Even at 27, I still often ask myself, “What do I want to be when I grow up?” After binge-watching episode after episode of “The Nanny” on HBO Max, I’ve finally decided that the answer to that age-old question is definitely Fran Fine. I’m not interested in childcare, or even dating a wealthy British theater producer. But I want what Fran has: confidence, intelligence, and totally iconic outfits.
For anyone who doesn’t know, “The Nanny” follows Fran Fine, a 29-year-old woman from Flushing who accidentally takes care of three wealthy kids. The show’s perfect theme song sums up the premise perfectly—”She’s the lady in red when everyone else is wearing tan / The flashy girl from Flushing, the nanny’s name is Fran”—and will haunt you for months if you hear it once.
Fran stands out in many ways on the show: She’s Jewish, she’s loud, and she doesn’t come from a wealthy family. But the reserved and restrained demeanor of the Sheffield family begins to crumble when Fran gets around. In a way, “The Nanny” is like wish fulfillment. Not because an unqualified woman can show up at a wealthy family’s home and get hired, but because she can be so well-liked by (almost) everyone she meets.
I never thought of Fran as the embodiment of style and warmth. I remember as a kid, watching the show from time to time and thinking, “Fran is so loud. She’s too much! Her laugh! It’s so annoying!” But looking at Fran now, I see that outrageousness as a good thing; I realize now that the thoughts I had for her were actually the thoughts I had for myself.
As a teenager, I was constantly focused on how I felt like I was “too much” for everyone around me, and I tried my best to fit in by being normal and quiet. I remember wearing my Jewish hair curly and wavy until it became straight and greasy, burning my forehead in the process, and buying the wrong shade of concealer at the drugstore to cover up my acne.
I was even voted “most annoying freshman” on an anonymous college website. My only hobbies in high school were musicals and crying. No wonder seeing someone as confident as Fran Fine awakened something inside me. Everything I tried to hide about myself, she proudly owned.
Now, as I rewatch the show as an adult, “The Nanny” has become a daily craving. Even when the plot seems stale or boring, I’m always drawn in by the density of the jokes, the ease of a laugh track, and of course the costumes. And now that I’m more comfortable with myself, I see Fran differently. I can’t believe how much I internalized this strong, charismatic, and funny woman. (Yes, I can still find her laugh annoying, but I digress.)
What makes Fran so compelling is that her intensity is actually confidence. When the kids she babysits are neurotic, rude, or downright pathetic, she’s the one who fits in best with the group. Fran never uses innuendo, making it feel like she ends every sentence with a question?
She’ll make witty retorts while wearing a fruit-covered Moschino jacket. Like the playground joke, Fran’s rubber, everyone is glue, whatever they say bounces off her and sticks to them.
Fran has a few haters—namely, Mr. Sheffield’s producing partner, C.C. She’s the epitome of WASPiness. But her ice queen antics don’t work on Fran, who sees right through her. If this were a teen comedy, the protagonist would undergo a transformation with a montage of Blondie songs in an attempt to become a popular kid. But this isn’t a teen comedy; Fran has grown up and sees C.C. for who she is, while mocking her mercilessly.
We’ve seen this Pygmalion story so many times before, where some rich people try to change someone who is considered a lower class. But instead of falling apart like Eliza Doolittle before her, Fran doesn’t lose focus on herself for a minute.
It’s refreshing to see a show co-created by a Jewish woman with tons of jokes about Jews sprinkled throughout the script. Even in 2021, many of those jokes are still relatable and timeless. I was surprised and delighted by the relatable plots that aired, like Fran going crazy over getting front-row seats to see Barbra Streisand.
As I continued to watch “The Nanny,” a heavy-handed sitcom, I felt
