Actresses that play neurotic really well. Maybe someone like Lisa Kudrow for example. I could see it turn into something great had they just switched Tracey Nelson to another actress. Watching through the episode and can see the potential but it was a fail. I think the only good bit in The Chatterbox might have been Claude (Edward Hibbert), who was pretty funny. I was pretty glad when in the tag they switched back to the mansion I love and Fran and Mr Sheffield. So there's no real storyline there - it seems she is just a bit loud and that is what makes her the antagonist. Except she isn't after Mr Anthony at all as she is married to a nice Jewish husband. The Chatterbox also had Kim the nail girl who I guess was the CC type antagonist. "Who is this woman who can thwart every one of my tricks without trying?" I liked how Brighton said "I hate her!" but was watching her with fascination. In The Nanny you instantly could see the rapport with Fran and the kids. It is like the script tells us they like each other, but we don't 'see' it. The kid seems whiny but takes to Mary-Ruth though there seems to be little chemistry. Mr Anthony is hunky but seems a bit dumb which limits what stories they could do. Maybe they were going for a That Girl style acting-job-of-the-week formula? That could have worked occasionally except the audience would always know the acting job wouldn't work out, as otherwise she'd be leaving the salon which would mean the end of the series. Mary-Ruth was an actress but wouldn't be receiving many Broadway stars as drop in guests as she was an unknown. What, the timid lead can get trashier, flashier? The salon staff learn to be more uptight? In The Chatterbox the main character Mary-Ruth (Tracey Nelson) was timid and repressed which clashed with the trashy and flashy salon. CC has romantic interest in Mr Sheffield but it isn't reciprocated. Big stars and rich family members can drop in to see Mr Sheffield. Fran can enjoy the fancy things and impart warmth and wisdom to a ritzy but 'cold' household. The Nanny seems cool because living in a fancy Manhattan mansion would be great, Fran's cool street smarts and warmth make it a funny clash. But each switch made the new idea more unappealing. It was like they took the key elements of The Nanny and switched and reversed them to make the idea seem fresh. But spin-off / backdoor pilot episode The Chatterbox was pretty bad.
In 2020 I rewatched my The Nanny DVDs, seasons 1, 2 and 3.
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