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79-667: The Nanny is an American sitcom that originally aired on CBS from November 3, 1993, to June 23, 1999, starring Fran Drescher as Fran Fine , a Jewish fashionista from Flushing, Queens who becomes the nanny of three children from an Anglo-American upper-class family in New York City. The show was created and produced by Drescher and her then-husband Peter Marc Jacobson , taking much of its inspiration from Drescher's personal life growing up, involving names and characteristics based on her relatives and friends. The sitcom has also spawned several foreign adaptations , loosely inspired by

158-529: A 30-minute time slot. Throughout their history, American sitcoms have often drawn inspiration from British counterparts. Popular shows like All in the Family , Three's Company , and Sanford and Son were adapted from successful British series. More recently, The Office achieved significant popularity in the United States , following the success of its British counterpart. Numerous television networks in

237-483: A bridal shop; Drescher wrote that into the character as a tribute to her mother, who did work in a bridal shop. While visiting with his relatives in Fort Lauderdale around the holidays, Sagansky watched a few episodes with his relatives, realized that he had a hit, and ordered a full 22 episodes for the first season . Most of the early episodes of The Nanny were shot in front of a live studio audience on Stage 6 at

316-454: A cast of "laughers" who would be recorded during taping. The audio track of the laughers would then be added to the episodes in post-production. Casting director Lisette St. Claire became the world's first "laugher wrangler" for this new type of service. The comedy in The Nanny was formulated with many running gags , which contributed heavily to the success of the series. Much of this formula

395-521: A chance meeting on a transatlantic flight between Drescher and Jeff Sagansky, at the time president of CBS Corporation , for whom she had starred in the short-lived TV series Princesses . Drescher persuaded Sagansky to let her and her then-husband Jacobson pitch an idea for a sitcom to CBS. Sagansky agreed to a future meeting once all of the parties were back in Los Angeles; however, neither Drescher nor Jacobson had any idea what to pitch. Later, Drescher

474-544: A core group of characters who interact in a recurring setting, such as a family, workplace, or institution. However, British sitcoms typically consist of shorter series, often six episodes, and are frequently developed by a smaller writing team. The majority of British sitcoms are half-hour comedies recorded in studio settings using a multiple-camera setup. While many adhere to traditional sitcom conventions, some have ventured into more unconventional territory. For example, Blackadder and Yes Minister/Yes Prime Minister shifted

553-444: A dozen episodes. Renée Taylor's husband, actor Joseph Bologna , and their son Gabriel Bologna had guest roles on the show. Ray Romano appeared as Fran's former high school classmate Ray Barone , linking The Nanny with his comedy Everybody Loves Raymond . Romano and Drescher both actually knew each other in high school. Tom Bergeron appeared as himself, the host of Hollywood Squares , in an episode in which Maxwell appeared as

632-578: A dummy 25 years ago?") followed by her gripe "You never introduce me to any of the stars that you know; I've got a good mind to take Little Ricky and... oh. Never mind." In another episode of The Nanny , Fran sees a man watching I Love Lucy on TV and as the theme song plays, she gets the idea to gain entry into Sheffield's men's only club dressed as a man. The show began off-network syndication in September 1998, distributed by Columbia TriStar Television Distribution on various broadcast television networks in

711-455: A few false-starts (including multiple impulsive and failed proposals from Niles), the pair marry in the same delivery room where Fran is giving birth to the twins, and subsequently discover they, too, are expecting a child. The Nanny maintained an ensemble cast , keeping the same set of characters for its entire six-season run. Although largely operating around the main ensemble cast, The Nanny featured an enormous number of guest stars over

790-523: A film called Morituri starring Marlon Brando and Yul Brynner , and guest-starred in The Man From U.N.C.L.E. as T.H.R.U.S.H. agent Mr. Oakes in "The Discotheque Affair", season two, episode five. In 1966, he guest-starred as Luftwaffe Major Bentz in episode 28, "Day of Reckoning", of season two of the TV series Twelve O'Clock High (a series which was very loosely based on the classic 1949 war film with

869-553: A flowerpot, where Niles dusts her off and puts a cap marked "Nanny" on her head. At her whistle, Maxwell's children fall in behind her and the four form a conga line . C.C. arrives at the door and Fran bumps it with her hip to close it in her face. Finally, the Sheffields, Niles and Fran gather on and around the couch for a group picture. However, the camera explodes when Fran triggers its shutter, covering everyone with soot and ruining their hair and clothes. The Nanny began in 1991 with

