The Best Episodes Directed By Dorothy Lyman
Every TV Episode Directed by Dorothy Lyman Ranked from Best to Worst by Thousands of Voters
Dorothy Lyman Ratings Summary
The best episode directed by Dorothy Lyman is "The Nose Knows", rated 7.5/10 from 4 user votes. It was "written by N/A". "The Nose Knows" aired on 2/5/1997 and is rated 0.0 point(s) higher than their second highest rated, "The Bank Robbery".
7.5/10 4 votes#1 - The Nose Knows
Season 4 Episode 15 - Aired 2/5/1997
Fran freaks out on Mr. Sheffield after he brings home a model and makes out with her in the living room. Dr. Miller says Fran is upset because she is thinking of Maxwell as her husband, not as her employer. At the movies, she runs into Dr. Miller, but is shocked to see him picking his nose. She is so disgusted that she thinks of never seeing him again. Mr. Sheffield worries about her and confronts Dr. Miller about his actions, but gets very embarrassed when he finds out the ""inappropriate behavior"" Sylvia told him about wasn't what he had in mind. Meanwhile, C.C. is dumped by her boyfriend and asks Niles to escort her to an awards show, and the two end up having a very pleasant night out.
Director: Dorothy Lyman
Writer: N/A
7.5/10 4 votes#2 - The Bank Robbery
Season 4 Episode 16 - Aired 2/12/1997
It's Valentine's Day, and Maxwell decides to diffuse the whole "love" situation with Fran by giving her a gag greeting card. Big mistake. Later, Fran and Sylvia are at the bank when it gets held up. News of the hold-up quickly gets back to the Sheffield household. What the hostages at the bank quickly find out is that the bank robber, Leslie Tilbert, is a meek man and an inept bank robber. Leslie is actually a kind man who is facing some personal stresses, to which Fran can relate. Fran becomes Leslie's negotiator with the authorities, and Leslie becomes Fran's negotiator with Maxwell and his faux pas with the greeting card. If nothing else, the bank robbery has shown Maxwell how he really feels about Fran and he lets her and the world know. Leslie's fate is not as good as he takes Sylvia as his final hostage.
Director: Dorothy Lyman
Writer: N/A
7.0/10 3 votes#3 - Where's the Pearls?
Season 3 Episode 20 - Aired 2/26/1996
Mr. Sheffield has Elizabeth Taylor over, and like with all celebrities, Fran can't control herself until she meets her. A very friendly Elizabeth asks Fran to take her black pearls necklace to a courier, but of course Fran has to do it in her own way. She takes a cab, and accidentally bumps her head against the window when the driver misses a red light. She is taken to the hospital and wakes up with amnesia. She thinks she's Mrs. Sheffield, and after her she remembers what happened she finds herself in a lot of trouble when she realizes she lost Elizabeth Taylor's pearls.
Director: Dorothy Lyman
Writer: N/A
7.0/10 3 votes#4 - The Cantor Show
Season 3 Episode 23 - Aired 4/29/1996
Fran goes out with the new temple cantor, Gary. When Mr. Sheffield listens him singing, he hires him to be on his next play. He quickly promotes the cantor to the lead of the play after the original actor is run over by a bus, and Gary decides to quit the temple to dedicate his time to his Broadway career. Everyone blames Sylvia and Fran for it, and they start to be ignored at temple. Sylvia throws a curse on Fran and everything starts to backfire until Fran donates the $500 she got from the air company to temple.
Director: Dorothy Lyman
Writer: N/A
7.0/10 3 votes#5 - Fran's Gotta Have It
Season 4 Episode 26 - Aired 5/21/1997
Mr. Sheffield is going to London to convince Celine Dion into doing Broadway. Fran decides to go after him and take advantage of the romantic scenario to solve their situation once and for all. After a romantic afternoon together, Max and Fran go back to the hotel and almost sleep together, if it wasn't for him backing out in the last minute. Insulted, offended and tired of all the cat and mouse play, Fran decides to leave him before it's too late for her to marry anybody. But they receive a phone call from NY saying that Niles just suffered a heart attack. Fran decides to stay and help while Niles recovers, giving Mr. Sheffield another chance to make a commitment. Meanwhile, C.C. is surprisingly sad after Niles's attack and even drops by at the hospital to bring him some flowers. She reveals to Fran that deep down she doesn't hate Niles as much as it seems.
