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Chastity Claire "C.C." Babcock is Maxwell Sheffield's business partner and the primary antagonist of the The Nanny. She is portrayed by Lauren Lane.

A wealthy and classy socialite, C.C. harbors strong, unrequited feelings for Maxwell. For most of the series, C.C. also serves as Fran's rival for Maxwell's affections, as well as maintaining a hostile relationship with Niles, the butler. By the series' end, however, she realizes her feelings for Niles and marries him, and is revealed to be pregnant with their first child.

Biography[]

Like Maxwell, C.C. also comes from a wealthy background. In her early life, C.C.'s parents were divorced, something she appears to have relished when her mother and father attempted to outdo each other by spoiling her.

C.C. met Maxwell when she was in college and was by his side even in his earliest days as a theatre producer. Even then, and whilst married to his first wife Sara, C.C. had strong romantic feelings for Maxwell.

Character[]

C.C. takes pleasure in creating conflict in the household and so is seen as something of a villain, albeit a comic one. In one of her first scenes, whilst at a party to get backers for Maxwell's new play, C.C. notices Fran coming down the staircase in an eye-catching red dress, to which she condescendingly asks, "What's that?".

She harbors an intense crush on Maxwell, and a running joke is Maxwell's seeming obliviousness to C.C.'s overt romantic advances. C.C. is typically portrayed as a functioning alcoholic, as well as egocentric, mean-spirited, tactless and uncaring, particularly shown in how she never remembers the names of Maxwell's children Maggie, Brighton and Grace.

C.C.'s main rival is Niles, the Sheffield's butler, who has despised her from the start, and frequently makes quips at her expense. Her parents are divorced, although her father Stewart is portrayed as amiable. When Fran comes to work as the new nanny, C.C. immediately views her as a threat for Maxwell's affection. She always refers to Fran as "Nanny Fine", even after Fran is wed to Maxwell and becomes the new lady of the house. C.C.'s Pomeranian dog, Chester, a birthday gift from Maxwell, adores Fran but growls whenever C.C. is near (This is due to the fact that Chester is actually Fran Drescher's dog in real-life).

In the show[]

C.C. is the business partner of Broadway producer Maxwell Sheffield, having worked with him for almost 20 years. After Sara's death, C.C. begin to move in on Maxwell intending to become the next Mrs. Sheffield. C.C. is dismayed at Fran's arrival and immediately views the new Nanny as an obstacle between her and Maxwell.

Once Maxwell and Fran got engaged, C.C. plunges into depression, loses her sanity and has to be institutionalized for a month. Finally C.C. accepts that her feelings for Maxwell are not reciprocated, and decides to re-evaluate her life.

During the final season of the show Niles and CCs relationship of hatred turns into lust. Later, Niles finds that he can no longer effortlessly insult C.C. like he used to, and accidentally blurts out a marriage proposal. Once he is turned down, Niles proposes again several times, only to be rejected and mocked at each attempt. This situation becomes so intolerable that both C.C. and Niles declare they are terminating their employment with the Sheffield house and Maxwell's business, respectively. However, before Maxwell and Fran are able to talk them out of this decision, they stumble on Niles and C.C. in bed together.

C.C. and Niles get married in the series finale, as Fran is giving birth to the twins. After they're being pronounced man and wife, C.C. learns that she’s pregnant with Nile's baby, which causes both of them to faint. During the wedding ceremony, it’s revealed that "C.C." stands for "Chastity Claire," which shocks everyone there except for the now love-struck Niles who tells her that her name is 'beautiful'.

She, along with Niles, accompanies the family to California.

Relationships[]

Fran Fine[]

C.C. despised Fran from the first time she set foot in the Sheffield home, being both annoyed by Fran's antics as well as extremely jealous of her when it came to Maxwell's attentions. Many of their moments spent together involved C.C. deliberately attempting to sabotage Fran in one way or another, or relishing moments where Fran was in trouble. However, in somewhat rare moments, C.C. and Fran have connected and even teamed up, with C.C finding in Fran an occasional friend.

When Fran and Maxwell are engaged, C.C. suffers a mental breakdown and is forced to spend time in a psychiatric ward to recover. Even after this, accepting Fran as Maxwell's new wife and the mother of his new children proved difficult for her, even still referring to her as "Nanny Fine" long after their wedding. C.C.'s relationship with Fran ultimately improves when she is able to move on and realize her love for Niles.

Niles[]

C.C. has known Niles quite a long time, she likely knew him as long as she knew Maxwell. Their relationship, for the most part, has been notoriously antagonistic towards one another; Niles famously never missing an opportunity to insult her in a subtle way: calling her a spinster, freak, vampire, werewolf, annoying, cow, chicken, dog, with no friends, old, fat, evil/witch-like, manly, or a whore. Despite their bitter rivalry, a romantic and sexual tension has been constantly implied between the two; their mutual insulting of each other even becoming an enjoyable rapport for them.

Eventually, Niles' feelings come to a head when he inadvertently proposes to C.C. Niles proposed to her four times, but was turned down at every one. Niles and C.C. have a heated argument soon after, ending with both deciding to move on and resigning from their positions at the Sheffield home. Their relationship is remedied and their decisions to resign are overturned when the two begin a sexual relationship. Afterwards, Niles and C.C. are shown to have sex very frequently and in a multitude of locations.

