Classic CBS Sitcom Leaving HBO Max This Month

A beloved CBS sitcom is leaving HBO Max at the end of this month – The Nanny. The series is available to stream through Friday, March 31, but will be gone on April 1. That gives die-hard fans under a month to binge all 146 episodes.

The Nanny stars Fran Drescher as Fran Fine – a boisterous woman who stumbles into a job as the nanny for the Sheffield family. The three children are Maggie (Nicholle Tom), Brighton (Benjamin Salisbury and Grace (Madeline Zima), while their father Max is played by Charles Shaughnessy. Max is a widower struggling to keep up with the needs of his children and his household after the death of his wife, while Fran is compassionate and in search of stability. The show is a unique family comedy and remains a fan favorite to this day.

The Nanny also stars Daniel Davis as Niles, the Sheffield family's butler, who often conspires with Fran, believing her to be a fit companion for Max. Meanwhile, Max's business partner C.C. is played by Lauren Lane. Other major characters include Renee Taylor as Fran's mother Sylvia Fine, Rachel Chagall as Fran's best friend Val Toriello and Ann Morgan Guilbert as Fran's grandmother Yetta Rosenberg.

The show ran for six seasons, each with between 22 and 26 episodes. It aired from 1994 to 1999 but in the years that followed it was a staple for programming blocks that ran re-runs such as Nick at Nite. That allowed subsequent generations to fall in love with the show, making it an easy win in the streaming era. Presumably, HBO Max had a licensing deal for the series that has ended without being renewed, so this is not as heartbreaking as a cancellation, but it will undoubtedly leave some fans upset.

At the time of this writing, The Nanny is not on CBS' parent company's streaming service Paramount+. It is available on Pluto TV and Tubi, both of which are free to watch because they have ad breaks just like broadcast TV. Pluto is owned by Paramount, so the company may not be in a rush to get The Nanny onto its more premium service.

Still, as the constantly-shifting licensing deals of the streaming industry become more and more frustrating, some fans are turning back to physical media for their absolute favorites. In the case of The Nanny, this is pretty straightforward – the complete series is available on DVD in one complete box set for $72.50 at the time of this writing. Alternatively, each season is available on DVD individually for varying prices. You can also rent or purchase the show digitally, but it's worth remembering that licensing deals can impact those purchases too.

However you watch it, it's clear that The Nanny is a TV staple no matter where it is or isn't available to stream. You can watch the complete series on HBO Max through Friday, March 31.

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