The Nanny (1993–1999): Season 6, Episode 18 - Yetta's Letters - full transcript

Fran and Maxwell are aghast after they find Niles and C.C. in bed together. Luckily Niles and C.C. didn't see Fran and Maxwell. With this new turn of events, both Niles and C.C. rescind their respective resignations. Meanwhile, Maxwell's latest play closes prematurely without making it to Broadway. In place, he's looking for a new production to mount. Fran thinks that the love letters that Yetta wrote to her true love - a dining room captain on the ship she took when she emigrated to the US to meet her prearranged marriage partner, that being Fran's eventual Grandfather - would make great material for a play. Without reading the letters, Maxwell thinks not. However, Andrew Lloyd Webber thinks they would; the letters were mistakenly sent to him. Webber is in negotiations with Yetta for the rights. However, Sylvia tells them that she has Yetta's power of attorney. Sylvia ends up not being a push-over in her own negotiations with her son-in-law. However, Maxwell eventually does get the rights and mounts the musical instead of Webber. It's a huge hit. For the first time, Maxwell has beaten his arch rival. The next step is to make the musical into a movie, but someone may have beaten him to the punch.

Previously on The Nanny...

He's a very heavy sleeper.
Sometimes, 3:00 or 4:00 in the morning

I'll ring him up for a diet soda,
I get no answer.

Oh, my God!

This is worse
than when I walked in on my parents.

At least they had the decency
to be covered in crumbs.

I don't ever want to see that again.

I just don't understand. What happened?

Five hours ago,
they were at each others' throats.

Well, apparently, they've decided
to move downward.

What are we going to do? What are we
gonna say to them when we see them?



Darling, I think the best course of action

is to exercise self-control
and say nothing.

And what about for me?

I'm too sexy for my apron

Too sexy for my bagel cutter

Too sexy for my Sub-Zero
Too sexy--

I...

I couldn't sleep. I was....

Too sexy?

Niles, I know what's troubling you.

You're probably all torn up.
You know, about resigning.

Well, judging from the smile
on your banana,

I'm guessing you decided to stay.

Yeah.



You've got an armful of toppings there.
Don't you need something to put that on?

I have something in my room.

She was working in a bridal shop
In Flushing, Queens

'Til her boyfriend kicked her out
In one of those crushing scenes

What was she to do, where was she to go?
She was out on her fanny

So, over the bridge from Flushing
To the Sheffields' door

She was there to sell makeup
But the father saw more

She had style, she had flair
She was there

That's how she became the Nanny

Who would have guessed
That the girl we described

Was just exactly
What the doctor prescribed?

-Now the father finds her beguiling
-Watch out, C.C.

-And the kids are actually smiling
-Such joie de vivre!

She's the lady in red
When everybody else is wearing tan

The flashy girl from Flushing
The Nanny named Fran

Honey, I made you some tea.

I hope you don't mind sugar.

If you want honey,

you're gonna have to scrape it off
of Miss Babcock.

What's the matter, sweetie?

Well, my play closed,
so it's not gonna open on Broadway.

You know, I felt so sure this was the year
I was gonna beat out

Andrew Lloyd Webber for a Tony.

But sweetie, Andrew Lloyd Webber
didn't have a show opening this season.

I know. I really had a chance.

I've already rented
the 49th Street Theater.

It's gonna cost me a fortune.
Money I'm never gonna see again.

Sweetie, you can always get your money
back. You know,

Ma once got a refund on a chicken carcass

that she claimed the meat fell off
on the way home.

Good morning, Max.
Frannie, don't you look pretty today.

Babies! Babies! Babies! Babies!

Miss Babcock, aren't you in a good mood.
What got into you?

Hello, hello.

C.C., I...

I thought...

I thought you resigned last night.

Can't a girl have a change of heart?

I think a change of clothes
would do you better.

Aren't you wearing the same thing
you wore yesterday?

Yes. Whenever I find something I love,
I always buy two and wear it the next day.

-Haven't you ever noticed?
-No.

Well, get used to it.
It's gonna start happening a lot.

Anyway....

Maxwell, I have fabulous news.

Someone wants to rent 49th Street
Theater to open their new play.

That's fantastic.
That completely lets us off the hook.

-So who's opening a new show?
-Andrew Lloyd Webber.

What? No. Absolutely not.
I don't care if I lose a fortune.

That man is not having my theater.

Honey, stop it.

Just remember, it doesn't matter
what he does.

His hits, his Tony's, his knighthood...

You better be building to a big finish.

You'll always be the pretty one.

Well, he can forget it.

And you can call the newspapers

and tell them Maxwell Sheffield
is opening his own new show.

