MovieChat Forums > The Nanny (1993) Discussion > Fran Drescher Is My Lucy

Fran Drescher Is My Lucy

posted 9 years ago by trishadee
14 replies | jump to latest

A generation of TV viewers know that Lucille Ball was (and always will be) the Queen of Comedy, thanks to her four sitcoms: "I Love Lucy," "The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour," "The Lucy Show" and "Here's Lucy," which aired on CBS for a record 23 years as well as her short-lived ABC sitcom from the 1986-87 season "Life with Lucy." As a second generation TV viewer, my Lucy is none other than Fran Drescher, co-creator, executive producer, writer and star of the hit 1993-99 CBS sitcom "The Nanny."

Both Ball and Drescher had something in common. They served as executive producers of their respective hit shows, they hired the same writers and producers for each of their sitcoms (Ball employed Bob Carroll Jr., Madelyn Pugh [later Davis] and Bob Weiskopf for "I Love Lucy," "The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour," "The Lucy Show," "Here's Lucy" and "Life with Lucy," while Drescher brought back Frank Lombardi, Diane Wilk and Caryn Lucas for "Living with Fran," which aired on the now defunct WB Network from 2005 to 2006 and TV Land's "Happily Divorced" from 2011 to 2013 after they worked on "The Nanny"). While Ball had her own kind of comedic talent, beauty and style, Drescher takes the cake with her over-the-top fashion sense and trademark nasal Queens accent. To me, she's beautiful, sexy, funny and has many talents.

I had the opportunity of meeting Drescher on May 8, 2002 at Borders bookstore (which is now out of business) in Chicago where she signed copies of her second autobiography "Cancer Schmancer," and I took a picture with her. It was the most unforgettable time of my life.

Hopefully, like "I Love Lucy," I'm sure that "The Nanny" will be enjoyed by later generations of TV viewers for up to 65 years or more.

[–] Katzi428 9 years ago

You know trish, I think you're right about Fran being like Lucy(Lucille Ball) In "First Date" she didn't want Elton John knowing she was the one that yelled "YOO HOO!!" . So she dressed up like an old lady Lucy would have done the same thing to keep out of trouble.(It's funny how I was thinking the same thing when watching it earlier) But no one can replace our Lucy, right? 

"Soft Kitty, Warm kitty, little ball of fur. Happy Kitty, sleepy kitty purr purr purr!"

[–] number9-4 8 years ago

Fran is so funny and really quite a good actress, in my opinion. I think I even have a few facial expressions I got from watching her so much growing up -- like when I'm annoyed, Fran does this face where she kind of almost snarls her lip like Elvis, which I find myself sometimes doing.

Also, I think on some level, her combination of sex appeal and comedy taught me, as a woman, to believe that I couldn't only be one or the other. The limiting categories women sometimes still face of beautiful = boring, vapid or mean and plain-looking = funny, smart or nice, I think were even more prevalent in the '90s. So she was really something of a pioneer, in a way.

[–] Manna-Fest 8 years ago

Yes, the show has been compared to I Love Lucy quite a bit, even though that show wasn't even the main inspiration for this one existing. But hey, the similarities caught on while the show was on the air that they just had to have the two meet and reference them: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7qf52VbbIQ. This scene was from Season 5 in one of the last episodes right before the wedding between Fran and Max. It doesn't even air in the reruns of this episode and I'm not sure why.

[–] blaque108 8 years ago

What scene is that? I'm trying to remember

[–] Manna-Fest 8 years ago

It's a dream sequence. The scene before it shows Fran getting into bed and that's where the Lucy scene begins.

[–] stefanheikel 8 years ago

I always assumed it had to do with paying the rights to the show.

[–] 8 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Manna-Fest 8 years ago

I don't see how it could have been that much that they had to take this out during all future reruns.

[–] trishadee 8 years ago

I hope the dream scene from the Season 5 finale when Fran and Lucy "met" is included in the DVD and on YouTube. This was, of course, the episode when Fran and Max got married.

[–] 8 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Manna-Fest 8 years ago

Um, what do you mean you "found" the scene? I already have it linked in a comment above I posted on August 18th. Did you not notice it?

[–] trishadee 8 years ago

No, I didn't notice your post at first. My apologies to you. I'll go ahead and delete my post from earlier today.

[–] Manna-Fest 8 years ago

Okay, good. 

Be sure to pay attention to things next time before posting. 

[–] trishadee 8 years ago

Don't worry, I will!