Common Sense Media Review
By Emily Ashby
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Blue collar meets blue blood in this funny sitcom.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 9+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 8 parent reviews
Based on 48 kid reviews
Kids say the show is generally funny and entertaining, but many reviews caution against its suitability for younger viewers due to sexual content, mild language, and adult themes. While some find it appropriate for tweens and older, others strongly recommend parental guidance and suggest that ages 12 and up are more suitable for watching.
- funny entertainment
- sexual content
- parental guidance
- age concerns
- appropriate for tweens
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
THE NANNY is a classic '90s sitcom about the unlikely pairing of a proper Englishman-turned-New Yorker and his hastily hired nanny from Flushing. Desperately seeking a caregiver for his three children, widower Maxwell Sheffield (Charles Shaughnessy) opens his door one day to find Fran Fine (Fran Drescher), who's selling cosmetics in the affluent neighborhood after being dumped by her fiancé and losing her job in a bridal shop. He hires her on the spot and the two form a quintessential odd couple: He's a successful, buttoned-down Broadway producer, and she's a dramatic single gal with an eye for flashy fashion and ticking biological clock. But bubbly, nasally Fran immediately wins the hearts of the Sheffield children -- Maggie (Nicholle Tom), Brighton (Benjamin Salisbury), and Grace (Madeline Zima). Fran is likewise adored by Niles (Daniel Davis), the Sheffields' buttinsky butler, with whom she enjoys exchanging jabs at the expense of Maxwell's fawning female associate, C.C. Babcock (Lauren Lane).
Is It Any Good?
Playful banter and mild sexual innuendoes are the heart of the show's humor, and little of it is cause for concern. But parents may find the constancy of both Fran's and C.C.'s blatant attempts to catch Maxwell's eye questionable subject matter for their teen or tween daughters. C.C. in particular practically throws herself into Maxwell's arms at every opportunity and looks down her high-society nose at Fran, seeing her as an unworthy adversary for the affections of an eligible bachelor.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about family dynamics and communication between kids and parents. How do families establish and maintain good communication? Who do you go to for advice? Parents also can talk about what defines a family. Who do you consider to be part of your family?
TV Details
- Premiere date : November 3, 1993
- Cast : Charles Shaughnessy , Daniel Davis , Fran Drescher
- Network : Syndicated
- Genre : Comedy
- TV rating :
- Award : NAACP Image Award - NAACP Image Award Nominee
- Last updated : December 31, 2025
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