Series Description

The Nanny and the Professor TV show was a 30 minute comedy series on ABC about a widowed College Professor with three children who had been so much trouble in the past that they "scared off" several nannys. But when English Nanny Phoebe Figalily took the job, things changed. She had a cheerful but "no nonsense" attitude and somehow had no problem getting her way. The children became frustrated at first because of their new nanny's mysteriously total control of their antics, but they eventually came to love and respect her.

Nanny and the Professor Cast

Juliet Mills .... Phoebe "Nanny" Figalilly
Richard Long .... Professor Harold Everett
David Doremus .... Hal Everett
Kim Richards .... Prudence Everett
Trent Lehman .... Bentley "Butch" Everett
Patsy Garrett .... Mrs. Florence Fowler
Eileen Baral .... Francine Fowler
Elsa Lanchester .... Aunt Henrietta (3rd Season)

Nanny and the Professor Theme Song

Title: "Nanny and the Professor"

Written By: "Steve Zuckerman and Fred Calvert"

Performed By: "The Addrisi Brothers"

Soft and sweet
Wise and wonderful
Oooh our mystical, magical nanny.

Since the day that nanny came to stay with us
Fantastic things keep happening.
Is there really magic in the things she does
Or is love the only magic thing that nanny brings
You know our nanny showed us you can make the impossible happen.

Nanny told us have a little faith and lots of love
Phoebe Figalilly is a silly name
And so many silly things keep happening
What is this magic thing about nanny
Is it Love? Or is it Magic?.

Nanny and the Professor Trivia

Juliet Mills (the Nanny) was nominated for a Golden Globe Award in 1971 in the "Best actress in a musical or comedy series" category.

While Juliet Mills saw her career peak with her role on Nanny and the Professor, her first acting job was as a baby in the 1942 film, "In Which We Serve". She got three more movie roles as a child and another 20 TV and movie roles before landing the starring role on Nanny and the Professor. After the series ended, Juliet continued working regularly as a guest star on other TV series including several appearances on "Fantasy Island" and "The Love Boat". She also has appeared on more than 100 episodes of the daytime drama, "Passions" in the role of "Tabitha Lenox".

Richard Long (the Professor) came straight to this series from his starring role as "Jarrod Barkley" on the TV series, "The Big Valley". Richard's natural good looks resulted in his getting a contract at Universal Pictures right out of high school! He got his big break when he landed the role as hollywood icon, Claudette Colbert's son in the 1946 film, "Tomorrow Is Forever". He went on to star in many other Universal films including the extremely popular "Ma and Pa Kettle" series of films where he played "Tom Kettle", one of Ma and Pa's sons! He also starred on two other TV series; "77 Sunset Strip" and "Bourbon Street Beat". Richard worked regularly on TV until his death in 1974 after suffering several heart attacks.

Phoebe was no common Nanny. She obviously had some psychic powers. She often announced who was coming to the door before the doorbell rang. She would go to the phone moments before it rang. She could communicate with animals including Waldo, the family dog. It was apparent that he understood everything she said and she knew exactly what he was thinking. When the kids would annoy her in any way; strange, unexplainable things would happen! The kids felt that she might be a witch or something, but if so, she was a good and loveable witch.

The kids also once found an old passport in Phoebe's trunk. The passport itself and Phoebe's photo both looked very old and it gave Phoebe's birth date as April 18, 1864. That would have made her a very young-looking 106-year-old at the time!

Nanny and the Professor was not the only time that Juliet Mills may have played a witch. She has played the role of a 300-year-old witch named Tabitha Lenox on the daytime drama series, "Passions".

Nanny and the Professor got moved to a great time slot on ABC for the second season! It aired right between "The Brady Bunch" and "The Partridge Family"!

Professor Everett taught at Clinton College.

The Everett kids had more than their fair share of pets. Of course there was Waldo the sheep dog. They also had guinea pigs named Myrtle and Mike, baby goats named Jerome and Geraldene, and a rooster named Sebastian!