Director: Dorothy Lyman
Writer: N/A
6.7/10 3 votes#6 - Love Is a Many Blundered Thing
Season 3 Episode 18 - Aired 2/12/1996
Thinking Mr. Sheffield wants her to be her valentine, she puts up a billboard in Times Square.
Director: Dorothy Lyman
Writer: N/A
6.5/10 2 votes#7 - A Kiss Is Just a Kiss
Season 2 Episode 23 - Aired 5/3/1995
Maggie is upset when Fran beats her in a kissing contest. The winner is to appear on an album cover with Billy Ray Cyrus.
Director: Dorothy Lyman
Writer: Prudence Fraser
6.5/10 2 votes#8 - Oy Vey, You're Gay
Season 3 Episode 7 - Aired 10/23/1995
Fran tells Mr. Sheffield he should retire his wedding ring, and after C.C. points out that Andrew Lloyd Weber was featured in the paper's crossword puzzle, Maxwell decides to get a publicist to improve his image and make him more popular. He hires the gorgeous Sydney Mercer and radically changes his image to a middle aged bad boy. He starts to fall for Sydney, causing both C.C. and Fran to get jealous. They set a date in the Rainbow Room but Fran discovers in the last minute that Sydney is gay, and more interested in her, so she rushes to meet Mr. Sheffield, but they end up getting stuck in the elevator.
Director: Dorothy Lyman
Writer: N/A
6.5/10 2 votes#9 - The Party's Over
Season 3 Episode 8 - Aired 11/6/1995
Mr. Sheffield and C.C. are going to Boston for the weekend, but what originally started as a romantic getaway plan for C.C. turned into family weekend thanks to Niles. Fran, Maggie and Niles have the house to themselves, and Fran decides to throw a singles party at the house to fish an eligible bachelor. But the party is over when an undercovered cop shows up and arrests Fran for not having the required licenses. After spending the night in jail, Fran returns home and Mr. Sheffield almost fires her, if it wasn't for Maggie stepping in and taking the responsibility for the mess. Fran goes to court, but Mr. Sheffield shows up in the last minute to help her from her senile lawyer, Uncle Mannie.
Director: Dorothy Lyman
Writer: N/A
6.5/10 2 votes#10 - The Unkindest Cut
Season 3 Episode 11 - Aired 11/27/1995
Brighton faints while filming Fran's cousin's bris and Fran sends it to Hollywood. Everybody visits Hollywood and Fran keeps getting thrown off the Doctor Quinn Medicine Woman set.
Director: Dorothy Lyman
Writer: Prudence Fraser
6.5/10 2 votes#11 - Where's Fran?
Season 3 Episode 15 - Aired 1/15/1996
When Fran catches Maggie smoking, she herself pretends to smoke so that Mr. Sheffield can teach her a lesson in front of Maggie. But Mr. Sheffield overreacts so Fran leaves their home. Mr. Sheffield remembers all the great times together (seen as flashbacks), but eventually realizes what she was trying to do and wants her back.
Director: Dorothy Lyman
Writer: Sally Lapiduss
6.5/10 2 votes#12 - Val's Boyfriend
Season 3 Episode 17 - Aired 2/5/1996
Val's new boyfriend starts to move in on Fran.