And have them print our pictures
side by side.

Want everyone to see I'm the pretty one.

Hey, did either of you guys happen to see
Diagnosis Murder last night?

I fell asleep.

-No.
-No.

That's so too bad. I was so hoping
to find out if the butler did it.

The gestation period for
the female elephant is up to two years.

Oh, my God.

What I don't get, Fran,
is elephants are always so big.

How can you tell when they're pregnant?

That's how.

I'll get it.

What happened to Niles? How come
he doesn't get the door anymore?

Sweetie, he's been getting the door
for years.

Now he's finally getting something
he hasn't gotten for years.

-Hi.
-Hello.

What a gorgeous chest.

Thank you.

Sammy says I've got the boobs
of a 73-year-old.

Darling, I brought Yetta's hope chest.

It's antique. I thought
it would be perfect for the nursery.

Yeah. Yetta, you've got everything
in here. Wow.

Look at this picture. He's gorgeous.
Who is that? Grandpa?

Yeah.

Look how cute that is.

-Was this yours?
-Yeah, that was my first baby dress.

Your mother's first one is in there, too.

Those are my old love letters
that I wrote.

To Grandpa?

Yeah.

It says, "Dear Richard."
Daddy's name was Joe.

Would you believe Richard is short
for Joe?

-No.
-All right.

I'm busted.

I never told this to anyone,
but I was in love once before your father.

Wow, Yetta you have like a whole
Dawson's Shtetl thing going on back then.

We met on the boat
coming over from Romania.

My marriage to your grandfather
was already planned,

and he was waiting for me,

but once I saw Richard...

He was so handsome
in his captain's uniform.

He was a captain in the Navy?

No. In the first class dining room.

And when our eyes met....

Did anything intimate happen
between you and Richard?

Of course not.

I was on my way to meet my future husband.

We got separated on Ellis Island.

Your grandfather
was there waiting for me but...

I told him I couldn't marry him because...

I wasn't sure of my feelings.

So I looked for Richard for five years.

I wrote him a letter every day.

How did you know
where to send the letters?

I guess that's why I still have them.

So, Yetta...

You're keeping us all in suspense.

Who did you end up marrying,
Richard or Fran's grandfather?

Hi, sweetie.

Did you get a play for your theater yet?

Well, you tell me.

Here's a hip-hop musical
called Booty and the Beast.

And, yes, someone had the brilliant idea
of writing

the musical version of the film Witness.
Get this. Amish Behavin'.

Well, I've got your next hit
right over here.

No. God, please don't tell me
it's a boring three-act play

about a butler's life,

which mysteriously keeps creeping
its way to the top of my pile.

Now, well then I guess
you wouldn't be interested

in reading Yetta's letters for a play.

-Nope.
-Then I'll read them to you.

Sweetheart, I'm a producer.
I know what makes good theater.

Trust me, Yetta's letters won't.

Fine, fine.

Hello, Mr. Thinks He Knows Everything
Productions.

Hold on. Andrew Lloyd Webber's secretary.

Pretend you work for me.

I could do that.
I did it for five years.

Yes, this is Mr. Sheffield's secretary.

With what may I help you with doing,
please?

He wants to talk to you.
He doesn't understand

why you won't rent him your theater.

Tell him I'm not in,
and I'll explain in a letter.

He says he's not in.

And he will explain everything
in a letter.

What's your address?

That's a lovely neighborhood.

The entire floor, you say?

He's got the entire--
You're not interested in this.

Okay. I've got it. Thanks, honey.

-Yeah, goodbye.
-Excuse me, sir.

The messenger's here to pick up
all the scripts you've rejected.

-Well, that'll be all of them.
-Including mine.

Love, Valet, Compassion?

Particularly.

Wait a minute.
You know I don't like ranch dressing.

Where's my Italian?

It seems we're all out of olive oil.

-Hi, B.
-Hey, Fran.

Hey, do you know if Dad saw this?

"Andrew Lloyd Webber announces plans
to mount new musical."

Oh, my God, let me see that.

He always gets so upset when Webber's
doing a Broadway musical.

"Based on the love letters of a young
immigrant woman Yetta Rosenberg"?

What's Andrew Lloyd Webber doing
with your grandmother's letters?

Oh, my God.

I must've written his address down
on Yetta's envelope.

Your father can't find out about this

because you know
who he's gonna blame, don't you?

-C.C.!
-Thank God, thank God.

Where's Fran?

How did Andrew Lloyd Webber
get Yetta's letters?

Now, I don't know exactly how,
I don't know exactly why,

but I do know
that this is somehow your fault.

