Not all spinoff series works out. ‘The Nanny’ had a failed backdoor pilot that most fans might not even realize was an attempt at a spinoff.
The Nanny had six successful seasons on CBS. The show’s initial success was so appealing to the network that they seriously considered producing a spinoff. A backdoor pilot aired; however, it was a bit of a failure. In the end, CBS opted not to pick up the series. If the network had greenlit the project, familiar faces from both Friends and Frasier would have played key roles.
A season 2 episode of ‘The Nanny’ was actually a failed backdoor pilot
The Nanny was a success from pretty early on in its run. The show was so successful that CBS hoped to capitalize on the concept with a spinoff. In season 2, The Nanny aired an episode that was supposed to serve as a backdoor pilot.
The season 2 episode, “The Chatterbox,” started with Nanny Fine helping an aspiring actor thrown out by her boyfriend find a job. Fran takes her to The Chatterbox, a beauty salon she and her mother both frequent. There, Fran introduces Mary Ruth to Mr. Anthony, the salon owner. He hires her as a shampoo girl. Before long, Mary Ruth gets involved in Mr. Anthony’s personal life, just like Fran involved herself in Mr. Sheffield’s business.
CBS worried that ‘The Chatterbox’ was too similar to ‘The Nanny’
The backdoor pilot never turned into a series. The concept was trashed when CBS executives decided that the The Nanny spinoff was too close to the original. According to Mental Floss, the spinoff was simply The Nanny set in a beauty parlor.
The proposed The Chatterbox series might have been too close to The Nanny for CBS executives, but The Nanny also got its inspiration elsewhere. The Fran Drescher lead sitcom is extremely similar to the 1970s series, The Nanny and the Professor. The only major premise difference was the fact that Nanny Fine was not psychic.
Actors from both ‘Friends’ and ‘Frasier’ were involved In the backdoor pilot
The 1994 failed backdoor pilot had a couple of familiar faces in it. Edward Hibbert portrayed the role of Claude, the receptionist at the Chatterbox. Hibbert is best known now for his work on Frasier. Hibbert portrayed Gil Chesterton, the fussy food critic.
Hibbert wasn’t the only familiar face in the season 2 episode. Lauren Tom also appeared in the failed The Nanny backdoor pilot. She portrayed a feisty nail technician. The Chatterbox might not have worked out, but Tom landed another significant role the same year. In 1995, Tom appeared on Friends as Ross Geller’s girlfriend, Julie. Her relationship with Ross was relatively short-lived, just like the lifespan of the potential The Nanny spinoff.
