The Nose Knows

"The Nanny" is a great example of TV bubble gum--a fun way to spend half an hour without challenging the gray cells. Most episodes of the series are about Fran Fine getting herself into and out of an embarrassing situation or clearing up a misunderstanding with her boss, Maxwell Sheffield. But any episode in which the remarkably gifted Renee Taylor demonstrates her comedic approach to eating while chatting with her TV daughter is as much of a treat as the delicious food her character, Sylvia Fine, manages to slop all over the place. In this episode, her usual performance is enhanced by the fact that she's complaining about another person's lack of etiquette as she provides her own spectacle of questionable manners. Bravo, Ms. Taylor!