Director: Dorothy Lyman
Writer: N/A
6.5/10 2 votes#13 - Green Card
Season 3 Episode 24 - Aired 5/6/1996
Brighton is failing French in school so Mr. Sheffield hires a tutor for him. His tutor is incredibly good looking and attractive, and Fran wastes no time in flirting with him. He quickly proposes to her, something Mr. Sheffield thinks is quite suspicious since he doesn't have a green card. But Fran doesn't listen to him until she finds out Philippe has made a pass on C.C. and only proposed to her to stay in the country. She dumps him and Mr. Sheffield takes Fran out to console her.
Director: Dorothy Lyman
Writer: N/A
6.5/10 2 votes#14 - The Tart with Heart
Season 4 Episode 1 - Aired 9/18/1996
Fran and Maxwell return from their trip to Paris, and Fran couldn't be happier. Just as they are about to get home, Mr. Sheffield takes back saying "I love you" to Fran, and she is devastated. C.C. takes advantage of the fact that Fran is vulnerable and says Maxwell probably only hired her for her looks, which is accidentally confirmed by Max when he tries to compliment Fran. She decides to go to a singles bar with Val and meets a blind guy. The idea of dating a blind man sounds nice to Fran, since it'll serve as a proof that she isn't just a pretty face. After she is dumped by the blind guy, she and Mr. Sheffield decide to remain just friends.
Director: Dorothy Lyman
Writer: N/A
6.3/10 3 votes#15 - Close Shave
Season 2 Episode 21 - Aired 2/20/1995
Maggie is a candy striper at the hospital. When she takes off to go on a date, Fran fills in for her and must shave Maxwell for an appendectomy.
Director: Dorothy Lyman
Writer: Elliot Stern
6.3/10 3 votes#16 - Franny and the Professor
Season 3 Episode 2 - Aired 9/18/1995
C.C. makes a bet with her brother that he can't get Fran to play Jeopardy!. But Fran somehow enters the game and manages to win! Meanwhile, Mr. Sheffield is driving himself crazy for not being invited to the Renaissance Weekend held by the president, and Fran gets him tickets with the new next door neighbor, Roger Clinton.
Director: Dorothy Lyman
Writer: N/A
6.2/10 4 votes#17 - Fair Weather Fran
Season 5 Episode 8 - Aired 11/19/1997
Upset about Yetta's upcoming wedding, Fran is advised by Dr. Miller to focus her energy on new life projects. She decides to pursue an old dream of becoming a weather girl, and thanks to Sammy, who's Bryant Gumbel's uncle, Fran scores an audition for editorial commenter of Public Eye. Mr. Sheffield doesn't like the idea of Fran leaving the house, so he sets up a scheme with Gracie to convince Fran into quitting her new job. But they don't have to do that, Fran ruins her audition by herself (by mistaking gene therapy with therapeutic jeans). Meanwhile, Sylvia has problems accepting her soon-to-be stepfather.
Director: Dorothy Lyman
Writer: N/A
6.2/10 4 votes#18 - The Best Man
Season 5 Episode 21 - Aired 5/6/1998
Maxwell's brother, Nigel, is back to throw him a bachelor party, and Fran is terrified because Maxwell doesn't know that she almost married Nigel a year and a half ago. She tries to keep it a secret, but after Nigel gets drunk at the party, he tells Maxwell, just as Fran comes out of the cake in a surprise for him (after Sylvia confessed that Morty cancelled his wedding and ran off with the cake girl - Sylvia!). Fran and Maxwell have a fight over it, and they end up calling the wedding off, until C.C. (under the influence of Prozac) tells Fran that Maxwell didn't spend 5 years ""doing the one man show"". So Fran gets Marla Maples, who had a quick fling with Maxwell a year and a half ago, and confronts Maxwell. They finally realize they love each other and call the wedding back on.
Director: Dorothy Lyman
Writer: N/A
6.0/10 4 votes#19 - Val's Apartment
Season 3 Episode 5 - Aired 10/9/1995
Feeling that taking care of the kids has taken over her life and eliminated her personal life, Fran thinks about moving out of the mansion. But the real push is given by Mr. Sheffield who assures her she can't do it. So Fran and Val move in together to a very small apartment in a building full of gay men. Fran misses the mansion but doesn't want to give Mr. Sheffield the pleasure of being right. What she doesn't know is that he is also dying for her to come back. So they secretly ask for Sylvia's help, and Fran finally moves back to the mansion.