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948-489: A new digital broadcast network. On August 16, 2011, "The Nanny" began airing on Logo . On January 1, 2018, Cozi TV started airing the show. Similarly, on April 30, 2018, Freeform began airing the series, showing 5-episode blocks in the early morning hours. Additionally, the show can be seen on local US television channels. The series' third and fourth seasons are available for streaming on Pluto TV , The Roku Channel rotates between seasons 1–2 and 3–4, and on April 1, 2021,

1027-519: A personal call from Drescher. Drescher also reprised her role of Bobbi Fleckman from the 1984 film This Is Spinal Tap and made a cameo appearance as herself in the third to last episode. Shaughnessy had a double role as a fictional Middle Eastern oil potentate in one episode. Drescher's real-life parents initially appeared as a couple in the waiting room of Gracie's therapist and made subsequent appearances as Fran's Uncle Stanley and Aunt Rose; her Pomeranian Chester appeared as C.C.'s pet in more than

1106-483: A small village in northern Germany where his father was once mayor. Braeden accumulated many TV and film credits during his first two decades in America, and guest-starred in 120 roles. His earliest credits were all under his birth name, Hans Gudegast. During the 1960s, he appeared in several episodes of TV's longest-running World War II drama (1962–1967) Combat! , always playing a German soldier. In 1965, he appeared in

1185-540: A song with Fran thinking Barbra is at the Sheffield home. There was also the occasional tryst between Niles and C.C., contrasting with their typical open disdain for each other, which was actually love. Season 4 featured a running gag where both Fran and Maxwell kept secret from the other household members "The Thing" (Maxwell telling Fran he loves her in the season 3 finale). It is also following "The Thing" that whenever Maxwell makes comments denying he has feelings for Fran, she

1264-528: A spin on The Sound of Music , except, in Drescher's words, "Instead of Julie Andrews , I come to the door." Jacobson replied: "That could be it" and the idea for The Nanny was spawned. Back in Los Angeles, the pair pitched their idea to Tim Flack and Joe Voci, both in comedy development at CBS. Sagansky brought in experienced producers Robert Sternin and Prudence Fraser, another husband-and-wife team with whom Drescher had worked before while guesting on Who's

1343-440: A star on the show's board as a replacement for Andrew Lloyd Webber . Tyne Daly appeared as a fellow nanny facing forced retirement. David Letterman made an uncredited appearance during a fantasy sequence, where Fran describes how she exaggerated her fame to impress a pen pal. Donna Douglas , who played Elly Mae Clampett on The Beverly Hillbillies , made her last television appearance in an episode. The theme song featured in

1422-453: A villainous German military officer opposite Fernando Lamas . This was his last credit under his birth name. His starring role in the movie Colossus: The Forbin Project (1970), was when he first took the stage name of Eric Braeden. Lew Wasserman of Universal Pictures told him that no one would be allowed to star in an American film if he or she had a German name. After much thought, he took

1501-464: A week-long marathon of The Nanny , titled "Valentine Schmalentine", on Nick at Nite. The success of the stunt led to Fran hosting "Falling for Fran", a similar week-long Valentine's Day marathon in February 2011. On August 2, 2010, The Nanny began airing on TV Land , commencing with a week-long marathon and remained on the channel until 2016. On January 1, 2011, The Nanny began airing on Antenna TV ,

1580-400: Is a widower ), does his best to undermine Maxwell's business partner C.C. Babcock ( Lauren Lane ), who has her eye on the very available and desirable Mr. Sheffield. Niles is often seen making witty comments directed toward C.C., with her replying in a similarly witty fashion, in their ongoing game of one-upmanship . As the series progresses, it becomes increasingly obvious that Mr. Sheffield

1659-669: Is broadcast in various other countries and television networks, each with their own schedule for the series. In the United Kingdom, the entire series aired on the digital network Living . In France, the show was broadcast and rebroadcast the same multi-and was a huge success on the channel M6 then W9. The French title is Une nounou d'enfer ("A Hell of a Nanny"). In Italy Fran was in the dubbing became Francesca, an Italian from Ciociaria (a rural area). The Nanny airs include: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment has released seasons 1, 2 and 3 of The Nanny on DVD in regions 1, 2 and 4. Season 3

