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The Best Episodes of The Nanny

Every episode of The Nanny ranked from best to worst. Let's dive into the Best Episodes of The Nanny!

Fran, fresh out of her job as a bridal consultant in her boyfriend’s shop, first appears on the doorstep of Broadway producer Maxwell Sheffield peddling cosmetics, and quickly stumbled upon the opportunity to become The Nanny for his three children. But soon Fran, with her offbeat nurturing and no-nonsense honesty, touches Maxwell as well as the kids.

Genre:Comedy
Network:CBS

Top Episode Ratings Summary

The best episode of "The Nanny" is "Close Shave", rated 8.7/10 from 466 user votes. It was directed by Dorothy Lyman and written by Prudence Fraser, Robert Sternin, Elliot Stern. "Close Shave" aired on 2/20/1995 and is rated 0.1 point(s) higher than the second highest rated, "The Finale, Part 2".

  • Close Shave
    8.7/10 466 votes

    #1 - Close Shave

    Season 2 Episode 21 - Aired 1995-02-20

    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: Prudence Fraser, Robert Sternin, Elliot Stern

  • The Finale, Part 2
    8.6/10 402 votes

    #2 - The Finale, Part 2

    Season 6 Episode 22 - Aired 1999-05-12

    C.C. and Niles get married while Fran is in labor and find out that they are also expectant parents. Maggie and Brighton head off to Europe as the Sheffields head to California with the new twins and a new life together.

    Director: Peter Marc Jacobson

    Writer: Peter Marc Jacobson

  • Schlepped Away
    8.4/10 466 votes

    #3 - Schlepped Away

    Season 1 Episode 16 - Aired 1994-03-09

    On the way to catch a flight to the islands, heavy snow maroons the family at Fran's parents' home in Queens.

    Director: Linda Day

    Writer: Peter Marc Jacobson, Prudence Fraser, Robert Sternin, Fran Drescher

  • I Don't Remember Mama
    8.4/10 472 votes

    #4 - I Don't Remember Mama

    Season 1 Episode 22 - Aired 1994-05-16

    Fran and Grace enter a mother-daughter pageant at the country club.

    Director: N/A

    Writer: Howard Meyers, Tracy Newman, Jonathan Stark, Prudence Fraser, Robert Sternin

  • A Fine Friendship
    8.4/10 418 votes

    #5 - A Fine Friendship

    Season 2 Episode 19 - Aired 1995-02-06

    Fran strikes up a friendship with a male nanny whom she erroneously assumes is gay.

    Director: Lee Shallat Chemel

    Writer: Prudence Fraser, Robert Sternin

  • Strange Bedfellows
    8.4/10 408 votes

    #6 - Strange Bedfellows

    Season 2 Episode 24 - Aired 1995-05-08

    Fran worries about her future when Mona, one of her fellow nannies, retires to Florida. The night of Mona's goodbye party, Fran gets drunk and staggers into Maxwell's bed.

    Director: Dorothy Lyman

    Writer: Dana Reston, Prudence Fraser, Robert Sternin

  • The Two Mrs. Sheffields
    8.4/10 387 votes

    #7 - The Two Mrs. Sheffields

    Season 3 Episode 9 - Aired 1995-11-13

    When Maxwell's mother wants him to get rid of Fran, Maxwell reacts by proposing to Fran who makes him feel very guilty for using her.

    Director: Dorothy Lyman

    Writer: Peter Marc Jacobson, Prudence Fraser, Robert Sternin, Fran Drescher

  • A Fine Family Feud
    8.3/10 390 votes

    #8 - A Fine Family Feud

    Season 3 Episode 4 - Aired 1995-10-02

    Maggie's 16th birthday is approaching and Fran intervenes in her father's plans for her party. Instead of a boring party at the Guggenheim Museum, Fran convinces Mr. Sheffield to have it at her aunt Frieda's bar. While the place is not nearly as fancy as the museum, Fran has to solve a very important family feud before the party can happen: her mother and Frieda haven't spoken to each other since 1979. The two make peace, but when Frieda comes out of the bathroom, her butt is showing and she blames Sylvia for the same embarrassment when they first fought. They start a food fight which quickly spreads to the whole party in a huge food war. When Mr. Sheffield walks in, he is shocked to see that scene and just when he's about to twist nanny Fine's neck Maggie thanks him for the best party ever.

    Director: Dorothy Lyman

    Writer: N/A

  • The Bank Robbery
    8.3/10 341 votes

    #9 - The Bank Robbery

    Season 4 Episode 16 - Aired 1997-02-12

    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

  • Fran's Gotta Have It
    8.3/10 342 votes

    #10 - Fran's Gotta Have It

    Season 4 Episode 26 - Aired 1997-05-21

    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

  • The Finale, Part 1
    8.3/10 306 votes

    #11 - The Finale, Part 1

    Season 6 Episode 21 - Aired 1999-05-12

    C.C. flees after Niles proposes again. Fran runs after her and gets stuck in an elevator with her and goes into labor.

    Director: Peter Marc Jacobson

    Writer: N/A

  • The Butler, the Husband, the Wife and Her Mother
    8.2/10 515 votes

    #12 - The Butler, the Husband, the Wife and Her Mother

    Season 1 Episode 6 - Aired 1993-12-08

    Niles poses as Fran's husband to impress her visiting relatives.

    Director: Lee Shallat Chemel

    Writer: Prudence Fraser, Robert Sternin

  • The Whine Cellar
    8.2/10 420 votes

    #13 - The Whine Cellar

    Season 2 Episode 10 - Aired 1994-11-14

    C.C.'s vision for a romantic weekend hit a snag when she and Fran end up locked inside Maxwell's wine cellar together.

