10 Reason Why The Nanny Is One Of The Best 90s Sitcoms

Fairly recently I've become OBSESSED with the sitcom The Nanny. A sitcom hasn't interested me on this level since watching Friends & Parks & Rec. Thanks to HBO Max, I'm able to watch all six seasons of the show on my laptop.

I became familiar with The Nanny back in college because my roommate constantly watched the reruns on Roku. All it took was watching one episode for me to get hooked forever.

The Nanny is an entertaining 90s sitcom based in New York City. A highly addictive show alongside the likes of; Friends, Seinfield, Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, etc, but the show doesn't seem to get the same attention as other sitcoms. The Nanny totes potential romance between Fran and her boss Maxwell, three equally charming children, a sarcastic butler Nigel, Fran's noisy mother Sylvia, a marriage-obsessed mother who means well, inappropriate-but-extremely-hilarious-chain-smoking Grandma Yetta, CC who is in love with a Maxwell, and a ditzy but loving best friend named "Val."

The storyline revolves around Fran Fine, a former cosmetic saleswoman, who became jobless after her fiancee dumped her for another woman. She unexpectedly finds herself getting a nanny position for a Broadway producer's three children. What ensues is comedic gold because Fran is one fire-cracker of a character. And the fashion is to die for! So much interesting clothing pieces that it's impossible to choose a favorite. Since I've already written an article about the iconic fashion from the show, I won't go into any more detail. Just know you'll be wanting to wear most of her colorful and sometimes crazy outfits.

Here are the top 10 reasons why everyone should watch The Nanny. Some of the video clips may contain spoilers so be advised and watch them at your discretion. 

1. The chemistry between Fran & Maxwell

Fran and Maxwell are a match made in heaven. When will they get together no one knows, it's been a will-they-won't-they struggle for the last few seasons? Despite never knowing when they'll officially become a couple, the chemistry between them is insane. Fran gets her boss to calm down and spend more time with his children while Maxwell instills more responsibility in Fran. It's a giving relationship that organically grew from strangers to almost lovers.

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2. Niles's witty comebacks with Cici

Get you a butler who is a sound piece for Fran and a supporting friend for Maxwell but spends every waking minute making fun of Cici. You can say Niles is the Chandler of The Nanny. Extremely sarcastic, witty, nosey, does more snooping around other people's business than actually cleaning, but one of the show's funniest characters.

3. Sylvia Fran's mom

What can we say about Sylvia? She is such a character with a flair for dramatics. Her two main obsessions are food and making sure her daughter doesn't end up an old maid. There was never a time that Sylvia turned down food, like seriously, I can't think of an episode. Despite her overbearing advice to Fran and her food obsession, Sylvia is best remembered as one of the best characters on the show. 

4. The fashion element in the show

You can't talk about The Nanny without mentioning the fantastic wardrobe that Fran and Co wore. Loud colors and patterns from Sylvia, Grandma Yetta's signature waist bag and sunglasses, Maxwell's various three-piece suits & neutral-colored sweaters, Nanny Fine's two-piece sets & mini dresses, and Cici's well-tailored power suits that screamed "old money." The show knew how to style the cast in fashionable ways that showed the character's personalities.

5. The Sheffield Children

In a lot of sitcoms, the characters of the children tend to be overlooked as the adult cast overshadows them. However, The Nanny does a great job of keeping the children relevant and equally as hilarious as the older cast. Grace, Brighton, and Margaret were some of the best child actors I've ever seen. While funny, they were also very endearing and helped add depth to the wealth of characters on the show.

However, my favorite out of the children was Grace. In some ways, she became the mini Fran of the family but her epic one-liners were something I looked forward to.

6. The mysterious Morty

One of the mysterious characters of the show is Fran's dad Morty. We always see the back of his head or see his wigs lying around the house, but never a glimpse of his face. I've only watched up to season four and so far still no sighting of Morty. It's surreal that they can keep this character so interesting by never revealing his face.

7. The many times Fran found herself in compromising positions

Fran always found herself getting into situations that wouldn't happen in normal circumstances. Fran got arrested for accidentally kidnapping a baby, she was mistaken for a nurse and forced on the prep team for Maxwell's appendicitis surgery and got mugged in the middle of Central Park. And those are just a few of the compromising positions Fran got herself into.

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Season 2 Ep 21

8. Grandma Yetta

She may be getting a bit senile as time goes on but Grandma Yetta was one interesting character. The dynamics between Grandma Yetta, her daughter Sylvia & Granddaughter Fran are always hilarious. Though the actresses played fictional characters, the chemistry between all three is so familial and funny to watch. I'm sure we all have come across a Grandma Yetta in our lifetime, you never forget such colorful people.

9. The celebrity cameos

Seeing the various celebrity cameos throughout the seasons was enjoyable. Every season I would wonder which big-name celebrity would make an appearance. Where can you find a sitcom that had such stars as old Hollywood starlet Elizabeth Taylor, triple-threat darling Bette Midler, soap star Joan Collins, and Lainie Kazan from My Big Fat Greek Wedding fame? It brought a lot of nostalgia to its viewers' hearts. 

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Season 4 Ep 6

10. The many times Fran broke the 4th wall and talked to the audience

The last aspect of the show that surprised me was Fran breaking the 4th wall. It didn't happen that frequently but those few moments made the audience feel as they were part of the show. 

In short, a laugh-out-loud show that constantly keeps its viewers on their toes with the various shenanigans Fran and Co find themselves getting into. There will never be another show quite like The Nanny. Its charm lies within the characters and storylines that carried it through six seasons. Not a lot of shows can survive for long seasons and keep the same energy from start to finish. All thanks to Fran Drescher and the rest of The Nanny cast, it was a splendid sitcom to watch.