Nanny And The Professor: Cast Photo - Sitcoms Online Photo Galleries

Nanny And The Professor aired from January 1970 until December 1971 on ABC.

Starting in the mid '60's, the success of shows like Bewitched and I Dream Of Jeannie inspired a television trend of magic in sitcoms. Pretty soon, it seemed like every sitcom had at least one episode where a character experienced some kind of mystical occurence. Not to be outdone, a few shows tried to sustain this magical feeling on a weekly basis, among them a little gem called Nanny And The Professor. Though it didn't enjoy as long a run as the magical comedies that preceded it, this show became an enduring cult favorite thanks to a clever combination of a heartwarming family scenario and an otherworldly sense of humor.

British star Juliet Mills ( sister of Disney live action regular Haley) toplined the cast as Phoebe Figalilly, an uncanny young nanny who breezed in unannounced from England and captivated the Everett household. She arrived just at the right time as Miss Dunbar, Prof. Everett's ( Richard Long's) fifth housekeeper in a year had just quit in utter frustration at trying to keep order in the chaotic household. That left the widowed Mathematics professor in charge of Hal ( David Doremus), a 12 year old with a fascination for scientific experiments; 8 year old Butch ( Trent Lehman) who was into everything; and 5 year old Prudence( Kim Richards), a musical prodegy who practiced the same piano piece incessantly. The household also contained 2 pets, a sheepdog named Waldo and a guinea pig named Myrtle.

This was a lot for one woman to handle, but Phoebe ( known to everyone as Nanny) was always one step ahead of the game, thanks to a set of fabulous psychic powers. She had the clairvoyant ability to see what was happening in the near future and could also psychically communicate with the household. If asked about her mysterious ability to predict what would happen, Nanny merely explained this gift away as a " little bit of faith and lots of love."

The storylines usually involved Nanny's subtle use of these special abilities to help the family deal with day-to-day crisis like when the city planned to tear down the tree the kids used for their clubhouse or when Prudence believed a monster she saw in nightmares was real. In later episodes, the show added a relative for Phoebe, Aunt Henrietta ( Elsa Lanchester), to add to the paranormal goings on. The character was a hit with audiences and led to the introduction of other magically-inclined relatives like Uncle Horace who could do rain dances and Uncle Alfred who was a human fly.

Overall Nanny And The Professor was a nifty combination of the magic-themed I Dream Of Jeannie and the sentimental family elements of Family Affair. This combination worked like a charm with audiences, earning Nanny And The Professor a successful 2 year run on ABC. The show is also fondly remembered for Juliet Mills, sprightly yet heartwarming turn as Nanny, which helped her earn an American fan base that remains loyal today.

Nanny And The Professor pops up occasionally in reruns. It always attracts plenty of viewers when it does, proving that its magical charm remains as potent as ever.

For more on Nanny And The Professor go to http://www.tvacres.com/char_figalilly_phoebe.htm