    Director: Lee Shallat Chemel

    Writer: Prudence Fraser, Robert Sternin

  • What the Butler Sang
    8.2/10 415 votes

    #14 - What the Butler Sang

    Season 2 Episode 22 - Aired 1995-02-27

    Maxwell hears Niles singing and asks him to sing for his backers' audition. Meanwhile, Fran clashes with her sister Nadine.

    Director: Lee Shallat Chemel

    Writer: Prudence Fraser, Robert Sternin

  • The Engagement
    8.2/10 321 votes

    #15 - The Engagement

    Season 5 Episode 15 - Aired 1998-03-04

    Fran is thrilled to tell the family that Maxwell has told her he loved her, and this time he didn't take it back! Everybody is happy for her (except for C.C.) and congratulate Fran. Maxwell reveals to Niles that he bought an engagement ring and is going to propose to Fran tonight. He, of course, can't keep a secret and tells Fran, who tells Sylvia, in a chain reaction that results in virtually everybody knowing about it. Maxwell asks Fran to invite her family over because they're having a very important dinner at the Rainbow Room and they should all be there. All the Sheffield and Fine families gather and wait for Maxwell, who never shows up. Afraid something happened to him (because she was sure he wouldn't just leave her waiting), Fran goes after him, and finds a passed out Mr. Sheffield behind the theater. He was knocked out by burglars who stole his watch and Fran's ring. Nevertheless, he proposes to Fran.

    Director: Dorothy Lyman

    Writer: N/A

  • Everybody Needs a Bubby Sometimes
    8.1/10 420 votes

    #16 - Everybody Needs a Bubby Sometimes

    Season 2 Episode 3 - Aired 1994-09-26

    Grandma Yetta stays with Fran and the Sheffields while her retirement home is being fumigated.

    Director: Lee Shallat Chemel

    Writer: Prudence Fraser, Robert Sternin

  • Canasta Masta
    8.1/10 405 votes

    #17 - Canasta Masta

    Season 2 Episode 16 - Aired 1995-01-09

    After Brighton joins Sylvia's canasta team, Fran is dumped from it.

    Director: Lee Shallat Chemel

    Writer: Dana Reston, Prudence Fraser, Robert Sternin

  • The Will
    8.1/10 378 votes

    #18 - The Will

    Season 2 Episode 17 - Aired 1995-01-16

    Maxwell draws up a will which states that Fran will remain nanny in the event of his death. Meanwhile, she thinks that a fax of a potential client's heart-sensitive diet given to Niles is really for Maxwell.

    Director: N/A

    Writer: Peter Marc Jacobson, Prudence Fraser, Robert Sternin, Fran Drescher

  • Oy Vey, You're Gay
    8.1/10 386 votes

    #19 - Oy Vey, You're Gay

    Season 3 Episode 7 - Aired 1995-10-23

    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

  • The Facts of Lice
    8.1/10 329 votes

    #20 - The Facts of Lice

    Season 4 Episode 18 - Aired 1997-03-05

    After Niles is depressed about his life as a butler, he begins to act strange and while he is cleaning, he drops a piece of paper containing a list of items that convinces Fran that Niles is possibly a murderer due to his recent strange behavior and the contents of his list. A search of his room confirms her suspicions. During a stormy night, Maxwell takes the children out for dinner leaving Fran and Niles alone. Niles approaches Fran and she thinks Niles is about to murder her. He confronts Fran about how she knows what he is up to when in fact he is simply writing a play.

    Director: Dorothy Lyman

    Writer: N/A

  • First Date
    8.1/10 330 votes

    #21 - First Date

    Season 5 Episode 2 - Aired 1997-10-08

    Maxwell invites Fran to be his date at the very exclusive dinner party given by Elton John to celebrate Tantrums and Tiaras, the new film he and his partner, David Furnish, are premiering. Unfortunately, Fran's lurid past catches up with her when she appears in the film as the fam who prompted one of John's ""Tantrums"" by verbally abusing Elton. Yes, it's another Fine mess, and Fran--à la Lucy--goes to extraordinary lengths to hide her identity during dinner. Then, trying to hide her identity, she doesn't make a very good impression as Maxwell's date. Meanwhile, C.C. tries to cope with Maxwell's apparent preference for Fran over her.

    Director: Dorothy Lyman

    Writer: N/A

  • The Best Man
    8.1/10 290 votes

    #22 - The Best Man

    Season 5 Episode 21 - Aired 1998-05-06

    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

  • The Producers
    8.1/10 282 votes

    #23 - The Producers

    Season 6 Episode 16 - Aired 1999-06-09

    Fran tries to produce a play written by a friend of Niles and he confesses his love for C.C.

    Director: Peter Marc Jacobson

    Writer: N/A

  • The Dummy Twins
    8.1/10 277 votes

    #24 - The Dummy Twins

    Season 6 Episode 17 - Aired 1999-06-16

    Fran is coaching Niles in his unappreciated courtship of C.C. Finally Niles calls her pathetic and lonely after which the Sheffields find them in bed together.

    Director: N/A

    Writer: Ivan Menchell

  • Yetta's Letters
    8.1/10 308 votes

    #25 - Yetta's Letters

    Season 6 Episode 18 - Aired 1999-06-16

    Maxwell uses Yetta's letters as the basis for a play on Broadway beating out Andrew Lloyd Webber who also wanted to use them.

    Director: N/A

    Writer: N/A