Plot: What’s it about?
Fran Fine (Fran Drescher) has been through tough times, but perhaps none as tough as now, as she finds herself in a patch of bad luck. She was fired from her job, which is bad enough, but then her boyfriend left her in her darkest hour. A lot of people would shut down under such intense stress, but Fran pushes on and while hurt, she knows brighter times lay ahead. In order to make ends meet, she sells cosmetics door to door and while that is a hard sell, she is an expert. After all, her hair is always perfect and she wears a beautiful assortment of makeup to enhance her already gorgeous looks. As she travels through Manhattan, she knocks on door after door, but behind one door waits her future. The home belongs to Maxwell Sheffield a wealthy widower from London who now works on Broadway productions. When she is thought to be interested in the position of nanny, she is hired and soon enough, her life is changed forever.
I have never been a fan of sitcoms, I love the animated ones, but the live action shows are a hard sell, as they all seem so alike. I do like some sitcoms, as I think everyone does, but nine of out ten times, I’d rather not sit down with a sitcom. The Nanny was a smash hit as far as sitcoms are concerned, with impressive ratings and a long run that most shows would love to have. Fran Drescher cemented herself as a star, with her performance as a woman from Queens in an aristocratic household. Of course, this is basically a reversal of Who’s the Boss?, which Tony Danza was a guy from the streets who worked for a rich woman. But in the world of sitcoms, originality is rare and the fish out of water tale is a frequent cornerstone. I watched a few episodes of The Nanny when it was on and I have to say, I was never a fan. The show isn’t bad, as far as sitcoms go, but it seemed like the same stuff I’d seen before, just new faces. But if you’re a fan of The Nanny, then this first season collection will be welcome with open arms, as Sony’s treatment is more than solid.
Video: How does it look?
The episodes are presented in full frame, as intended. This looks as good as it did when shown on television, with enhanced sharpness to up the ante a shade. The image is clean and very sharp, a solid looking presentation that should please fans. The show has some decent visuals to soak in, but remains mostly basic in approach, so while the episodes look good, they won’t dazzle the audience. But colors come through in bold and beautiful form, while contrast is stark and provides well balanced black levels at all times. Not a dynamic visual effort, but a solid one and in truth, we couldn’t ask for much more here.
Audio: How does it sound?
A basic, but acceptable stereo option is used here, which seems to be adequate, though unimpressive. As this is a dialogue driven drama however, I’m not sure how much more we could expect in terms of audio presence. The surround channels are usually silent, but are sometimes used to enhance atmosphere and the musical soundtrack, though even then you won’t be overly joyed with the results. The dialogue is smooth and crisp also, so all the zingers sound great here. This release also includes subtitles in Portuguese, French, and Spanish, should you need those.
Supplements: What are the extras?
In what is sure to delight some and horrify others, Drescher has supplied audio comments over three episodes. I am always in favor of audio commentary tracks on television shows, but I didn’t get much of these three sessions. Drescher tells some humorous stories and lets us know how she enjoyed working with certain cast members, but this is pure fluff. Then again, I doubt anyone wants in depth technical analysis when it comes to a show like this one. A collection of retrospective interviews is also found here and fans will love this stuff, as cast members recall the show’s production. Drescher returns and even reveals how the show was born, as well as other stories and memories.
