Nannies don’t just play an important role in families’ lives, for decades now they’ve play an important role in film and television, too. Whether they’re portrayed as kind, loving and a little bit magical a la Julie Andrews in the 1964 “Mary Poppins,” deep and sympathetic like the night nanny hired in “Tully,” or — well — haunted like Aisha, the immigrant nanny hired to care for an Upper East Side family in “Nanny,” the 2022 horror movie, nanny movies and shows are always entertaining — and they stand the test of time.
Whether you’re looking for art that imitates life or captivating entertainment, here are 15 nanny movies and nanny TV shows to add to your queue. Keep in mind, prices vary among platforms.
Nanny movies with a pinch of magic
It goes without saying, we all wish we had these gifts from time to time.
1. “Nanny McPhee”
After numerous nannies have been driven away, a widower hires Nanny McPhee to care for his seven rowdy kids. By using charm — and magic — she gets them all to behave.
Director: Kirk Jones
Release date: January 27, 2006
Runtime: 1 hour, 37 minutes
Rating: PG
Watch: “Nanny McPhee” on Apple TV
2. “Nanny McPhee Returns”
Nanny McPhee uses her magic to help out with the kids once again — this time for a mom who’s trying to run the family farm while her husband is deployed.
Director: Susanna White
Release date: August 20, 2010
Runtime: 1 hour, 49 minutes
Rating: PG
Watch: “Nanny McPhee Returns” on Amazon Prime Video
3. “Mary Poppins Returns”
A fantastical musical about another magical nanny (starring Emily Blunt), based on the original 1964 movie. One of the most iconic nanny movies!
Director: Rob Marshall
Release date: December 19, 2008
Runtime: 2 hours, 10 minutes
Rating: PG
Watch: “Mary Poppins Returns” on Disney+
Nanny movies that will make you laugh
Need a laugh? These nanny movies are light-hearted and will leave you chuckling.
4. “The Nanny Diaries”
A college student takes a job as a nanny for a wealthy-yet-dysfunctional family and has to figure out how to juggle her schoolwork, job and new boyfriend.
Directors: Robert Pulcini, Shari Springer Berman
Release date: August 24, 2007
Runtime: 1 hour, 46 minutes
Rating: PG-13
Watch: “The Nannies Diaries” on Amazon Prime Video
5. “Mrs. Doubtfire”
A divorced dad willing to do anything to see his kids dresses up like a female nanny and takes care of them.
Director: Chris Columbus
Release date: November 24, 1993
Runtime: 2 hours, 6 minutes
Rating: PG-13
Watch: “Mrs. Doubtfire” on Disney+
6. “Uptown Girls”
A rich, immature party girl needs to get a job after her manager steals all her money. She winds up working as a nanny, and her charge is more adult-like than she’s ever been.
Director: Boaz Yakin
Release date: August 15, 2003
Runtime: 1 hour, 32 minutes
Rating: PG-13
Watch: “Uptown Girls” on Hulu
Heartfelt nanny movies
A little romance and some very-close-to-home moments make these nanny movies feel real.
7. “Instant Nanny”
After her startup fails, an IT guru is in need of a job. Ditching her old life, she decides to help out a police officer by nannying for two children he’s fostering.
Director: Bradford May
Release date: February 14, 2015
Runtime: 1 hour, 27 minutes
Rating: G
Watch: “Instant Nanny” on Amazon Prime Video
8. “Tully”
Charlize Threron stars as an overwhelmed mom of three who decides to hire a night nanny to help with her newborn.
Director: Jason Reitman
Release date: May 14, 2018
Runtime: 1 hour, 36 minutes
Rating: R
Watch: “Tully” on Netflix
Scary nanny movies
Scare easily? You may not want to watch these nanny movies alone.
9. “Nanny”
A West African woman gets a job as a nanny in America in hopes of bringing her son over. However, a dark presence starts to invade both her waking and sleeping life.
Director: Nikyatu Jusu
Release date: January 22, 2022
Runtime: 1 hour, 38 minutes
Rating: R
Watch: “Nanny” on Amazon Prime Video
10. “The Nanny Is Watching”
A couple installs a “nanny cam” only to have it turn on them by their own nanny.
Director: Olumide Odebunmi
Release date: July 15, 2018
Runtime: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Rating: PG-13
Watch: “The Nanny Is Watching” on YouTube
TV shows with an “accidental nanny”
In these nanny TV shows, the main character (the nanny) accidentally falls into their role.
11. “Country Comfort”
After her career stalls, an aspiring country singer takes a job as a nanny to a widower with five children.
Release date: March 19, 2021
Rating: TV-PG
Watch: “Country Comfort” on Netflix
12. “The Nanny”
Fran Drescher stars as Fran Fine, a former cosmetics salesperson who takes on the role of nanny to a wealthy family.
Release date: November 3, 1993
Rating: TV-PG
Watch: “The Nanny” on Peacock
13. “Melissa and Joey”
A local politician enlists the help of a former commodities trader to help raise her niece.
Release date: August 17, 2010
Rating: TV-14
Watch: “Melissa and Joey” on Amazon Prime Video
Nanny TV shows that are a little scary
Whether it’s Jo Frost’s strict schedule or a nanny who spies on her employers, these nanny TV shows have a slightly frightening twist.
14. “Supernanny”
Nanny Jo Frost travels the country, helping to “fix” dysfunctional families.
Release date: July 7, 2004
Watch: “Supernanny” on Hulu
15. “The Watchful Eye”
A woman with a checkered past cons her way into working as a live-in nanny for a well-to-do family.
Release date: January 30, 2023
Rating: TV-14
Watch: “The Watchful Eye” on Amazon Prime Video
