NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather forecasts

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
    • The Great NZ Road Trip
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
    • Cooking the Books
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • What the Actual
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Entertainment

Fran Drescher reveals the alternate series ending she wanted for The Nanny

By Nick Bond
news.com.au·
25 Jun, 2018 04:58 AM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

The adult cast of the Nanny were all paired up. Photo / Supplied

The adult cast of the Nanny were all paired up. Photo / Supplied

When The Nanny wrapped up in 1999, everything seemed to be picture-perfect.

Maxwell Sheffield and Fran Fine were married with two kids of their own and heading off to California to start a new life.

The family's delightfully witty butler Niles had just gotten hitched to his longtime rival C.C. Babcock and they were about to become parents themselves.

After watching the sexual tension between both couples throughout the series, it was the ending fans all thought they wanted — but as co-creator and star Fran Drescher, 60, has since admitted, it actually ended up killing the show.

In fact, given her way, Drescher would have starred in a very different series finale.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"I would have written a great season finale, but not changed the dynamic of the relationship [between Fran and Maxwell]," she explained to news.com.au.

"So the show would have ended with her being the nanny of the kids, and him being her boss but the two of them sharing a certain attraction that never got realised."

But unfortunately, it wasn't her call.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"Honestly, I would have preferred not to wrap the show up the way it was at all," Drescher said.

Maxwell and Fran's wedding. Photo / Supplied
Maxwell and Fran's wedding. Photo / Supplied

Despite recent talk of a Nanny reboot, Drescher is very wary about how it could even work.

"It's hard to reboot the show because it's not 'The Nanny' anymore. They got married, they had kids … so it would kind of have to be the same characters, you know, 20 years later."

It's a sentiment echoed firmly by her former co-star Daniel Davis, who played Niles.

Discover more

Entertainment

The insane cost of being a Real Housewife

07 Apr 08:00 AM
Entertainment

Austin Powers star hospitalised

07 Apr 05:00 AM
Entertainment

Infidelity, abuse: Divorce to get messy

08 Apr 04:30 AM
Entertainment

Mel B's beautician helped cover bruises

09 Apr 02:30 AM

As he told news.com.au in late 2016, his character's love story never made sense to him.

"That's the only part that I never really bought, to tell you the truth," he admitted.

"C.C. and I had been so oil and water — I didn't buy that we would end up married. But I had to play it, because that's what they wrote … I don't think I've ever expressed that to anyone before!"

CC and Niles never made much sense as a pair. Photo / Supplied
CC and Niles never made much sense as a pair. Photo / Supplied

While Drescher told news.com.au she was thankful for the fact that the extra season meant "more revenue for all of us", she agreed with Davis.

"I think Daniel was right, I don't know if that was the way it should have gone. But it wasn't our doing and if we wanted to get a sixth season out of it, there was certain criteria we had to meet."
For decades, Drescher has been famous for her incredibly unique nasal voice, but if she'd listened to her agent when she was starting out, her career could have gone a very different way.

"At one early stage, I was encouraged by my representation to try and be a little more diverse in how I present myself, and after trying several times, it became clear to me that I was already too established as 'that comedian with the funny voice'," she told news.com.au.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"I kind of decided that if I could play different women who come from New York and have a sense of humour, who am I to complain? And I never got bored playing the characters that the industry wanted me to play most."

It's that iconic voice that's seen Drescher become one of the most popular characters in the animated comedy franchise Hotel Transylvania, which also stars Adam Sandler, Andy Samberg, David Spade, Selena Gomez and Kevin James.

The actress has reprised her role as Eunice for the third instalment, Hotel Transylvania 3: A Monster Vacation and claimed she'll keep doing the movies "as long as they keep making them."

"It's just such a fun opportunity to work with such great comic talent — I'm very proud to keep being asked back," Drescher gushed.

"Adam Sandler, I adore him — he's so easygoing and fun. Kevin James is fun — and Selena Gomez is really such a doll."

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Entertainment

Entertainment

Tom Brady reveals Netflix roast was hard on his children

08 May 06:02 AM
Entertainment

Aussie star on why the South Island is perfect for a zombie apocalypse

08 May 02:00 AM
Entertainment

Hollywood stars descend on Nepal to film Everest biopic

07 May 06:00 AM

Sponsored: Top tier tiles - faux or refresh

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Entertainment

Tom Brady reveals Netflix roast was hard on his children

Tom Brady reveals Netflix roast was hard on his children

08 May 06:02 AM

The roast included jokes about his split from model Gisele Bundchen.

Aussie star on why the South Island is perfect for a zombie apocalypse

Aussie star on why the South Island is perfect for a zombie apocalypse

08 May 02:00 AM
Hollywood stars descend on Nepal to film Everest biopic

Hollywood stars descend on Nepal to film Everest biopic

07 May 06:00 AM
Pike River film to premiere in Sydney, images of movie's stars Melanie Lynskey and Robyn Malcolm released

Pike River film to premiere in Sydney, images of movie's stars Melanie Lynskey and Robyn Malcolm released

07 May 03:13 AM
Sponsored: How much is too much?
sponsored

Sponsored: How much is too much?

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • What the Actual
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven CarGuide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP