“The Nanny” might not make the list as one of the better sitcoms of the 1990s, dwarfed by the likes of “Frasier”, “Friends”, “Seinfeld” and even “Roseanne” but it’s still a well written and often funny series with the right touch of heart and soul along with a charming ensemble that made each episode so much fun.
“The Nanny”: The Complete Series
(1993-99)
Genre(s): Comedy
Shout Factory | NR – 3300 min. – $149.99 | May 26, 2015
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MOVIE INFO: Directed by: Various Writer(s): Fran Drescher, Prudence Fraser, Peter Marc Jacobson, Robert Sternin (created by) Cast: Fran Drescher, Charles Slaughnessy, Daniel Davis, Lauren Lane, Nicholle Tom, Benjamin Salisbury, Madeline Zima DISC INFO: Audio: English (Dolby Digital 2.0) |
** Click Here to Purchase “The Nannny”: The Complete Series
on DVD from Amazon.com **
THE SERIES — 3.75/5
“The Nanny” details the comic misadventures of the sweet and sassy Fran Fine (FRAN DRESCHER), her sophisticated employer, Broadway producer Mr. Sheffield (CHARLES SLAUGHNESSY), his boisterous brook (NICHOLLE TOM, BENJAMIN SALISBURY and MADELINE ZIMA) and his wisecracking staff (LAUREN LANE and DANIEL DAVIS).
Quick Hit Review:
First airing back in 1993, I remember watching this show more or less on a weekly basis and found it often funny though over the years, I did think Fran Drescher’s voice is a bit grating but with her and the supporting cast, it was an often laugh-out-loud series throughout its six season run. Is it a classic sitcom with the likes of “Friends”, “Frasier” or “Walker, Texas Ranger”? Of course not, but it has its moments.
Here is the breakdown of the season and episodes:
Season 1
Disc 1:
- Pilot (a.k.a. The Nanny)
- Smoke Gets in Your Lies
- My Fair Nanny
- The Nuchslep
- Here Comes the Brood
- The Butler, the Husband, the Wife and Her Mother
- Imaginary Friend
- Christmas Episode
Disc 2:
- Personal Business
- The Nanny-in-Law
- A Plot for Nanny
- The Show Must Go On
- Maggie the Model
- The Family Plumbing
- Deep Throat
Disc 3:
- Schlepped Away
- Stop the Wedding, I Want to Get Off
- Sunday in the Park with Fran
- The Gym Teacher
- Ode to Barbra Joan (a.k.a. Daddy Dearest)
- Frannie’s Choice
- I Don’t Remember Mama
Season 2
Disc 1:
- Fran-Lite
- The Playwright
- Everybody Needs a Bubby Sometimes
- Material Fran
- Curse of the Grandmas
- The Nanny-Napper
- A Star is Unborn
- Pishke Business
- Stock Tip
Disc 2:
- The Whine Cellar
- When You Pish Upon a Star
- Take Back Your Mink
- The Strike
- I’ve Got a Secret
- Kindervelt Days
- Canasta Masta
- The Will
- The Nanny Behind the Man
Disc 3:
- A Fine Friendship
- Lamb Chop’s on the Menu
- Close Shave
- What the Butler Sang
- Stange Bedfellows
- The Chatterbox
- Fran Gets Mugged
Season 3
Disc 1:
- The Pen Pal
- Franny and the Professor
- Dope Diamond
- A Fine Family Feud
- Val’s Apartment
- Shopaholic
- Oy Vey, You’re Gay
- The Party’s Over
- The Two Mrs. Sheffields
Disc 2:
- Having His Baby
- The Unkindest Cut
- The Kibbutz
- An Offer She Can’t Refuse
- Oy to the World
- Fashion Show
- Where’s Fran?
- The Grandmas
- Val’s Boyfriend
Disc 3:
- Love is a Many Blundered Thing
- Your Feets Too Big
- Where’s the Pearls?
- The Hockey Show
- That’s Mid-Life
- The Cantor Show
- Green Card
- Ship of Fran’s
- A Pup in Paris
Season 4
Disc 1:
- The Tart with Heart
- The Cradle Robbers
- The Bird’s Nest
- The Rosie Show
- Freida Needa Man
- Me and Mrs. Joan
- The Taxman Cometh
- An Affair to Dismember
- Tattoo
Disc 2:
- The Car Show
- Hurricane Fran
- Danny’s Dead and Who’s Got the Will?
