Fran Drescher in "The Nanny Reunion: A Nosh To Remember"
courtesy of Lifetime
"The Nanny Reunion: A Nosh To Remember" (Lifetime)

Fran Drescher and most of the cast of the hit TV series "The Nanny" gathered at her beach house in California for a dinner and conversation. The gathering was filmed and is presented on Lifetime this month in a show titled "The Nanny Reunion: A Nosh To Remember." Drescher's parents also joined the group and the evening is spent reminiscing about the show and the friendships that were formed.

The first guest to arrive is Renee' Taylor who played Fran's mother on the show. Taylor was one of the highlights on the series and she is also one of the best parts of this reunion show. She is bright, brassy and blonde. She has a load of wisecracks ready to fall from her lips and is as enjoyable now as she was back then.

The series ran from 1993 thru 1999 on CBS. Charles Shaughnessy co-starred as Mr. Sheffield, the Nanny's love interest. Her rival for his attention was played by Lauren Lane. Both of these actors show up for the dinner along with Ann Guilbert who played Fran's grandmother and Rachel Chagnall who played the Nanny's best friend Val.

Nicholle Tom, Benjamin Salisbury and Madeline Zima played Mr. Sheffield's three children and these actors also come to the party. But Danny Davies who played the butler is nowhere to be seen. There is a half-hearted joke made about his absence that involves Danny Bonaduce, but it falls flat.

The show itself is full of outtakes and other scenes from the show but the humor never seems to take hold. The actors are not terribly comfortable with each other and that makes the audience uncomfortable too. Plus the years have not been kind to some of the performers.

Fran Drescher is a funny lady and her show was a deserved hit. Still strolling down memory lane is not a good idea for her. She was bright and funny when the series was on but she seems a little too quiet and lackluster now. The spark of comedy is not shining as bright in her.

"The Nanny Reunion: A Nosh To Remember" is fun for a few minutes but gets old, along with the actors, quickly. Better you remember them as they were in the series, than as they are now and in real life.

"The Nanny Reunion: A Nosh To Remember" airs on Lifetime, December 6 at 8PM.

 

 

 

 

 

©2004 Jackie K. Cooper

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