Due to the popularity of the reunion show premiere and overwhelming positive fan feedback, encore presentations of "The Nanny Reunion: A Nosh to Remember" will be broadcast on Lifetime Television on Thursday, December 9th, at 11:00pm ET/PT and Saturday, December 11th, at 12:00pm ET/PT. If you missed this special show the first time, mark your calendars! Don't miss your chance to see this wonderful reunion show again!
"The Nanny" was one of the most heartwarming and successful comedy sitcoms of the '90s. It had a very successful run from 1993 to 1999. In 1995, the series won an Emmy Award, which was soon followed by a BMI TV Music Award in 1996. Let's not forget the series' many nominations for awards such as the Golden Globe Award, American Comedy Award and Golden Satellite Award, to name a few.
This long-running comedy hit revolved around the antics of Fran Fine (played by Fran Drescher), a middle-class Jewish girl from Queens, who happened to become a nanny by accident. Fran Fine's comic misadventures abound while taking care of the family of famed British theatrical producer Maxwell Sheffield (Charles Shaughnessy). Maxwell's three lovely children were played by Nicholle Tom, Madeline Zima and Benjamin Salisbury.
Mr. Sheffield's children made the show lively, but the most laughs were garnered in the ongoing competition between Fran Fine and C.C. Babcock (Lauren Lane) in their quest for Mr. Sheffield's attention. Fran Fine's mother, Sylvia (Renee Taylor), and her grandmother, Yetta (Ann Guilbert), were so quirky and hilarious they never had to say much to keep the audience laughing.
Fast forward to 2004. It's been 5 years since the end of the show. As you'll see in the reunion special, the former cast of "The Nanny" are doing great and they look absolutely fantastic. How often have you been to a reunion where you can honestly say that your friends and family get better looking every year? I'm not sure many of us can say that, but the cast of "The Nanny" sure can. See exclusive photos from the reunion.
I had the pleasure of previewing "The Nanny Reunion: A Nosh to Remember" before writing about it. It warmed my heart to see "The Nanny" cast together again. The most touching element of the reunion is the fact that the cast members are still very good friends and have remained close since the end of the series.
The "Nanny Reunion" takes place at Fran Drescher's Malibu home. The reunion is very informal and unpretentious. It was so genuine and natural, I felt like I was watching a home movie of the reunion. There were no bright lights or flashy effects. It was just a nice get together between friends. Just watching the cast reminisce was entertaining enough. The reunion highlighted personal stories from the cast members and personal home video as an added bonus, but the real treat was watching hilarious clips from the show and bloopers. Don't miss the "Danny" surprise in the middle of the reunion. If you miss Nanny Fine's whine and yiddish references, look no further. You can learn Yiddish: 101 right now.
Since the show ended in 1999, the cast has kept busy. Fran Drescher has made a few television appearances, including a role in a television movie called "Beautiful Girl," which is a favorite of mine. If you miss seeing Fran regularly in a television series, you won't have to wait much longer. Fran has a new WB series in the works called "Shacking Up," which is set to debut early next year.
Charles Shaughnessy recently returned to Broadway for the last run of the Tony Award-winning show "Urinetown, The Musical," in which he played the role of Caldwell B. Cladwell. He has also appeared in television movies and motion pictures. Charles received an Emmy Award for his voice work in the animated Disney cartoon "Stanley."
Renee Taylor is an accomplished actress, comedienne, director, Emmy Award-winning writer and Academy Award-nominated screenwriter. Her most recent motion picture appearance was in the movie "Alfie" with Jude Law. She is currently starring with her husband, Joe Bologna, in the semi-biographical comedy "If You Ever Leave Me, I'm Going With You." Renee will also be performing as the Queen in New York City's opera production of "Cinderella" at the Lincoln Center.
Nicholle Tom has starred in motion pictures and television movies since leaving the show, but her current love is painting. She exhibited her oil paintings at an art show for the first time in February 2004.
Benjamin Salisbury has been keeping busy in starring roles on such series as "Promised Land" and the WB show "Kirk."
Madeline Zima has also kept busy in movies and television. She most recently starred in "A Cinderella Story" with Hilary Duff. She has also appeared in guest starring roles on "Seventh Heaven," Law & Order," and "JAG," to name a few.
Ann Guilbert made her television debut in "The Dick Van Dyke Show." Since then, she's performed in movies and television, including "Picket Fences," "Empty Nest," "Seinfeld," "Home Improvement" and "Cheers." She also has many stage roles to her credit.
Rachel Chagall is an actress of stage and screen. Her television credits include Lifetime Television's "Strong Medicine," "Just Shoot Me," "Chicken Soup for the Soul," and "The Simple Life." Rachel also starred in the widely praised feature film "Gaby - A True Story," for which she was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Drama.
Lauren Lane has worked extensively in television, film and theater. Her previous television roles include Chris Novak on "Hunter" and Julie Rayburn on "LA Law." She currently lives in Austin, Texas and teaches at Texas State University.
Daniel Davis (Niles) will soon appear on Broadway as Georges in the revival of the musical hit "La Cage Aux Folles," one of the biggest Broadway hits of the '80s.
"The Nanny" currently airs on Lifetime Television, Monday - Friday. Check your local listings. Now that you've been invited to this special night, I'll see you there!
