The Nanny Season #1

THE NANNY

SEASON #1:

EPISODE #1: PILOT – Fran gets a job as a nanny for the Sheffields after being fired from her job at the fiancee’s bridal store. Fran Fine, the Jewish girl from Flushing, Queens, worked at the bridal shop of her fiancée Danny. When she was expecting a ring on her finger, she got a foot on her butt. Unemployed, she become a door-to-door cosmetic seller and that’s how she knocked on the Sheffields residence. Maxwell Sheffield, a successful Broadway producer, needed a nanny for the weekend and by lack of better options hired Fran. She quickly made a big impact on his three children’s lives, but after an argument with Mr. Sheffield she was fired. Seeing that Fran Fine was just what he needed in his life, Mr. Sheffield hired her back. This time, for good.

EPISODE #2: SMOKE GETS IN YOUR EYES – Fran want Maxwell to be more involved in his children’s lives. The latest request Fran puts in front of Maxwell is for him and the entire family to attend a carnival at Brighton’s school. Maxwell declines because of work commitments. However, Fran is relieved that Maxwell will not be going when Brighton is caught smoking at school. What’s worse for Fran is that Brighton got the idea to smoke from a story she told him. Brighton originally decides to blackmail Fran into not telling Maxwell, but ultimately Fran feels she needs to tell Maxwell. First however, Maxwell is too busy to listen to anything Fran has to tell him about his children. But when Maxwell decides to go to the carnival where he would be speaking to Brighton’s Headmaster, Fran has no choice but to tell him about Brighton being caught smoking. Brighton,, however, does not tell on Fran. Later, Fran does tell Maxwell that she inadvertently gave Brighton the idea. Maxwell is initially angry with Fran, but he also realizes that Brighton did not tell on Fran, meaning that he has bonded with his new nanny, a first for him. But they still need to show Brighton the hazards of smoking. Fran decides to pull out the big guns: a meeting between Brighton and Fran’s chain smoking grandma, Yetta. When Brighton gets caught smoking in school, Fran takes him to see her Grandma Yetta to teach him a lesson. Trying to teach Brighton to be nicer to his sisters, Fran and Val tell him the story of a kid they knew who was meaner than him. Brighton takes that as a challenge and gets a note from his principal about being caught smoking. When Fran realizes that she might be Brighton’s “inspiration”, she decides to keep it from Mr. Sheffield. Fearing a retaliation from Brighton, she decides to tell him the truth, but is surprised when Brighton doesn’t blame her. Nonetheless, he still has to learn his lesson, so Fran takes Brighton to see her chain-smoking Grandma Yetta.

EPISODE #3: MY FAIR NANNY – Although she did it for her own selfish ulterior motives, C.C. has arranged with one of Maxwell’s wealthy investors, Maureen Wentworth, for Maggie to become a debutante. Maxwell and Fran think it’s a good idea. Maggie on the other hand doesn’t. Fran quickly discovers that Maggie’s reluctance is more fear as all the other pre-Deb’s she knows are popular and cliuquish. To alleviate Maggie’s fears, Fran gives her pointers on how to infiltrate a clique. Part for Fran’s grand scheme frightens C.C.: Fran plans to host a potluck mother-daughter debutante tea, which will include as guests Maureen and her head-of-clique daughter, Cindy. Both Maxwell and Niles also secretly worry about how Fran will come across to the snobbish upper class mothers. On Fran’s urging, Maxwell and Niles becomes Fran’s collective Professor Henry Higgins. The day of the party arrives and Fran looks the part and even sounds the part, but certain parts of Fran’s natural speech idioms can’t be hidden. But most importantly, Maggie and the other pre-Debs are bored, which makes Fran reverts the party back to Plan A. How will the society mothers react to the real Fran Fine? Fran hosts a tea party for Maggie and her friends in order to make Maggie fit in, but Maxwell is worried that Fran’s lack of class may ruin the sophisticated party.  C.C. announces that she has found a new investor for Maxwell’s play, Maureen Wentworth. Mrs. Wentworth is the mother of the most popular debutante at Maggie’s school, Cindy. Maggie is adamant against being a debutante, even if that means her father would lose a big investor. Fran assures Maggie that she would help her “fit in” and immediately starts making plans. Fran decides to host a debutante tea party for Maggie’s rich friends and Mr. Sheffield gives Fran etiquette lessons so she won’t scare his investors away. He shows her how to walk, talk, dress and eat correctly. The party is a total bore until Fran changes into herself again. The guests love Fran for who she really is and Maxwell gets new investors for his play.