I had nothing to do with it.

But I'd fire that idiot secretary
you hired. I think she steals.

How could you do this to me?

How could she do this to me?
I'm mishpachah.

Excuse me, but as I recall,
I offered them to you

and your exact words were, "No, no, no."

And since when did you take "no, no, no"
for an answer?

You know what, lady?
Married life has made you soft.

Stop it. You're getting all worked up
over nothing.

Come over here. Look at this.

It says that he's only negotiating.
Negotiating.

Now, you're her favorite grandson.
I know what I'm talking about here.

Why is she gonna go pick
a perfect stranger over you?

Paris is lovely, Mr. Lloyd Webber.

We could have gone to Epcot
and seen all of Europe.

Where do I sign?

Hello, hello.

There's spring in the air.

Yetta signed the rights to her letters
over to Andrew Lloyd Webber.

-What do you have to say about that?
-Why are these doors closed?

It's such a beautiful day.

Smell that breeze.

Well, hello, little birdie.
Aren't you beautiful?

I'm as restless as a willow in a windstorm

I'm as giddy as a baby on a--

Sweetie, I brought--

I brought you some ice cream
to make you feel better.

You know, I'd really love
some chocolate syrup.

Yeah, well, who wouldn't?

You know, darling, I've been thinking.

There's no way this contract between Yetta
and Webber could possibly be valid.

I mean, let's face it,
Yetta isn't exactly in her right mind.

Sweetie, just because she thinks
we're Rob and Laura Petrie

and she's our neighbor Millie
only means she's occasionally confused.

Occasionally?

Sweet doggie. Nice, puppy.

Wow, she don't feed him enough.

Beautiful.

Thank you.

Why doesn't anyone ever eat these fruits?
Because they're wax.

Even the grapes?

Yetta.

What?

When you coming out of there?

I can't decide whether to vote
for Nixon or Kennedy.

Something terrible happened.
I just heard it on the news.

What happened, Yetta?

Wait a minute. I lost it.

Don't worry, Yetta.
You told me in case you forgot.

Who are you?

You're right.
That contract is so not valid.

What the hell is my mother doing in Paris
posing next to Jim Morrison's grave?

Ma, you know Andrew Lloyd Webber is trying
to schmooze Yetta

into signing the rights to her letters.

Well, he's schmoozing the wrong lady.
I got power of attorney years ago.

What? Thank God. So you could just sign
the rights over to us.

-Sure.
-Well, that's great.

So, what do we have to do
to get things started?

This wasn't really necessary,
but we better get our check

because our flight to London
leaves in an hour.

I'm torn between the man I love
And the man whose name is Joe

I hear he is a furrier

So we know he isn't po'

On the island

Ellis Island

A new life will begin

If they'll only let us in

I'm in love with a waiter

Who cannot afford to date her

On the bright side, he can cater

His folks are gonna hate her

On the island

Ellis Island

If I say yes to a waiter
Am I totally meshuga?

Stick with your intended

You'll have champagne and beluga

On the island

Ellis Island

On the island

Ellis Island

On the island

"Sheffield has the hit
of the Broadway season."

"A surefire Tony contender."

"The feel-good sing-along of the year."

Marble rye, 49 cents at D'Agostino's?

Wasn't that some story?

The way she gave up the handsome waiter
for that simple furrier.

What a schmuck.

Well, I'm feeling a little tired.
I think I'll retire.

-Congratulations again, sir.
-Thank you.

Well, I've had a long day, too,
and I have all that publicity

to get rolling tomorrow.
I'll see you in the morning.

-Bye.
-Good night.

-You know what, sweetheart?
-Yeah?

After all these years,
I finally beat out Andrew Lloyd Webber.

And it doesn't feel as good
as I thought it would.

Which is why I'm gonna send him these.

You know, honey, Yetta's Letters
would make a great movie.

I know, that's exactly why first thing
in the morning

my lawyer is gonna get in touch
with Sylvia for film rights.

Yeah. I'm not gonna let an opportunity
like this slip through my fingers.

So, Steven, are you of
the Rego Park Spielbergs

or the Jurassic Park Spielbergs?

Sonny Lamatino!

Sonny Lamatino!

Maxwell, I just read Niles' play
and it is genius.

-Well, I don't see it.
-How about now?

I scrub and I dust and I do what I must

For a millionaire
With a full head of hair

But it doesn't matter what I'm paid

'Cause I'm finally getting

Six bucks an hour

Includes a room and shower

Which I myself must scour

No wonder he's so dour

He's a six-bucks-an-hour man

We don't mean seven

And I'm in heaven.

He's a six-bucks-an-hour man