History Series / TheNanny

* YiddishAsASecondLanguage: This was actually one of the show's signature elements. It really wouldn't have felt the same without this trope.

* ThePiratesWhoDontDoAnything: In later seasons, Fran is rarely ever shown doing any work, not that she has much to do with two of the kids nearly adults, and keeps her job due to the [[UnresolvedSexualTension UST]] between her and Maxwell. Frequently lampshaded, such as in final season where Fran, now Maxwell's wife, hires a new nanny who quickly realizes she isn't needed. Max directly said he kept her on as his nanny even though his kids were nearly old enough to vote specifically because she had no other skills and is generally kind of hopeless. While C.C. still calls Fran "Nanny Fine", it's largely out of disrespect about Maxwell considering Fran his love interest [[ItsAllAboutMe instead of her]].

** C.C. has a brief case of this in during the episode "Schlepped Away" in which she desperately holds it in. She finally relieves herself when she gets to Fran's parents house.

* OldShame: [[invoked]] When Maggie researches the Sheffield family history for a school project and casually mentions that the family has reputation for mental illness, Maxwell declares that this merely is a vicious rumor...despite the fact that he has a great-aunt who lives in a gazebo with a hoot owl, an uncle who beheaded his aunt, and another uncle who believes himself to be a leprechaun.

* ActorAllusion: Creator/DavidLander played a landlord in a 1995 episode. He appeared on the scene just as Fran said "I'd look to see the moron that talked you into this dump!" while visiting an apartment, saying the trademark "Hello!" of Squiggy, his character in ''Series/LaverneAndShirley'' who always shows up in a RunningGag similar to this.

** In the season 4 episode "The Bird's Nest", a Loehmann's employee opens the front doors on the day of a big sale, and as Fran and a horde of other women rush in, the episode plays footage of the stampede scene from Film/{{Jumanji}}.

* ActorAllusion: Creator/DavidLander played a landlord in a 1995 episode. He appeared on the scene just as Fran said "I'd look to see the moron that talked you into this dump!" while visiting an apartment, saying the trademark "Hello!" of Squiggy, his character in ''Series/LaverneAndShirley''.

* 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.

* BetaCouple: [[spoiler: Niles and C.C. They get together in the end]].

** Which they used all the way through the final season, when Fran had [[spoiler: married her boss, adopted his children, and was pregnant with her own.]] Apparently, it never occurred to anyone that the song should either be updated, or an instrumental.

* FirstGirlWins: Subverted, as C.C. is ''technically'' the first girl, but has no chance. Unless you count [[spoiler: her inevitable hook-up with Niles]].

%% * GettingCrapPastThe Radar: Due to overwhelming and persistent misuse, GCPTR is on-page examples only until 01 June 2021. If you are reading this in the future, please check the trope page to make sure your example fits the current definition.

* NiceToTheWaiter: C.C. is in no way nice to Niles the butler, and Sweet Lord does she pay for it. Some of the things that are seen or mentioned during the show: swapping out her lip balm for glue stick, putting dishwater in her coffee, switching some labels on breath spray and pepper spray, leaving her trapped in a malfunctioning wheelchair spinning out of control, squirting lemon juice into her eye, handing her a scalding hot teapot, and in general Niles plays hacky-sack with her mental and physical health the entire series. The only time she knew something was wrong was when he didn't take the opportunity to insult her because he was [[spoiler: having a heart attack]] but even immediately after recuperating he tricked her into catching Maxwell on top of Fran, about to have sex.

* NotInFrontOfTheParrot: While Cher is recovering from plastic surgery in the Sheffield home, it somehow slips out, and Maxwell suspects Fran. She denies it, but the parrot gives her away with, "*Squawk!* Val! It's Cher! Could ya plotz?" [[spoiler: Although, it's revealed that it was Maxwell's fault.]]

* StalkerWithACrush: C.C. shows shades of this towards Maxwell (as early as Season One, her therapist has diagnosed C.C. with being clinically obsessed with him). It gets much more severe after Fran and Maxwell announce [[spoiler: their engagement.]] Upon hearing the news, C.C. immediately starts twitching, attacks the messengers who brought her the news (she's holding one of their hats, torn to shreds, in the next scene), and actually ends up spending a few episodes in a mental asylum (in RealLife actress Lauren Lane was taking time off because she was about to give birth). She gets better by the end of the series though, thanks to [[spoiler: realizing that [[PairTheSpares she loves Niles.]]]]

* ThatDidntHappen: During a turbulent flight, [[spoiler: Maxwell confesses he loves Fran but took it back when they landed safely.]]

** Oldest daughter Maggie thinks she's pregnant and goes to a gynecologist for a test. It turns out negative, but when the doctor lists some of the signs Fran interrupts to say ''she's'' been feeling nauseous and tired... [[spoiler: Subverted two episodes later, when it turns out she wasn't really pregnant.]]
** Done again in the finale: [[spoiler: C.C. gets informed that she is pregnant just as Fran is about to give birth]].

* TheUnseen: Fran's father. Up until he appears twice during the final season, played by [[spoiler: Steve from "Steve and Edie", creating a CelebrityParadox]].

* WillTheyOrWontThey: Especially in the latter seasons, both between Maxwell and Fran ''and'' [[spoiler: C.C. and Niles]]

* ArtisticLicenseReligion: Fran rarely if ever keeps kosher when eating. Maxwell said she can't use her religion as an excuse while she proudly eats bacon, which she admits in "Take Back Your Mink" she enjoys if it's extra crispy. In "Stock Tip", she [[spoiler:found out her date is really a hot dog vendor]], and she was more upset that he lied by ommission than the fact that the hot dog wasn't kosher. Sylvia will even eat tongue. She also has had BLT or ham sandwiches at temple. Fran says her rebellious act in her youth was sneaking out of the house to eat bacon.

* BaitAndSwitch: In the episode when Fran and C.C. are on jury duty, they're listening to Vincenzo's testimony. He talks about how she snuck into his room in the middle of the night and "chopped it all off" (remember this took place not too long after the John Wayne Bobbitt story). Fran and C.C. are both horrified, but they get a little suspicious when he wonders if it'll ever grow back. At that point, he pulls off his wig and they realize he meant his hair.

* UntoUsASonAndDaughterAreBorn: [[spoiler:In the final episode, Fran gives birth to opposite sex fraternal twins; a girl she names Eve, and a son she names Max.]]
* TheVerse: The presence of Bobbi Flekman indicates that ''The Nanny'' exists in the same world as ''Film/ThisIsSpinalTap''. Also, Fran and Van running into Ray Barone at their high school reunion (TruthInTelevision, as Fran Drescher and Ray Romano really did go to high school together!) officially canon-welded ''The Nanny'' and ''Series/EverybodyLovesRaymond'' as existing in the same universe. Later on, ''Series/TheKingOfQueens'' also joined this shared universe thanks to its semi-frequent crossovers with ''Series/EverybodyLovesRaymond''.

** In an earlier episode, Sylvia is berating Fran for letting her work interfere too much with her private time (which, to Sylvia, is "find a man and get married" time.) Frustrated, Fran then says that she did meet someone: an investment banker work zillions. She then mentioned that the one condition was that she had to sign a prenup. As Sylvia collapses in a faint, Fran then retorts, [[CoolAndUnusualPunishment "See Ma, I could kill you if I want."]]