Fran Drescher is still open to a possible revival of “The Babysitter” — so far it’s just in the background. Instead, she’s focusing on a Broadway musical based on the beloved sitcom, with the help of the show’s creator Peter Marc Jacobson and Rachel Bloom.
“Everything is developing in a really healthy way. As soon as this child has legs and gets back on his feet, then we can re-explore the reboot of the “Nanny”. “The way I looked in this show would be the way I would want the babysitter to look if we ever did a reboot. Actually, we’re going with another show for me right now. And we will see. If it doesn’t sell out, maybe it’s time to go back to “Nanny” on TV.”
She added: “Either with the original line-up, or with a completely new line-up, move it to the moment and just remake it in a more modern way, but not in the 90s, but in the 2020s. There are many possibilities when it comes to.”
Originally aired for six seasons on CBS from 1993 to 1999, “The Babysitter” followed Fran Fine (Drescher), a Queens native who babysits three children and eventually falls in love with her Broadway producer, father Maxwell Sheffield, played by Charles Shaughnessy. The comedy also stars Daniel Davis, Lauren Lane, Nicole Tom, Benjamin Salisbury and Madeleine Winter.
She also hopes that the “global message” of the series resonates with viewers even today. “It doesn’t matter how you look or how you speak, what matters is what’s in your heart. And I think that message is probably more important today than ever,” the “In Debt” actress explained. “And treating children with respect and respecting them as people, and not talking down to them, is very important. Being tolerant of those who are not like you is a daily practice. Making kindness and compassion your compass is also a daily practice and the reason we live on this earth.”
The nanny made Drescher a household name, and since then she has appeared in the films “Life with Fran”, “Happy Divorce”, the franchise “Hotel Transylvania” and many others. But over the years, the star has become more selective in choosing roles.
“I’m not trying to do it anymore. I did it so I can be a little more picky about what I do because I’m not building a career. I already have one. And I’m older. So, you know, I don’t do night shoots at all anymore. This is a violation of the terms of the deal. I won’t live in a hotel where the windows don’t open. This is a violation of the terms of the deal,” she told us about how she now makes decisions about projects. “It really has to be well written, and my character has to move the plot forward. It can’t be a character that can be funny on the page, but it’s very easy to raise it in the editing room.… I have to be an integral part of the development of history.”
She continued, “If it’s a big commitment, I mean the money should be there. The project should also have its own money. I don’t want to make a movie, and it never opens, you know what I mean? It’s a lot of work, and I want it to be a legitimate production. Whereas when I first started, I really did anything, and of course a lot of indie stuff. And you hoped it would come out, but you never knew. Or sometimes it went straight to the cable, and sometimes straight to the video. You just don’t know. And so I think the character should be well written and should be whole. And these are the two most important things.”
