ABC Pilot Shooting in Chicago… and It Is NOT a Reboot of ‘The Nanny’

There is a new pilot starting filming this week in Chicago, but it is not the show you think it is. The project is entitled The Nanny, igniting a bevy of questions from 90’s TV enthusiasts hoping for a reboot of the Fran Drescher-led comedy of the same title. However, sources tell SCREEN this new pilot from ABC is a drama that has no connection to the charming Drescher comedy of yesteryear, and the actor is not associated with this new pilot in any way. Here is what we know so far about the 2021 ABC pilot The Nanny…

We know the Unit Production Manager and Co-Producer of the pilot is Chicago’s Carrie Holt de Lama, a cornerstone of the television and film production community in town. de Lama’s recent credits include Unit Production Manager of the popular Chicago-made Showtime series Work in Progress that is currently premiering new episodes every Sunday. de Lama also served as UPM of several episodes of the Emmy-nominated HBO series Lovecraft Country and Showtime’s Emmy winner Shameless.

Who, Where, When….

As for the filming schedule and locations, The Nanny is expected to film throughout the city over the course of the next two weeks. Alderman Tom Tunney of Chicago’s Lakeview neighborhood just declared the pilot will be in production near Belmont and Lake Shore Drive over the next week. Alderman Tunney did also declare the production a “reboot of The Nanny,” which is not quite accurate, but as we mentioned earlier, this confusion is understandable.

The pilot episode of The Nanny will be directed by Jeffrey Reiner, with line producer Raymond Quinlan and executive producers Nina Wass and Andrea Shay joining showrunner Julie Durk, who also wrote the script. EP Wass is also known for her work with Ryan Seacrest to produce scripted content for his production company; while at RSP, Nina has produced a number of successful series such as Mixology for ABC, and Shades of Blue with Jennifer Lopez at NBC.

And last but not least, for the fans of 90’s sitcom The Nanny who might be wondering what Fran Drescher is up to these days, she was just elected President of the actors’ union SAG-AFTRA, so you can rest assured Fran will have plenty keeping her busy in the months and years ahead.

There are many more updates to come as The Nanny heads into production this week, but one thing is fairly certain: the title will likely change, should the pilot receive a series order. The roar of interest from 90’s TV fans has clearly shown that there can only be one Nanny.

Check back here at SCREEN for updates on cast, filming dates and locations, and more later this month.