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1738-456: Is involved with," the actress told Entertainment Tonight . "All kinds of things from environmental issues, to health, to civil liberties, that’s what I think Fran [Fine] would be doing now – opening her big Queens mouth for the greater good." On January 8, 2020, it was announced that Drescher and Jacobson were writing the book for a musical adaptation of the series. Rachel Bloom and Adam Schlesinger of Crazy Ex-Girlfriend fame were to write

1817-556: Is one of the leading channels in India, dedicated entirely to Sitcoms. Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah is the longest-running sitcom of Indian television and is also known as the flagship show of SAB TV . On Tiptoes and Shabhaye Barareh were among the first and most important sitcoms that led to the growth of this type of comedy in Iran, both receiving wide critical and audience acclaim. El Chavo del Ocho , which ran from 1971 to 1980,

1896-485: Is smitten with Fran, although he will not admit it, and Fran is clearly smitten with him. The show teases the viewers with their closeness, featuring many "near-misses" and moments of jealousy, as well as an engagement. In the later seasons, the two do finally marry and expand their family by having fraternal twins named Jonah and Eve. Later in the series, it is also clear that Niles and C.C.'s constant sharp barbs are their own bizarre form of flirtation and affection; after

1975-474: Is temporarily "paralyzed". In addition, there is also a great deal of physical comedy in The Nanny including exaggerated falls and chases. Drescher's facial expressions, when shocked or surprised, can also be seen as reminiscent of Lucille Ball 's portrayals of Lucy Ricardo and Lucy Carmichael . The parallels were suggested in a few episodes, where an exasperated Mr. Sheffield refers to Fran as "Mrs. Carmichael", and asks in another: "Mr. Mooney fire you from

2054-716: The Canadian Screen Award for Best Comedy Series . In 2020, the sixth and final season of Schitt's Creek was nominated for 15 Primetime Emmy Awards . This broke the record for the most Emmy nominations given to a comedy series in its final season. During the 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards , the show became the first ever comedy or drama series to sweep the four acting categories ( Outstanding Lead Actor , Outstanding Lead Actress , Outstanding Supporting Actor , Outstanding Supporting Actress for Eugene Levy , Catherine O'Hara , Dan Levy , and Annie Murphy respectively) and one of only four live action shows, along with All in

2133-536: The Culver Studios . On Mondays, the cast went through the script as a table read . On Tuesdays and Wednesdays, they rehearsed before the series' producers and executives. And, on Thursdays and Fridays, the series was shot using a multi-camera set-up in front of a live studio audience. During later seasons the taping was no longer performed before an audience due to the complexities of the fantasy sequences, costume changes, etc. Nearly 100 crew members were involved in

2212-735: The RTR channel. The "boom" of Russian sitcoms began only in the 2000s, when in 2004, the STS started the highly successful sitcom " My Fair Nanny " (an adaptation of the American sitcom " The Nanny "). Since that time, sitcoms in Russia have been produced by the two largest entertainment channels in the country — STS and TNT . In 2007, the STS released the first original domestic sitcom — " Daddy's Daughters " (there were only adaptations before), and in 2010, TNT released " Interns " —

2291-504: The United States feature sitcoms in their programming. CBS , TBS, Nickelodeon , and Disney Channel are just a few examples of networks that air sitcoms. Eric Braeden Eric Braeden (born Hans-Jörg Gudegast ; April 3, 1941) is a German-American film and television actor, known for his roles as Victor Newman on the CBS soap opera The Young and the Restless , as Hans Dietrich in

2370-652: The comedy-dramas of the 1980s and 1990s. Although there have been few long-running Australian-made sitcoms, many American and British sitcoms have been successful in Australia, since sitcoms are considered a staple of the government broadcaster Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). In the 1970s and 1980s many British sitcoms also screened on the Seven Network . By 1986, UK comedies Bless This House and Are You Being Served? had been re-screened several times by ABC Television ; they were then acquired and screened by

2449-713: The 1960s TV series The Rat Patrol , Dr. Charles Forbin in Colossus: The Forbin Project , as Dr. Otto Hasslein in Escape from the Planet of the Apes , and as John Jacob Astor IV in the 1997 film Titanic . He won a Daytime Emmy Award in 1998 for Lead Actor in a Drama Series for the role of Victor Newman on The Young and the Restless . Braeden was born Hans-Jörg Gudegast on April 3, 1941 in Bredenbek , Germany (near Kiel ),