In the series finale, Niles proposes one more time; C.C. is seemingly upset and nauseated by this and runs off. Later she gladly accepts Niles proposal. The two are hastily married as Fran gives birth, with C.C. being later revealed to be pregnant with Niles' baby (explaining her nausea). C.C. and Niles move to LA along with the Sheffield family, still insulting each other (albeit in a loving way).

Maxwell Sheffield[]

C.C. has always had a particularly potent crush on Maxwell, to the point of obsession. She and Maxwell have known each other for many years, her being one of Maxwell's college friends as well as working alongside him during his beginnings as a Broadway producer. Despite the unsubtle nature of C.C.'s feelings, Maxwell has remained mostly oblivious, seeing their relationship as nothing more than either business-related or just friendly (a constant source of frustration for C.C. In spite of their history, there do appear to be some gaps in their relationship, such as C.C. not knowing that Maxwell had a sister even after knowing each other for several years.

Maxwell's patience for C.C. is shown to have its limits on multiple occasions; in the episode The Producers in particular, Maxwell is shown to be willing to throw his relationship (business and personal) with C.C away if she didn't improve her own relations with Fran.

C.C. became ultimately happier when she moved on and falls in love with Niles, her obsession with Maxwell finally ending. C.C. that Maxwell didn't have a chance with her and that she is "Completely, and totally, and multiply satisfied" with Niles.

Stewart Babcock[]

C.C.'s relationship with her father appears to be somewhat strained. Though C.C. is reluctant to admit it, she craves her father's affection and does wish to spend time with him.

Maggie, Brighton & Grace[]

C.C. cares little for Maxwell's children, certainly not enough to even remember their names most of the time. She doesn’t appear to get along with or connect with the children the way Fran does; when C.C. does make an effort to bond with the children, it’s a scheme to win favor with Maxwell.

Sylvia Fine[]

C.C. rarely talks or interacts with Sylvia, but in one episode, she became friends with her when Sylvia and Fran are having a feud (calling her Syl). But when Fran and Sylvia apologized to each other, Sylvia said that "Please, it's over!".

When Fran and Maxwell went overboard on their honeymoon cruise, C.C. and Sylvia took a helicopter to see if they’re still alive. They both have an argument when C.C. wanted to throw out Sylvia's "prescribed" candies because they weighed too much, but they were stopped by the pilot and apologized to each other.

Valerie Toriello[]

C.C, Fran and Val would sometimes go to a singles club and just "hang-out", saying that they don't need men. However, like Sylvia, Val rarely interacts with C.C., only talking about her with Fran. However in Kissing Cousins, Val is seen as a great annoyance to C.C. after she becomes excited that 'Miss Babcock' knows her name.

Yetta Rosenberg[]

Unlike Sylvia and Val, Grandma Yetta had a funny thing going on with C.C. Niles would sometimes joke about her being the same age as Grandma Yetta. Yetta once ate some almond cookies, which Fran bought from a Cantonese shop, that makes whomever eats it fall in love with the first person they see. She ate the cookie in front of C.C., and asked her how does she feel about going in a hot tub with her. Another one is during Fran and Maxwell's wedding, when C.C. and Yetta danced, and Yetta said that she would be lying if she said she wasn't turned on.

Sara Sheffield[]

C.C. and Sara appear to have had something of a friendship; evidently they were close enough for Sara to name C.C. as her maid of honor during her and Maxwell's wedding. C.C. has maintained that even when Sara was alive she had feelings for Maxwell and would actively pursue him; whether Sara is aware of this or not is unknown.

Trivia[]

  • Considering the premise of the show is based on the Broadway musical and 1965 movie The Sound of Music, C.C.'s character is an allusion to Baroness Elsa Schräder.
  • C.C.'s time spent in the asylum was in reality a cover for Lauren Lane's real-life pregnancy.
  • In Season 2 Episode 6 - "The Nanny Napper", it is implied that she attended Bryn Mawr, an elite private liberal arts college.
  • It’s revealed twice that C.C. isn’t a natural blonde.
    • First in a flashback, where C.C. is shown on TV with long brown hair. Second when Maxwell's college friend Rodney refers to a "brunette" Maxwell used to work with, heavily implied to be C.C.
  • She see at least one plastic surgeon, she go under the name of Miss Bouvier Season 6 Episode 5, ‘Maggie’s Boyfriend’.
  • On the suggestion of C.C, Maxwell turned down Cats which run from October 1982 to September 2000. Something which has been brought up several times though out the series.
  • Niles tricked a Frenchman to call C.C. "CaCa". Caca means "poop" in French and Spanish.
  • Niles also tricked a newspaper to make everyone call C.C. "Ms. Boobcock"
  • Niles has tried to propose to her four times.
  • C.C. calls the children different names every time she sees them.
  • C.C. once caused Mr. Sheffield to have food poisoning and get his appendix removed.
  • C.C reveals she is allergic to sage.
  • Lauren Lane who played C.C, during season 5 was pregnant for the majority of the season, and when C.C had to be institutionalized, she gave birth to her daughter. (This was written in the show as being humorous. As she tried to hide her real life pregnancy behind objects and large coats.)
  • C.C in Season 6 can longer hide her feelings for Niles, and they end up in bed and making love in random places, such as a limo.
  • C.C finally agrees to marry Niles in part 1 of the finale.
  • C.C later in the finale finds out she is pregnant with Niles' baby.

Gallery[]

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