- Kissing Cousins
- The Fifth Wheel
- The Nose Knows
- The Bank Robbery
- Samson, He Denied Her
- The Facts of Lice
Disc 3:
- Fran’s Roots
- The Nanny and the Hunk Producer
- The Passed-Over Story
- No Muse is Good Muse
- You Bette Your Life
- The Heather Biblow Story
- The Boca Story
- Fran’s Gotta Have It
Season 5
Disc 1:
- The Morning After
- First Date
- The Bobbie Fleckman Story
- Fransom
- The Ex-Niles
- A Decent Proposal
- Mommy and Mai
- Fair Weather Fran
Disc 2:
- Educating Fran
- From Flushing with Love
- Rash to Judgment
- One False Mole and You’re Dead
- Call Me Fran
- Not Without My Nanny
- The Engagement
- The Dinner Party
Disc 3:
- Homie-Work
- The Reunion Show
- Immaculate Concepcion
- The Pre-nup
- The Best Man
- The Wedding (Parts 1 & 2)
Season 6
Disc 1:
- The Honeymoon’s Overboard
- Fran Gets Shushed
- Once a Secretary, Always a Secretary
- Sara’s Parents
- Maggie’s Boyfriend
- I’m Pregnant
- Mom’s the Word
Disc 2:
- Making Whoopi
- Oh, Say, Can You Ski?
- The Hanukkah Story
- The In-Law Who Came Forever
- The Fran in the Mirror
- The Yummy Mummy
- California Here We Come
Disc 3:
- Ma-ternal Affairs
- The Producers
- The Dummy Twins
- Yetta’s Letters
- Maggie’s Wedding
- The Baby Shower
- 21. The Finale (Parts 1 & 2)
SPECIAL FEATURES – 3.5/5
This massive 19-disc set is contained in a sturdy outer box. The 6 seasons are housed in 3 DVD Keep Cases (2 seasons per case) with the 19th disc housed in a thin case. Also included is a booklet with an episode guide.
The first season contains Episode Commentaries, carried over from the original Sony release, with Fran Drescher on the pilot episode, ‘Imaginary Friend,’ and ‘I Don’t Remember Mama.’ That’s it for commentaries on the entire set with seasons 2-6 not containing any features whatsoever…
The Making of “The Nanny” (20:57) is a retrospective featurette with new interviews with Fran Drescher, Producer Peter Marc Jacobson and others discussing the origins of the show that began on a plane ride.
The Unique Vision of “The Nanny” (29:59) provides more background on the show and has more interview footage with Drescher and Jacobson. ** New Bonus Feature **
“The Nanny” Finds a Home (28:48) delves into bringing the concept into a series, costumes, theme song and the set. ** New Bonus Feature **
“The Nanny” Reunion – A Nosh to Remember (41:50) is fun reunion with the cast as they look back on the series, with clips, that originally aired on Lifetime back in 2004.
VIDEO – 4.0/5 | AUDIO – 3.5/5
“The Nanny” arrives on DVD through Shout Factory and presented in its originally televised 1.33 full frame aspect ratio. I was pleasantly surprised to find the transfer actually wasn’t half bad. Colors generally were nice and bright throughout and from what I could tell, it was fairly clean.
Each episode comes with a Dolby Digital 2.0 track which is nothing phenomenal but serviceable for a sitcom where dialogue levels, albeit uneven, are clear enough as was the music which offers limited depth.
AUDIO – 4.5/5
The 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track is more than adequate for this movie. The dialogue sounds crisp and clear throughout but the track does kick into a second gear, no pun intended, for the more action-oriented scenes particularly the chase sequence where we hear the gear shifts in Louis’s Dodge Challenger car. The lossless track also has good depth making use of the rear channels for ambient noises and James Newton Howard’s haunting score.
OVERALL – 3.75/5
Overall, “The Nanny” might not make the list as one of the better sitcoms of the 1990s, dwarfed by the likes of “Frasier”, “Friends”, “Seinfeld”, “Mad About You” and even “Roseanne” but it’s still a well written and often funny series with the right touch of heart and soul along with a charming ensemble that made each episode so much fun. This complete series set from Shout Factory offers good video and audio transfers and a good selection of bonus material for fans to peruse.
Published: 05/21/2015