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2528-431: The 1990s these included: Dekh Bhai Dekh (1993), Zabaan Sambhalke (1993), Shrimaan Shrimati (1995), Office Office (2001), Ramani Vs Ramani (Tamil 2001), Amrutham (Telugu 2001–2007), Khichdi (2002), Sarabhai vs Sarabhai (2005) F.I.R. (2006–2015), Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah (2008–present), Uppum Mulakum (Malayalam 2015–present), and Bhabiji Ghar Par Hain (2015–present). SAB TV

2607-478: The 1990s, sitcoms have since expanded to animated sitcoms , with successful shows of the genre including The Simpsons , King of the Hill , and Family Guy . Critics have debated the exact definition of a sitcom, mostly regarding productions created at the turn of the 21st century. Many contemporary American sitcoms use a single-camera setup and do not feature a laugh track, instead more resembling documentaries or

2686-477: The 2010s, resulting in a decline in sitcom popularity. Nevertheless, there have been recent efforts to revive the sitcom genre. For instance, Netflix released So Not Worth It in 2021, featuring many creators from popular South Korean sitcoms. Popular South Korean sitcoms include the High Kick series, which has spawned several spin-offs. British sitcoms , like their American counterparts, often revolve around

2765-450: The Boss? in 1985 and 1986. Interested, both couples teamed up to write the script for the pilot together, creating a character with the intention to build off Drescher's image. "Our business strategy was to create a show that was going to complement our writing, complement me as a talent," Drescher said in a 1997 interview with The Hollywood Reporter . As a result, the characters draw deeply on

2844-469: The Drescher family, including Fran Fine 's parents, Sylvia and Morty, and grandmother Yetta, who all were named after their real-life counterparts. Drescher also drew from her own life in creating her character. Like the character in The Nanny , Drescher was born and raised to a Jewish family in Flushing, Queens , and attended beauty school . However, unlike her on-screen counterpart, Drescher never worked in

2923-417: The Family , The Golden Girls , and Will & Grace where all the principal actors have won at least one Emmy Award. Sitcoms started appearing on Indian television in the 1980s, with serials like Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi (1984), Nukkad (1986), and Wagle Ki Duniya (1988) on the state-run Doordarshan channel. Gradually, as private channels were permitted to operate, many more sitcoms followed. In

3002-706: The Rendsburger TSV. Braeden later went on to win the 1973 National Challenge Cup as a fullback with the Jewish American soccer club Maccabi Los Angeles , scoring the winning goal in the semifinal game and a penalty kick in the championship game against Chicago Croatian . In the 1970s/80s, he could often be seen boxing at the Hoover Street and Broadway gyms in Los Angeles. He was a tennis player and has participated in many celebrity events. He married his college sweetheart Dale Russell in 1966. His son, Christian ,

3081-528: The Restless came to an impasse regarding contract negotiations, and press reports indicated he might leave the show. CBS later announced, though, that Braeden had inked a new three-year deal and would remain with the show, agreeing to a reduction in salary, which was the original issue. In 1958, Braeden, under his birth name Hans-Jörg Gudegast, won the Germany National Team Championship in track and field (discus, shot put, and javelin) with

3160-697: The Seven Network. In 1981, Daily at Dawn was the first Australian comedy series to feature a regular gay character (Terry Bader as journalist Leslie). In 1987, Mother and Son won the Television Drama Award for portraying a woman suffering from senile dementia and her interaction with her family, presented by the Australian Human Rights Commission . In 2007, Kath & Kim ' s first episode of series 4 attracted an Australian audience of 2.521 million nationally. This

3239-581: The United States in 1926 with the radio show Sam 'n' Henry . The subsequent success of Amos 'n' Andy , also created by Freeman Gosden and Charles Correll , solidified the sitcom's place in American radio programming. The transition to television brought about significant changes in the sitcom format. Mary Kay and Johnny , which premiered in 1947, became the first American television sitcom. Today, American sitcoms typically run for 22 minutes, allowing for approximately eight minutes of advertising within