Director: Dorothy Lyman
Writer: Sally Lapiduss
6.0/10 3 votes#20 - The Hockey Show
Season 3 Episode 21 - Aired 3/4/1996
Fran starts to date Michael LaVoe, a famous hockey player for the NY Rangers. Mike is very superstitious and blames Fran for losing the game when she wears red shoes to the stadium. The entire city thinks she's a jinx and she decides to prove him wrong. But did the red shoes really jinx the game?
Director: Dorothy Lyman
Writer: N/A
6.0/10 4 votes#21 - The Bird's Nest
Season 4 Episode 3 - Aired 9/25/1996
Fran takes Gracie to the Loehmann's Semi Annual Red Star Clearance and has to fight over a green sweater with another woman. Back at the mansion, Brighton is having some problems with his science grade and Maxwell tells him he'll be sent to military school shall his grades not rise. He also tells Fran not to help him with his science project, but of course Fran doesn't listen to him. They decide to warm up a bird's eggs with lights and make a report on the birth, but Fran forget the lights on and the eggs hard boil. Now she has to ask Brighton's teacher for an extension, and what a surprise when she turns out to be the same lady Fran stole the green sweater from.
Director: Dorothy Lyman
Writer: N/A
6.0/10 4 votes#22 - An Affair to Dismember
Season 4 Episode 8 - Aired 11/13/1996
Nigel Sheffield arrives in New York, but since Maxwell is too busy to spend time with him he has Fran show him around town. They go out to nightclubs and parties, and Fran starts acting very happy for finally having a social life – something she complained about not having since she started working at the house. Nigel surprises Fran when he proposes to her and asks her to leave with him aboard a luxurious boat. Doubtful, she thinks about her relationship with Maxwell, its past and its future. In one hand she has the man she really loves, who hasn't made a move in 3 years. In the other hand, a rich, good looking and single man, everything she always hoped for. She chooses to go with Nigel, but unfortunately she misses the boat and has to go back home. Maxwell arrives and takes care of Fran, who twisted her ankle on her way back. Some things are just meant (not) to be.
Director: Dorothy Lyman
Writer: N/A
6.0/10 4 votes#23 - The Fifth Wheel
Season 4 Episode 14 - Aired 1/29/1997
Fran decides to stop chasing men like Dr. Miller told her. Sylvia doesn't like that at all and blames Mr. Sheffield for her daughter staying single forever. Fran, Val and Ms. Babcock decide to go out together on a "girls night", with no pressure to find a man, but after Val and C.C. get dates, Fran finds herself as a fifth wheel on their double date. Alone, embarrassed and depressed, Fran goes home trying to act as if she had a great time with them, but can't. Once again, Mr. Sheffield and Fran find themselves alone, comforting each other. Meanwhile, Dr. Miller tries hypnosis with Sylvia but that doesn't go too well.
Director: Dorothy Lyman
Writer: N/A
6.0/10 4 votes#24 - The Bobbie Fleckman Story
Season 5 Episode 3 - Aired 10/15/1997
Fran screwed up with Elton John, and Brighton won a radio contest and the prize is that a film crew is coming to his house for a music video. When the film producers crew comes, a duplicate of Fran shows up, and Maxwell starts to fall for her. Guest star: Brian Setzer.
Director: Dorothy Lyman
Writer: N/A
6.0/10 4 votes#25 - The Ex-Niles
Season 5 Episode 5 - Aired 10/29/1997
Fran and C.C. agree to let Dr. Joyce Brothers decide who's the better woman for Maxwell; Niles quits after he's denied a raise, a demand based on his faulty impression of Fran's salary.
Director: Dorothy Lyman
Writer: N/A