The Nanny is an American sitcom starring Fran Drescher . It first aired from November 3 , 1993 , to May 12 , 1999 , and starred Fran Drescher as Fran Fine , a Jewish Queens native who casually becomes the nanny of three children from the New York\/British upper class . Created and executively produced by Drescher and her then-husband Peter Marc Jacobson , The Nanny took much of its inspiration from Drescher 's personal life , involving names and characteristics based on near relatives and friends .