The Nanny

I Don't Remember Mama

Season 1, Episode 22, Aired 5/16/94

Episode Summary

Fran convinces Maxwell and the children to celebrate mothers' day, by taking Grace to a mother-daughter beauty pageant, but another contestant complains about Fran not being Grace's mother, which makes Grace run home crying.

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Cast & Crew

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Ann Morgan Guilbert

Yetta Rosenberg
Fran Drescher

Fran Fine Sheffield
Charles Shaughnessy

Maxwell Sheffield

Fan Episode Reviews (1)

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One of the better episodes in a fairly lightweight series, but showing the best qualities of the show.

7.5

"Good"

By Mac-Ale, Aug 04, 2010 Report Abuse

Young Gracie does remember her mother after Fran goes to lengths to help her.

Much of this episode runs in strict Nanny formula -- in this case Fran trying to help the children, but getting involved in a situation with a lot of comedy value, Here, Fran performs with Gracie in a "mother" - daughter talent show that pits them against impossible competition.

What sets this episode apart is the interesting scenario of why Maxwell avoids Mother's Day since the death of his wife and how that is nicely picked up in the end when Fran convinces Maxwell to show home movies of life with the children when she was alive -- a thoughtful reminder that Fran has special insight into the family and is more than just a broadly drawn character from a different background. As usual in the series' best episodes, the comedic centerpoint of the story is supplanted by a small and more meaninful one. There are generally 1 or 2 episodes of this quality in every season of The Nanny, and along with some nice shticks that re-occur throughout the series, episodes like this are worth watching.moreless

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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Trivia
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- If you look when Fran puts in the tape that Mr. Sheffield gives her, you can see the white reels on the bottom of the tape, meaning that she put the tape in upsidedown. Edit
Notes
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- Patti LaBelle performs her hit song 'New Attitude' in this episode during the mother-daughter beauty pageant. Edit
- This episode was specially shown on Monday night. CBS moved The Nanny to Mondays for its 2nd season. Edit
- Fran Fine's home made videos were Fran Drescher's real life videos from when she was a child. Sylvia Drescher, Fran Drescher's real mother, makes an appearance as a young Sylvia Fine. Edit
Quotes
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- Brighton: So these are you from the olden days? Niles: Yes if you look hard, you can see a stegastaurous in the background. Edit
- Maxwell: Why is Gracie so upset? Fran: She has to go to the bathroom real bad? Maxwell: Miss Fine! Fran: Well this nutjob mother made this big stink because I'm not Gracie's mother I'm her nanny and Grace had to admit she doesn't have a mother, and it kind of went downhill from there. Edit
- C.C.: Nanny Fine's pageant has gone up in flames. Niles, break out the bubbly! Niles: You have no power here. (Waves his dust druffel) Be gone before someone drops a house on you! Edit
Allusions
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- Fran: I'm a fake? Let she who is without silicone cast the first stone. This is an allusion of the Jesus Christ's words of the Bible: "Let He Who Is Without Sin Cast The First Stone" to defend Mary Magdalene who was arrested for prostitution.
  Edit
- The title of this episode is based on the 1948 movie I Remember Mama. Edit
- Niles: (To C.C.) Be gone, before someone drops a house on you! This is a reference to The Wizard of Oz, and the Wicked Witch of the East. After the tornado, Dorothy's house landed on the witch, killing her and incurring the wrath of the Wicked Witch of the West. Edit