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3318-526: The United States. The show aired on Lifetime from 2000 until 2008. It could also be seen on Nick at Nite from April 2009 to October 5, 2013, in the United States, but was pulled and its timeslot of 6AM-7AM was replaced with Hangin' With Mr. Cooper . It also appears on The Hallmark Channel in the Philippines, Super RTL and VOX in Germany, and Go! and TV1 in Australia. On February 8, 2010, Drescher hosted

3397-498: The audience or look into the camera. Other running gags are the many references to Beatles songs and the musicals Fiddler on the Roof and My Fair Lady . Most of the humor Fran uses is aimed toward a Jewish audience. She makes references to Yiddish words and teaches the Sheffield children to be stereotypical Jews. Much of this humor is featured in scenes including her mother, Sylvia. At times, they would also make humorous references to

3476-521: The bank again?" Another Lucy reference is when he alludes to Fran and "Ethel" stealing John Wayne 's footprints in Hollywood, and again when Maxwell says, "Miss Fine, you got some 'splaining to do!" like Ricky Ricardo often said to Lucy Ricardo. The episode that featured a visit from Elizabeth Taylor (who also appeared on Here's Lucy ) began with Maxwell and Niles trying to hide the visit from Fran ("Boys, boys, boys. Now do you think my mother gave birth to

3555-479: The daytime soap opera The Young and the Restless . Initially, the role was for a 26-week run. His character imprisoned his wife's lover, and became so popular the character became a love-to-hate villain, and his contract was extended. Braeden won a Daytime Emmy for his work in 1998. In February 2017 he celebrated his 37th anniversary with the show. In 2020, the show marked Braeden's 40th anniversary as Victor onscreen. In October 2009, Braeden and The Young and

3634-450: The entire cast with the exception of Davis, who had work commitments. Drescher and Gary Rosenthal served as executive producers of the special. In March 2020, Drescher announced that the cast would reunite for a live reading of the pilot episode amid the COVID-19 pandemic . The reading was released to YouTube by Sony Pictures Television on April 6, 2020. The reading featured the entire cast of

3713-506: The entire series became available on HBO Max . The entire series is also available to stream on Peacock as of March 18, 2024. The entire series is available to stream, for free with ads on the CTV app in Canada under the "Throwbacks" section. In 2021, Sony Pictures launched a channel dedicated to the show on YouTube and posted some episodes and clips of the show. Outside of North America, The Nanny

3792-550: The episode "Fran's Roots". Scott Baio also made an appearance as a rookie doctor who was Fran's former schoolmate. Marvin Hamlisch appeared as Fran's former high school music teacher, a Hamlisch look-alike. Jon Stewart portrayed a Jewish love interest of Fran's until it was discovered at a family wedding that the two were cousins; on the June 29, 2011, airing of The Daily Show , Stewart stated he agreed to make an appearance after receiving

3871-466: The first season. The website's consensus reads: "Fran Drescher elevates The Nanny' s formulaic writing with chutzpah, hairspray, and a one-of-a-kind comedic performance." However, the show performed poorly in its first year; when it was nearly cancelled, CBS executive Jeff Sagansky championed the show, citing the pilot's historically high test numbers. According to Jacobson: "At all those affiliate meetings, he used to say, 'Stick by The Nanny !' He knew it

3950-637: The first sitcom, filmed as a comedy (unlike dominated "conveyor" sitcoms). Sitcoms, or "시트콤" in Korean, gained significant popularity in South Korea during the 1990s. This popularity was fueled by the success of shows like Dr. Oh's People , LA Arirang , and Men and Women . The use of computer graphics (CG) in sitcoms began to increase in the late 1990s as more broadcasters adopted CG technology. This led to more visually dynamic and creative sitcoms. However, viewer preferences shifted towards dramas and thrillers in

4029-491: The focus from domestic or workplace settings to the world of politics. A more recent development in British comedy is the mockumentary , a style that blends documentary and comedic elements. Shows like The Office , Come Fly with Me , W1A , People Just Do Nothing , and This Country have successfully employed this format to explore a variety of topics and characters. Sitcoms, or situation comedies, made their debut in

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4108-439: The highest-rated programs of the decade. The Nanny has been called "the '90s version of I Love Lucy " and "well written and entertaining." Fran Fine (Drescher) turns up on the New York City doorstep of British Broadway producer Mr. Maxwell Sheffield ( Charles Shaughnessy ) peddling cosmetics after being dumped, and subsequently fired, by her bridal-shop-owner ex-boyfriend. Reluctantly, Mr. Sheffield instead hires Fran to be

4187-480: The long-running CBS Western series Gunsmoke . In addition to many episodic roles, Braeden also appeared as Colonel John Jacob Astor IV in the 1997 blockbuster film Titanic . Braeden told Cindy Elavsky that filming the scene in Titanic , in which his character drowned, "was one of the scariest moments in this business for me." In 1980, he was offered the role of self-made business magnate Victor Newman on

4266-579: The name Braeden from his hometown of Bredenbek. His other movie appearances in the 1970s included the role of Dr. Otto Hasslein in Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971), and that of the arrogant but formidable race-car driver, Bruno von Stickle, in Walt Disney's 1977 Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo . Throughout the 1970s, he also guest-starred in a variety of television shows, including The Six Million Dollar Man , Wonder Woman , and The Mary Tyler Moore Show , and also appeared in several episodes of

4345-409: The nanny of his three children, Maggie, Brighton, and Gracie. In spite of his initial misgivings, Fran turns out to be just what he and his family needed. While Fran manages the children, acerbic British butler Niles ( Daniel Davis ) manages the household and watches all the events that unfold with Fran as the new nanny. Niles, recognizing Fran's gift for bringing warmth back to the family (as Maxwell

4424-400: The original scripts. The show earned a Rose d'Or , and one Emmy Award , out of a total of twelve nominations; Drescher was twice nominated for a Golden Globe and an Emmy . The sitcom was the first new show delivered to CBS for the 1993 season and the highest-tested pilot at the network in years. The series was hugely successful internationally, especially in Australia, where it was one of

4503-426: The pilot was a version of " If My Friends Could See Me Now ", performed by Gwen Verdon from the 1966 Broadway musical Sweet Charity . Following the pilot, the theme changed to "The Nanny Named Fran", written by Ann Hampton Callaway and performed by her and her sister Liz Callaway . Along with the change of the theme song came a different, animated opening sequence that would be used for the entire series run. Like

4582-512: The pilot—with the exception of James Marsden , who was replaced by Alex Sternin—as well as narration of the original pilot script by Jacobson and a live performance of the theme song by Ann Callaway. The Nanny was shown in more than eighty countries worldwide. In addition, several local versions of the show have been produced in other countries. These shows follow the original scripts very closely, but with minor alterations in order to adapt to their respective country's culture. The remake in Russia

4661-601: The producers came to the conclusion that to oppose her should be a family of British origin, so "she wouldn't come across as Jewish so much as the American you were rooting for," Sternin explained. "The idea was to make her the American girl who happens to be Jewish rather than the Jewish girl working for the WASPs ." On December 6, 2004, the Lifetime network aired a reunion special The Nanny Reunion: A Nosh to Remember . The special reunited

4740-445: The rights to the series; they subsequently released a complete series set on May 26, 2015. It contains all 146 episodes. In late 2015, Shout! began releasing individual season sets; the fourth season was released on September 22, 2015, followed by the fifth season on December 22, 2015. The sixth and final season was released on March 15, 2016. The show received positive critical reviews, with an 85% "fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes for

4819-446: The run-throughs. The four of them were later joined by Frank Lombardi, Caryn Lucas and Diane Wilk, who served as the series' executive producers throughout the fifth and sixth seasons. Stemming from a home invasion and attack she experienced in 1985, Fran Drescher requested the show to provide prescreened audiences , based upon her fear of having random strangers invited to the productions. The show hired Central Casting to gather

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4898-474: The same name ) and also appeared in an episode of the 1966 espionage drama series Blue Light . His main character for the next two years was his regular starring role playing German Hauptmann (Captain) Hans Dietrich on the TV series The Rat Patrol (1966–1968), He starred in the 1969 Western 100 Rifles with Raquel Welch , Burt Reynolds , and Jim Brown (noted for the first big-screen interracial love scene between Welch and Brown), once again playing

4977-417: The shooting of a single episode. Although Drescher, Fraser, Jacobson and Sternin, the show's only executive producers for the first four seasons, coordinated "pretty much everything" at the beginning, according to Sternin, they eventually found their niche and in the following years, Drescher and Sternin decided to focus on writing story outlines, while Jacobson presided over the writing team, and Fraser observed

