Juliet Mills: Prudish '70s TV Blocked Show Romance

Juliet Mills, the star of the 1970s sitcom "Nanny and the Professor," expressed her support for a romantic storyline between her character and Professor Everett, portrayed by the late Richard Long.

Mills, now 84, shared on the Still Here Hollywood podcast that she felt the characters "get on so well" and that the audience also sensed this potential. She believes the show's lack of romantic development was due to television's prudish nature in that era.

According to Mills, there were behind-the-scenes discussions among the cast and crew about the professor's potential feelings for Nanny. She suggested that if the writers had developed a romantic relationship grounded in mutual respect, the show might have lasted longer than its initial run on ABC.

Mills also recalled the strict censorship at the time, recounting how she had to wear modest nightgowns and serve tea instead of alcoholic beverages to the professor, highlighting the conservative broadcast standards of the period.