a few years until the two break up in the pilot. They briefly get back together and get engaged towards the end of Season 1, but Fran breaks it off when she realizes how much of a jerk Danny is and that she'll miss the Sheffields too much.
451* {{Foil}}: To Maxwell Sheffield. Both are men who were/are romantically involved with Fran. The difference is that Maxwell is a wealthy, British theater producer with three children and who sincerely loves and cares about Fran. Meanwhile, Danny is a middle class, American bridal shop owner who cheated on, lied to and used Fran until he found someone who interested him more.
452* HateSink: He's deeply hated by the main characters, especially Maxwell because of how he treated Fran.
453* ItsAllAboutMe: He cares more about himself than Fran.
454* {{Jerkass}}: He's a selfish, chauvinistic jerk who cheated on Fran and dumped her for Heather Biblow. You know how rotten he must be when even Sylvia (who's ''obsessed'' with getting her daughter married) admits that she doesn't like the way he treats Fran and is reluctant when Fran says that he wants her back.
455* KilledOffscreen: He dies offscreen in "Danny's Dead And Whose Got The Will."
456* ManipulativeBastard: Even after cheating on her and betraying her, Danny preys on Fran's insecurities and desire to get married when he wants her back.
457* PoliticallyIncorrectVillain: He is shown to be very misogynistic towards Fran. He doesn't want her to continue working as the Sheffield family nanny when they're married, as "[his] wife is not going to have a job", and he fully expects her to cook, clean and take care of the children. When Fran points out that he wanted her to work at the bridal shop, he admits that he wasn't going to pay her. In other words, to him, a wife is little more than a slave.
458* SmallRoleBigImpact: The series begins when he breaks up with Fran and fires her, which leads to Fran getting a job as a door-to-door cosmetic saleswoman and later as a nanny in the Sheffield household. This also leads to her eventual romance with her employer Maxwell Sheffield, whom she later marries and has twins with.
459* StayInTheKitchen: He wants Fran to be "a lady of leisure" rather than work and clearly doesn't value Fran and Heather for more than their sex appeal; also "lady of leisure" is quite questionable when he wanted Fran to cook, clean, have kids, and work at his bridal shop for free.
460[[/folder]]
461
462[[folder: Heather Biblow]]
463->'''Played by:''' Creator/PamelaAnderson
464
465Fran's high school rival and mortal enemy.
466----
467* AlphaBitch: Was apparently both popular and not very nice when she and Fran were in high school.
468* MsFanservice: She's played by Creator/PamelaAnderson, so this is a given. When she temporarily comes on as the Sheffields' nanny (and comes downstairs wearing nothing except a ''towel'', distracting Maxwell), C.C actually is ''relieved'' to have Fran back.
469* ShadowArchetype: Both Heather and Fran were/are romantically involved with Danny Imperially and can be very promiscuous around men. However, Fran has her own moral compass and is never intentionally malicious, while Heather has no qualms with cheating, stealing or lying to get anything she wants, including another woman's fiancé.
470[[/folder]]
471
472[[folder: Freida Fine]]
473->'''Played by:''' Creator/LainieKazan
474
475Fran's aunt on her father's side. She and Sylvia have a rivalry going on.
476----
477* SmallNameBigEgo: She thinks that she's a great singing star and that her fortune came from her own hard work, except (as Fran points out) she just inherited her husband's fortune.
478[[/folder]]
479
480[[folder: Jocelyn Sheffield]]
481->'''Played by:''' Sophie Ward
482
483Maxwell's stuck up sister.
484----
485* AffectionateNickname: She still calls Maxwell "Puddleducks."
486* RichBitch: While the wealthy Jocelyn was fairly nice in her debut episode, in her reappearances she's meaner to Fran and deliberately makes her doubt her romance with her her soon-to-be-husband Maxwell because of their societal differences.
487* StiffUpperLip: Her emotions are very subdued even when facing dramatic circumstances.
488* TookALevelInJerkass: Originally fairly nice and pleasant to be around, she becomes considerably more rude, condescending and elitist in her later appearances.
489* UptownGirl: In her first appearance, she's engaged to a Duke but is secretly in love with her long-time chauffer Lester. While he shares her feelings, he writes off any possible romance until Fran intervenes: which leads to Jocelyn and Lester getting married… [[{{Deconstruction}} and about five years later, the two of them are divorcing because they really don't have much in common.]]
490[[/folder]]
491
492[[folder: Clara Mueller]]
493->'''Played by:''' Creator/ClorisLeachman
494
495Maxwell Sheffield 's nanny from when he was a child.
496----
497* MayDecemberRomance: She had an on-going affair with Niles the bulter for many years. When Niles was a teenager, she was already 32 years old and working as Maxwell's nanny.
498[[/folder]]

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