EPISODE #4: THE NUCHSLEP – When Fran orders Chinese food, the delivery boy ends up being Eddie, the waiter at Maxwell’s investors party who gave Maggie her first ever kiss. Maggie is excited to see Eddie again. Eddie is excited to see Maggie again. Fran is excited until she realizes that she has to tell Maxwell that Maggie and Eddie are planning to go on a date. The only way that Maxwell will let Maggie on the date is if Fran chaperons. Surprisingly, Maggie is glad that Fran will be there as she’s nervous about being alone with a boy on her first ever date. Although Maggie thinks the date went not too well since she was so quiet due to her shyness, Maggie’s depression turns to anger when Eddie wants to date Fran instead. Fran needs to clear the air with Maggie and decides to do so by becoming girlfriends with her instead of the nanny and the two of them living by the “girlfriend’s official code” OGC as Fran calls it. But the OGC isn’t needed when Eddie explains why he wanted to talk to Fran alone. Meanwhile, Maxwell, on hands and knees, gives C.C. an unexpected birthday present. Fran and Maggie end up fighting after Maggie’s boyfriend gets interested in Fran. Maxwell gives C.C. a dog for her birthday. Maggie has a date and Mr. Sheffield makes Fran tag along as a chaperone. When Eddie shows interest in Fran, Maggie gets angry with Fran for stealing her boyfriend. Fran promises to dump Eddie following the O.G.C. (Official Girlfriends Code), but turns out Eddie only wanted Fran to give Mr. Sheffield his resume so it didn’t look like was using Maggie .And Mr. Sheffield gives C.C. a dog for her birthday, but the dog seems to like Fran better than C.C.

EPISODE #5: HERE COMES THE BROOD – After C.C. tries to bond with the children, Gracie runs away to Fran’s parents’ house. C.C.’s desperate attempt to bond with the children results in Grace running away to Fran’s house in Flushing after C.C. tells her that Fran only likes her because she is paid to do so. Fran takes Grace to her cousin’s wedding and tells C.C. never to mess with her children again.

EPISODE #6: THE BUTLER, THE HUSBAND, THE WIFE AND HER MOTHER – Niles has to pose as Fran’s husband when her relatives come to visit .Things get even more complicated when the Butler Association comes to evaluate Niles and when Maxwell comes home unexpectedly. Fran’s relatives from Boca are visiting and Sylvia gets Fran to pose as Mr. Sheffield’s wife so they can show off to their relatives. Mr. Sheffield was out taking the kids to the museum, so Fran gets Niles to pose as Mr. Sheffield .Right in the middle of that, two butlers from the National Butler’s Association drop by to check on Nile’s performance, which they’ll judge to see if Niles can get in the Association or not. They try to get rid of the butlers, but Mr. Sheffield arrives just in time. Reluctant at first, he gives in to this charade and acts as if he was Niles. The whole scheme falls apart when Fran decides to tell the truth after Brighton sets an example for her about lying to please the parents. But Mr. Sheffield still manages to get Niles approved to the Association, with a little help from Fran.

EPISODE #7: IMAGINARY FRIEND – Grace has an imaginary friend and invisible-to-the-rest-of-the-world friend named Imogene. Both Maxwell and Fran are increasingly concerned about “Imogene.” Maxwell thinks Grace should increase her visits to the therapist, Dr. Voort, whereas Fran thinks she should decrease her visits and replace that time with some fun activity. They decide to take Fran’s course of action. All is going well with Grace until Fran accidentally eats Imogene in front of Grace. Grace is further traumatized. As they are unable to contact Dr. Voort, Maxwell and Fran don’t know what to do to comfort Grace. Fran decides appropriate thing to do is hold a funeral for Imogene. After the funeral, Maxell and Fran have a chance talk to Dr. Voort. Dr. Voort’s diagnosis of the situation surprises Fran. True to Dr. Voort’s diagnosis, Grade admits really what happened to Imogene. Meanwhile, Maggie is taking piano lessons. Everyone in the house and within earshot wishes she didn’t. Fran accidentally eats Grace’s imaginary friend Imogene. Fran accidentally eats Grace’s imaginary friend, which causes a lot of pain for her. But after making an imaginary funeral, Grace’s therapist tells Fran that Grace only eliminated her imaginary friend because now she is secure enough because she has something to trust again –Fran.