5056-519: The show has earned an estimated $ 1 billion in syndication fees alone for Televisa . Gliding On , a popular sitcom in New Zealand in the early 1980s, won multiple awards during its run including Best Comedy, Best Drama and Best Direction at the Feltex Awards . The first Russian sitcom series was "Strawberry", which resembled "Duty Pharmacy" in a Spanish format. It was aired from 1996 to 1997 on

5135-416: The song, it summarizes the events that lead Fran from losing her job and boyfriend to being hired as nanny of the Sheffield children. The sequence begins with Fran walking into the bridal shop, only to be kicked out. A taxicab takes her across the bridge from Queens to Manhattan , and she arrives at the Sheffield mansion to sell cosmetics. Maxwell opens the door and pulls Fran into the house. She falls into

5214-518: The songs, while Marc Bruni ( Beautiful: The Carole King Musical ) was slated to direct. Drescher will not portray the title role, as she joked that if she did "We'd have to change the title to The Granny ." However, since Schlesinger's unexpected death from COVID-19 , the status of the musical is unknown. Sitcom The structure and concept of a sitcom have roots in earlier forms of comedic theater, such as farces and comedy of manners . These forms relied on running gags to generate humor, but

5293-462: The stars' previous careers or real-life off-screen time. This was noticeable when Yetta saw her reflection in the mirror and thought she was seeing Millie Helper from The Dick Van Dyke Show (the role that Guilbert played), Maxwell remembering how he wanted to hire a former cast member from Days of Our Lives but thought he was not "British" enough (a reference to Shaughnessy's former series), and C.C. using props to hide Lane's real-life pregnancy at

5372-434: The term "sitcom" emerged as radio and TV adapted these principles into a new medium. The word was not commonly used until the 1950s. Early television sitcoms were often filmed in front of a live studio audience using a multiple-camera setup , the latter of which continues in some modern productions such as The Big Bang Theory and Fuller House . Other formats make use of a laugh track or "canned laughter". Since

5451-739: The time. Drescher also appeared in the series as tough-talking music publicist Bobbi Fleckman, reprising her role from This Is Spinal Tap , setting up a visual gag where Fran would disguise herself as Fleckman in order to get Mr. Sheffield's attention. More running gags include Fran's frequent references to classic TV sitcoms ( Gilligan's Island and Bewitched ) and her many eccentric family members; Fran lying about her age—especially to men; Maxwell fighting through his rivalry with actual Broadway producer Andrew Lloyd Webber ; Maxwell's physical resemblance to Pierce Brosnan ; Maxwell's fondness for Kaye Ballard ; and Sylvia loving food in excess. In one episode Streisand's sister, Roslyn Kind appears singing

5530-2072: The years. Notable repeat guests included Lainie Kazan as Fran's paternal aunt Freida, Steve Lawrence as Fran's never before seen father Morty Fine, Pamela Anderson as Fran's bubble-headed nemesis Heather Biblow, Jonathan Penner as Fran's old boyfriend Danny Imperiali, Ray Charles as Yetta's fiancé Sammy, Spalding Gray as Fran's therapist Dr. Jack Miller, Fred Stoller as the frequently featured pharmacist Fred, and Andrew Levitas as Maggie's boyfriend Michael. Several celebrities guested as characters in single episodes, such as Jason Alexander , John Astin , Roseanne Barr as Fran's cousin Sheila, Eric Braeden , Margaret Cho , Joan Collins as Maxwell's stepmother, Jeanne Cooper , Cloris Leachman , Dina Merrill as Maxwell's mother, Rita Moreno , George Murdock , Wallace Shawn , Twiggy as Maxwell's sister (in her first appearance, in season 1), Robert Urich , Joan Van Ark , Robert Vaughn as Maxwell's father, and Efrem Zimbalist Jr. Others appeared as themselves, primarily in connection with Maxwell's business relations, such as Dan Aykroyd , Bob Barker , Carol Channing , Chevy Chase , Andrew Dice Clay , Robert Culp , Billy Ray Cyrus , Lesley-Anne Down , Erik Estrada , Eydie Gormé , Hugh Grant , Elton John , Richard Kline , Joe Lando , Shari Lewis and Lamb Chop , Bette Midler , Shemar Moore , Joshua Morrow , Lynn Redgrave , Melody Thomas Scott , Jane Seymour , Dame Elizabeth Taylor , Alex Trebek and Hunter Tylo ; media personalities Roger Clinton , Whoopi Goldberg , Jay Leno , David Letterman , Alicia Machado , Rosie O'Donnell , Sally Jessy Raphael and Donald Trump ; and musicians Burt Bacharach , Michael Bolton , Ray Charles , rapper Coolio , Celine Dion , Eartha Kitt , Patti LaBelle , Steve Lawrence , Lisa Loeb , and Brian Setzer . Jonathan Penner appeared as Fran's former fiancé, Danny Imperialli. James Marsden appeared as Maggie's boyfriend, Eddie, and Telma Hopkins appeared as Fran's "mother" in