Juliet Mills isn't the only person in her family to find success in show business. Her father was the renowned British actor, "Sir John Mills" who won both an Oscar and a Golden Globe award in 1971 for "Best Supporting Actor" in the film, "Ryan's Daughter". Many of us remember him fondly as the dad in the 1960 film, "Swiss Family Robinson". Juliet's sister is "Hayley Mills" who beat dad by a decade to receive her own Oscar and Golden Globe Awards in 1961. Hayley is probably best known for her starring roles as twin girls in the 1961 film, "The Parent Trap". Hayley also starred as "Miss Carrie Bliss" on the series, "Good Morning, Miss Bliss". That series was the forerunner for the more popular series, "Saved By The Bell". Not to be left out, Juliet won an Emmy in 1975 for "Outstanding Single Performance by a Supporting Actress in a Comedy or Drama Special" for her role in the TV Miniseries, "QB VII". All three of them also received numerous other nominations and wins of miscellaneous awards.

One of the award nominations was for a 1971 Golden Globe for Juliet Mills as "Best TV Actress - Musical/Comedy" in her role on Nanny and the Professor! Unfortunately for Juliet, Mary Tyler Moore won for her role on the "Mary Tyler Moore Show". Juliet also was nominated for the "Superlatively Supernatural" Award from TV Land in 2004 but Elizabeth Montgomery won that one for her role on "Bewitched".

Unlike many series that are inspired by books, Nanny and the Professor inspired the writing of three novels in paperback written by William Johnston. Their titles were, "Nanny and the Professor", "What Hath Nanny Wrought?", and "The Bloop Box". There was also a comic book that was inspired by the show! In 1972, an animated version of Nanny and the Professor aired on ABC's "Saturday Superstar Movie".

In episode #7, "Nanny on Wheels", Nanny got a 1930 Model A Ford automobile that she called, "Arabella". Of course, it was just a bit strange like Nanny in that its radio only played shows from the 1930s! Later in the series, Nanny traded Arabella in for a newer car.

Episodes List With Original Air Dates

Season 1

1. Nanny Will Do (1/21/1970)
2. The Wiblet Will Get You If You Don't Watch Out (1/28/1970)
3. The New Butch (2/4/1970)
4. The Scientific Approach (3/11/1970)
5. The Astronomers (2/18/1970)
6. Spring, Sweet Spring (2/25/1970)
7. Nanny on Wheels (3/4/1970)
8. Strictly for the Birds (3/11/1970)
9. The Tyrannosaurus Tibia (3/18/1970)
10. I Think That I Shall Never See a Tree (3/25/1970)
11. The Games Families Play (4/1/1970)
12. An Element of Risk (4/8/1970)
13. The Philosopher's Stone (4/15/1970)
14. A Fowl Episode (4/22/1970)
15. Nanny and the Smoke-Filled Room (4/29/1970)

16. The Human Element (9/25/1970)
17. The Haunted House (10/2/1970)
18. Star Bright (10/9/1970)
19. E. S. Putt (10/16/1970)
20. Back to Nature (10/23/1970)
21. A Letter For Nanny (10/30/1970)
22. The Great Broadcast of 1936 (11/6/1970)
23. The Masculine-Feminine Mystique (11/13/1970)
24. The India Queen (11/20/1970)
25. The Visitor (12/4/1970)
26. My Son, the Sitter (12/11/1970)
27. From Butch, With Love (12/18/1970)
28. The Humanization of Herbert T. Peabody (12/25/1970)
29. A Diller, a Dollar (1/8/1971)
30. Separate Rooms (1/15/1971)
31. The Human Fly (1/22/1971)
32. The Man Who Came to Pasta (1/29/1971)
33. The Art of Relationships (2/5/1971)
34. The Balloon Ladies (2/12/1971)
35. The Prodigy (2/19/1971)
36. How Many Candles? (2/26/1971)
37. The Unknown Factor (3/5/1971)
38. Kid Stuff (3/12/1971)
39. The Communication Gap (3/26/1971)

40. Oh, What a Tangled Web (9/13/1971)
41. The Flower Children (9/20/1971)
42. Sunday's Hero (9/27/1971)
43. South Sea Island Sweetheart (10/4/1971)
44. Aunt Henrietta's Premonition (10/11/1971)
45. Cholmondeley Featherstonehaugh (10/18/1971)
46. Aunt Henrietta and the Jinx (11/15/1971)
47. Nanny and Her Witch's Brew (11/1/1971)
48. The Conversion of Brother Ben (11/8/1971)
49. Aunt Henrietta and the Poltergeist (10/25/1971)
50. Professor Pygmalion Plays Golf (11/23/1971)
51. The Great Debate (11/29/1971)
52. One For the Road (12/6/1971)
53. Good-bye, Arabella, Hello (12/13/1971)
54. Whatever Happened to Felicity? (12/27/1971)