EPISODE #8: CHRISTMAS EPISODE – Fran and the kids prepare to celebrate Christmas alone when Maxwell and C.C. have to go on a business trip. Christmas time is here. Mr. Sheffield has to go to Washington for the holidays, leaving his children with Fran. Counting on a fat Christmas bonus, Fran buys gifts for everyone, but Mr. Sheffield surprises her with a present instead. Fran has no option but to pawn her late grandmother’s watch to pay for the gifts .Niles tells Mr. Sheffield who at the last minute leaves C.C. at the airport to help Fran. He accidentally sits on the vase he gave Fran and is taken to the hospital, where a man dressed as Santa is also admitted (he was hit by a blonde at the airport). Gracie thanks the man for her gift: Her dad home for Christmas. When Fran decides to invite him to celebrate Christmas with them, he’s gone and Christmas bells are heard outside the window.

EPISODE #9: PERSONAL BUSINESS – Maxwell convinces Fran to go on a date with a soap opera star to get him to agree to appear in a play. After a soap opera star imposes a date with Fran to be on Mr. Sheffield’s upcoming play, Maxwell has to reconsider his rule about not mixing personal lives with business. Fran’s dream date is a big disappointment after the big star she loves turns out to be a first class jerk. Maxwell and C.C. are trying to find a leading man for their next show. They decide on Brock Storm, the not too bright but handsome star of the soap opera One Day After Another. Fran is excited at the prospect of meeting Brock. She may have more than just a meeting as Brock agrees to do their production with the stipulation that Fran is part of the package. Maxwell thinks that pimping Fran is reprehensible, but C.C. convinces him that they would be doing Fran a favor as she is Brock’s biggest fan, or at least the biggest fan of Dr. River Shane, the character he plays on the soap opera. Fran imagines that Brock is in real life just like Dr. Shane. Maxwell ultimately agrees to the arrangement, but is still worried for what Brock and Fran will end up doing as well as for what he considers a compromise of his own personal morals. Fran is thrilled, even after she finds out that she is just a pawn in the negotiations. Fran quickly finds out on their date Brock is nothing like Dr. River Shane, but is a vain self-absorbed cad. Maxwell is somewhat relieved that Fran was able to take care of herself and that nothing out of hand happened. But both Fran and Maxwell realize, despite Maxwell’s concerns, that mixing business with pleasure is bound to happen in their collective lives.

EPISODE #10: THE NANNY-IN-LAW – Maxwell’s old nanny comes to visit and complains about Fran’s job as a nanny. Maxwell’s old nanny comes to visit him and tries to get Fran to dress and act more properly. Fran, following her fellow nanny friends advice, changes her clothes for a uniform. After convincing Mr. Sheffield that Nanny Mueller has to leave, Fran has a heart-to-heart talk with her and realizes that underneath all the bitterness is just an old woman who devoted all her life to loving others. Fran is about to meet her previous generation incarnation, namely Maxwell’s nanny, Clara Mueller. Nanny Mueller is a tough career nanny. Fran gets the feeling that Nanny Mueller does not approve of her. Fran’s right. Fran doesn’t appreciate the fact that Nanny Mueller is usurping her authority with the kids, a feeling she expresses to Maxwell from whom she gets no sympathy. In fact, Maxwell suggests to Fran that she gain some nannying pointers from a professional. Fran then turns to her fellow neighborhood nannies for advice. They’re sure that Nanny Mueller is after Fran’s job. To keep her job, Fran decides to dress and play the part of a younger Nanny Mueller. After this transformation, Maxwell admits to Fran that he wants her back the way she was – he hired her because she wasn’t a proper nanny – and that Nanny Mueller has disrupted the household to its detriment. But Fran has a change heart about Nanny Mueller after they have a heart to heart about the life of a nanny. The collective they just have to find something useful for Nanny Mueller to do with her current life. But one person in the household thoroughly enjoyed Nanny Mueller’s stay in a more personal sense.

EPISODE #11: A PLOT FOR NANNY – Sylvia gets Fran plots at the cemetery for her birthday as a way to set her up with the mortuary manager. Sylvia gets Fran plots at the cemetery for her birthday as a way to set her up with the mortuary manager. When Fran’s setup date goes well, Mr. Sheffield tries to establish some limits for her. But he doesn’t have to go too far when Fran’s date decides to become a clown. As a birthday present for Fran, Sylvia gives Fran a cemetery plot. In reality, the present Sylvia is giving Fran is the handsome funeral director, Steve Mintz. The cemetery plot in part was Sylvia’s scheme for Steve and Fran to meet. Although Steve had no idea of Sylvia’s plan, he does fall for Fran. In turn, Fran is a little perturbed by Steve’s job, but she too falls for him. After a chat with Brighton, Maxwell realizes that none of his other nannies ever dated and that Fran may get married and leave some day. But on more immediate issues, Maxwell feels he needs to lay down house rules about bringing, or not bringing as the case may be, men into her room for more intimate encounters. But this immediate issue may not be a concern with Steve as Steve mentions to Fran the want for a career change to one that really does bother her. Meanwhile, Maggie starts dating an existentialist.