5609-431: Was character-based, with all major characters possessing a specific trait or quirks that provided a source of parody for other characters. The conflicting elements of each character's own comedy were often played off against one another ( Fran and Maxwell , Niles and C.C. , Maggie and Brighton ). Occasionally the characters would break the fourth wall and comment on the situations themselves, or Fran would comment to

5688-867: Was criticized by several social commentators as inappropriately disrespectful to the office of the Prime Minister. The show nevertheless proved very popular with both television audiences and critics, becoming the most-watched Australian scripted comedy series of 2011. It was nominated at the 2012 Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards for Best Television Comedy Series. Although there have been several notable exceptions, relatively few Canadian sitcoms attained notable success in Canada or internationally. Canadian television has had much greater success with sketch comedy and dramedy series. The popular show King of Kensington aired from 1975 to 1980, at its peak garnering an average of 1.5 to 1.8 million viewers weekly. The 1999 movie Trailer Park Boys

5767-530: Was followed up by a television series of the same name that ran from 2001 to 2018, airing in Canada, the U.S., and the U.K. Corner Gas , which ran for six seasons from 2004 to 2009, became an instant hit, averaging one million viewers per episode. It has been the recipient of six Gemini Awards and has been nominated almost 70 times for various awards. Other noteworthy recent sitcoms have included: Call Me Fitz , Schitt's Creek , Letterkenny , and Kim's Convenience , all of which have been winners of

5846-526: Was released on March 17, 2009, in Region 1, almost three years after the release of season 2. On August 27, 2013, it was announced that Mill Creek Entertainment had acquired the rights to various television series from the Sony Pictures library including The Nanny . They subsequently re-released the first two seasons on DVD on August 5, 2014. On January 12, 2015, it was announced that Shout! Factory had acquired

5925-466: Was so popular that some original American writers of the show were commissioned to write new scripts after all original episodes were remade. In June 2018, in regards to reviving the series, Drescher said, "We’re talking about it. Peter and I are talking about it," Drescher told Entertainment Tonight , referencing her ex-husband, Peter Marc Jacobson, who co-created the series with her. "She would’ve maybe gotten involved in more things [that] Fran Drescher

6004-424: Was something special." Although later emerging as a favorite at CBS , sponsors questioned whether the writers had ventured too far in terms of ethnicity and Drescher acted too obviously Jewish. The actress, however, declined to change Fran Fine into an Italian American: "On TV, you have to work fast, and the most real, the most rooted in reality to me is Jewish. I wanted to do it closest to what I knew." By contrast,

6083-542: Was the highest rating for a first episode in the history of Australian television, until the series premiere of Underbelly: A Tale of Two Cities in 2009, which garnered 2.58 million viewers. In 2013, Please Like Me received an invitation to screen at the Series Mania Television Festival in Paris, was praised by critics, and earned numerous awards and nominations. Also in 2013, At Home with Julia

6162-534: Was the most-watched show on Mexican television and had a Latin-American audience of 350 million viewers per episode at its popularity peak during the mid-1970s. The show continues to be popular in Central America as well as in Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil, Spain, the United States, and other countries. Syndicated episodes average 91 million daily viewers in all its American markets. Since it ceased production in 1992,

6241-485: Was visiting friend Twiggy Lawson and her family in London , where she went on a culture-clash shopping tour with Lawson's then-teenage daughter. Drescher was inspired by her behavior towards the teenage daughter on the shopping trip as functioning in a less parental but "humorous [...] kind of Queens logic, self-serving advice" mode. Drescher immediately called her husband in Los Angeles with her sitcom idea, which she pitched as

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