Now just Friday nights are fevered

It was nearly three decades ago that Fran Drescher broke into show biz with a bit of bawdy banter opposite John Travolta in “Saturday Night Fever.” Though she’d go on to appear in films such as “This Is Spinal Tap,” her big hit was the long-running sitcom “The Nanny.”

Interestingly, Drescher’s leading man in her latest project is reminiscent of the Tony Manero days. In her new WB series “Living With Fran,” premiering at 8:30 p.m. Friday, she plays a divorcee living with her two older kids and her mid-20s boyfriend. The likewise divorced Drescher lives alone in Malibu and spends her weekends ... well, why not let her tell it.

Posse mentality

Some of my most fun times are when I go out with a posse of my girlfriends and paint the town rouge. I like to prearrange for concert tickets, get a limo and then pick everybody up and go out to dinner. We just did this the other night, and it started out with dinner at Falcon on Sunset. I like communal cuisine where everybody shares, so we tend to order a lot of appetizers. People were raving about the stroganoff over farfalla, the arugula pizza, the tuna tartare -- I had the vegetable plate and some of the risotto with fresh peas. I’m still craving that risotto.

I also have developed the ability to order a decent bottle of wine, and so we had a fantastic red -- the Cakebread Cabernet. It was a great scene at the restaurant, everybody table-hopping and socializing.

But then we had to get to the concert to see Alicia Keys, and she was fabulous. We got to go backstage and meet her, and we saw Tom Cruise too, and pretty soon the people in his posse were introducing themselves to the people in our posse -- it was so much fun.

After that, we weren’t ready to go home yet, so we went to Guy’s on Beverly. I saw Topher Grace, and Clive Owen was there too, but he was kind of standoffish. Maybe he didn’t know who I was, or maybe he thought I was hitting on him, which I kind of was.

Some alone time

On Saturday, especially after a big night like that, I usually wake up in a very mellow mood, so I’ll have my Pilates instructor come over and work me out. And then I’ll have my reflexologist work on my feet, which I’ll need after running around in heels the night before. Then I’ll have some organic fruit, goat yogurt and raw almonds.

I’ll sit with Esther, my Pomeranian, and enjoy the ocean view from my deck. I had the glorious good fortune the other day to not only see some dolphins but some enormous whales too. It was a rare and religious experience. I’ve finally gotten to the other side of my issues about being afraid to be alone. It took some maturity and a lot of therapy, but now I need to devote a good chunk of my weekend to being alone.

Reading, reviewing

On Sunday, I wake up and take a long walk along the beach with my dog and then come back and read the Sunday papers and get caught up with my TiVo. I have my own network of shows that I tape. Later, I’ll put on my Uggs and go to dinner with locals at Nobu, where I love the lobster salad, sushi and the shrimp tempura hand rolls. Or maybe I’ll stay home, feed the dog and fish and cook for myself. Sometimes a quiet Sunday is the best way to get ready for a busy week.

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-- Mark Sachs