The Nanny: Season 06 (1998)

Season five of The Nanny ended with newlyweds Fran Fine (Fran Drescher) and Maxwell Sheffield (Charles Shaughnessy) both falling over the rail of their honeymoon cruise ship. The opening episode of the series' sixth and final season reveals that Fran and Maxwell have managed to avoid a watery grave by swimming to a deserted island. But before the series can evolve into a neo-Gilligan's Island, the couple is rescued and flown back to New York City, where Fran promptly adopts Maxwell's three children: 22-year-old Maggie (Nicholle Tom), 16-year-old Brighton (Benjamin Salisbury), and 12-year-old Grace (Madeline Zima). In a later two-part episode, our heroine is told that there will soon be one more youngster in the Sheffield household -- but alas, Fran's obstetrician, Dr. Reynolds (Nora Dunn), informs Fran that her pregnancy test was a "false positive." Having not succeeded, Fran and Maxwell try, try again, and in the episode "The Yummy Mummy" it is confirmed beyond all doubt that Fran is "with child." Ultimately, she gives birth to twins in the series finale, which also establishes the fact that the Sheffield family will soon be relocating to Los Angeles. Meanwhile, Maxwell's butler, Niles (Daniel Davis), who has spent the past six years in a war of insults with his boss' bitchy business partner, C.C. (Laura Lane), surprises everyone -- himself included -- by asking C.C. to become his wife. Her first impulse is to laugh in his face, which she does; but given time to think, she realizes that she and Niles are made for each other. Although this would the last season of The Nanny, there was no slackening of the series' commitment to featuring celebrity guest stars as "themselves." This year's crop of big names includes Whoopi Goldberg, Lynn Redgrave, former Beverly Hillbillies leading lady Donna Douglas, game show host Bob Goen -- and, in the episode "The Baby Shower," Fran Drescher herself! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi