> At a Glance
> – Fran Drescher reveals the real-life moment that birthed The Nanny
> – A 1991 London outing with Twiggy’s 12-year-old daughter planted the seed
> – A chance plane ride with CBS president Jeff Sagansky sealed the deal
> – Why it matters: The beloved 90s sitcom’s origin story shows how everyday moments can become pop-culture gold
A chance encounter in London and a serendipitous seatmate at 30,000 feet turned Fran Drescher’s quirky afternoon into the blueprint for one of television’s most enduring comedies.
The London Incident
While visiting Twiggy in 1991, Drescher found herself babysitting the model’s pre-teen daughter. The pair toured London until the girl complained her new shoes hurt.
Drescher’s blunt Queens solution: step on the backs. When the child asked if that would break them, Drescher retorted, “Break them in,” realizing she was prioritizing her own itinerary over the child’s comfort.
> “I couldn’t get this unorthodox relationship between an adult and a child out of my head,” Drescher tells News Of Los Angeles in her cover story. “I was telling her what was good for me.”
The Plane Pitch
Days later, Drescher boarded a flight and spotted CBS president Jeff Sagansky walking down the aisle.
> “Oh, my God, that’s the president of CBS,” she recalls thinking. “Thank you, Lord.”
She pitched him on the spot, landing a meeting and phoning writing partner (and then-husband) Peter Marc Jacobson with the logline: a Sound of Music twist where “instead of Julie Andrews, I come to the door.”
Network execs green-lit the concept immediately; The Nanny premiered in 1993 and ran six seasons.
Life After The Nanny
- 1999: Series finale airs after 146 episodes
- 2011-13: Drescher and Jacobson re-team for Happily Divorced, inspired by their post-marriage friendship after Jacobson came out
- 2025: Drescher cameos in Marty Supreme as Timothée Chalamet’s mother
> “People are obsessed with that show,” she says of fans who still quote The Nanny daily. “I feel very blessed by it!”
Key Takeaways
- A real-life afternoon with a tween inspired the fish-out-of-water premise
- Bold networking at 30,000 feet transformed an idea into a network commitment
- The Nanny remains a streaming favorite, proving timeless appeal
From broken-in shoes to broken ratings records, Drescher’s kismet-filled journey underscores how everyday annoyances can become comedy gold.
