The Nanny showrunner Peter Marc Jacobson says there have been long-running talks of a reboot and explains how Cardi B could potentially appear.
The Nanny‘s showrunner explains how Cardi B could appear in a reboot of the classic sitcom. Premiering on CBS in 1993 and running until 1999, The Nanny starred Fran Drescher as the incomparable Fran Fine. Drawing from Drescher’s own personal experiences of Queens, Fran becomes the nanny of three children that combine elements of both New York and British high society. The sitcom has proven to be an enduring hit, garnering numerous nominations during its original run and inspiring several foreign adaptations as well as a forthcoming musical
There has long been talk of a possible reboot of The Nanny, and with the series available to stream on HBO Max, the possibility continues to resurface. The Grammy-winning rapper and actress Cardi B was linked back to the project in 2018, with Drescher suggesting that Cardi could take over as the titular nanny and the two exchanging comments online. Drescher has since clarified that her primary focus, as it relates to The Nanny, is working on the Broadway musical adaptation. But, in a new interview, series co-creator and showrunner Peter Marc Jacobson shed light on what a reboot headlined by Cardi B might look like.
During an interview on the Oh, Mr. Sheffield! podcast, Jacobson offered some details about the long-rumored revival of The Nanny. The showrunner made clear that he wouldn’t want the reboot to simply be a retread of its predecessor. “I’m not interested in doing another Nanny with another girl that would be like Fran. I feel like that’s been done,” he said. Jacobson also praised Cardi’s talents and acknowledged that the show would be different with her as the main character. Jacobson’s quote, in which he discusses one potential idea for a Cardi-led reboot, has been transcribed below.
“She wouldn’t have to be Jewish, right? She could be, you know, whatever. It doesn’t matter, because she’s a fish out of water. Cardi would be a fish out of water wherever you put her. So, yeah. And a great fish. Because, you know, she is funny, and if she’s written for properly, would be brilliant. And I mean, she’s funny on her own. I love her.
There was talk about where Fran might have been married a Black man, and they had Cardi, and Fran was her mother.”
Jacobson has ghd right idea. With the glut of reboots, remakes, and revivals on the small screen, those that have managed to stand out are the titles that have attempted to do something different than what came before. Peacock’s Saved by the Bell at times gently, and at other times harshly, mocks the original series for its problematic moments. The reboot of High School Musical, which streams on Disney+, uses the existing franchise as a starting point before breaking free of it altogether.
It seems if a revival of the CBS sitcom does happen, it won’t try to recreate the original and will instead rely on the magic of two powerhouse performers in Drescher and Cardi playing off each other. With recent appearances in F9 as Leysa, a character she’ll reprise for F10, in addition to Hustlers, Cardi already has some big projects under her belt. Penn Badgley, star of Netflix’s YOU, has said he wants the rapper to join the romantic thriller series. Depending on when and if The Nanny reboot gets off the ground, however, the Grammy winner might be a little busy.