EPISODE #12: THE SHOW MUST GO ON – Maxwell volunteers Fran to produce Gracie’s school play. Mr. Sheffield volunteers Fran to direct Gracie’s school play but after seeing what she is doing he bumps her to producer and takes over. After overproducing the play, Maxwell can’t handle Gracie’s stage fright and Fran’s the one who has to come to the rescue. Maxwell and Fran attend a PTA meeting at Gracie’s school, the meeting where they will discuss the school’s upcoming production of Mother Goose’s Broadway. The PTA in general wants Maxwell to direct the show, but he wants nothing to do with it. He recommends Fran, who eagerly accepts as she wants to put Gracie into the first grade lead role to help her with her self confidence. As director, Fran dose give Gracie the lead despite other children having more stage presence. But it does give Grace great confidence that she has never displayed before, and she loves working with Fran. However, Maxwell just cannot tolerate what he sees as Fran’s amateurish production skills and decides to take over. He runs the production like a real Broadway show and acts as a tyrant toward who he sees as an under performing Gracie. Maxwell ultimately needs Fran’s help when right before the show, Gracie refuses to go on because of the way Maxwell treated her. Fran makes Maxwell realize that Gracie didn’t need the love of the audience which is what Maxwell wanted, but rather she just wanted the love of her father. But the show will go on. The remaining question is will the critics wish the show went on?

EPISODE #13: MAGGIE THE MODEL – Famous model Chloe Simpson gets Maggie interested in becoming a model, to Fran and Maxwell’s dislike. Chloe Simpson, a famous supermodel from the 60s comes to visit Maxwell, an old affair of hers. She talks Maggie into doing modeling jobs and Fran’s worried that Chloe will let her down. C.C. doesn’t like Chloe either, which actually brings she and Fran closer. Maggie is hurt, but realizes Fran was just trying to protect her after Chloe storms out of the country, leaving a disappointed Maxwell behind her. Chloe Simpson, one of Maxwell’s old girlfriend’s is coming for a visit. Chloe unceremoniously dumped Maxwell twenty years prior. Maxwell still has very fond memories of Chloe and his heart is still a flutter over her. Niles, on the other hand, has a more realistic and harsh view of Chloe as a self-centered man-eater. And C.C. hates Chloe as a potential rival for Maxwell’s affections. Chloe, a world renowned former model and now owner of her own modeling agency, sees on first sight model potential in Maggie. Chloe sets up a test photography session, which makes Maggie excited and a little full of herself. Fran’s view of Chloe starts to diminish as Chloe usurps Fran in Maggie’s life. Fran’s view completely deteriorates when at the test shoot, she overhears Chloe and the photographer’s discussion about how terrible Maggie is. After all is said and done, Chloe is hard and insensitive to Maggie about the test shoot. In the end, Chloe leaves the Sheffield’s lives as quickly as she swooped in, but her departure has a little less fanfare and much less anticipation.

EPISODE #14: THE FAMILY PLUMBING – Fran thinks Maxwell treats his children unfairly when Maggie is not allowed to go to a makeout party, but Brighton is encouraged after kissing a relative of Fran’s. Maggie has a party that Maxwell won’t let her go to and the house is running out of water. Fran calls her cousin Irving to fix it and he brings his granddaughter Tiffany with him. Fran catches Brighton and Tiffany kissing and Maxwell doesn’t do anything about it. Fran accidentally runs into Maxwell taking a shower and he is so embarrassed he lets Maggie go to her party. There is no water in the Sheffield house and with his regular plumber away, Maxwell, against his better judgment, allows Fran to call in her very elderly plumber cousin Irving to fix the pipes. With Irving comes his adolescent granddaughter Tiffany. Against this backdrop, much is happening in the Sheffield house that day. Maxwell and C.C. are auditioning for showgirls, much to Brighton, Niles and Maxwell’s delight. And Maxwell doesn’t allow fourteen year old Maggie to attend her first ever make out party. However he is thrilled when he finds out that eleven year old Brighton had his first grown up make out session with Tiffany. Fran makes Maxwell realize that he is setting a double standard for his gender and age different children. Later, after the pipes are fixed, Fran gets a thrill of her own, much to Maxwell’s embarrassment.