7/10
1993
Created By: Fran Drescher, Peter Marc Jacobsen
Protagonist(s): Fran Drescher, Charles Shaughnessy, Daniel Davis, Lauren Lane, Madeline Zima, Nicholle Tom, Benjamin Salisbury
Seasons on Air: 6
Episode Run-time: 22-24 minutes
When Fran Fine was simultaneously fired and dumped by her boss and boyfriend at the Bridal Shoppe in Flushing, Queens, she took up selling cosmetics door to door. When she knocked on the door of Maxwell Sheffield and learnt that they were interviewing for Nannies she seized the opportunity for a better job. While not at all impressed with the hastily lipstick-written resume, Sheffield was in a bind and let her have the job temporarily for lack of a better option.
While I have not seen every episode of I Love Lucy, I have seen enough to see clear parallels between the two series, and throughout the run of the series other series have been drawn in for comparison as well, such as the Dick Van Dyke Show.
There is very little actual originality in the series, though most of it revolves around being a Single Jewish Woman, Obesity vs Genes, Nosey Butlers, and general air-headedness grounded by the occasional common sense. The general order of things is that one of the main cast makes a silly/stupid mistake, covers it up, is found out, made to correct the mistake/blackmailed/learns a lesson. There are very few repercussions, and at the end of the episode everything mostly goes back to status quo.
A parade of semi-celebrities and actual celebrities runs through the series, and it is a rare occurrence for only the main cast and regular extras to be in an episode.
But for all its faults, it is mild enough for every member of the family to sit through, and the jokes are predictable enough that sensitive parents should have enough warning to mute the sound for the punchline.
I recommend this series for families.
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