I don't know about you, but I had some of the best baby-sitters while growing up. My favorite of the lot was Tracy. She and I used to stay up long past my bedtime, watching horror movies and making Shrinky Dinks in the oven. I'm still in contact with her to this very day, and we often reminisce about how well we tricked my parents into thinking that all had gone according to their loose set of rules.
Today, Netflix has announced that Kristy Thomas, Mary Anne Spier, Claudia Kishi, Stacey McGill, and Dawn Schafer are back … and this time they're set to receive their pocket money from Netflix!
Based on Ann M. Martin’s best-selling book series, The Baby-Sitters Club is a contemporary live action original series that will follow the friendship and babysitting adventures of five best friends in Stoneybrook, Connecticut.
The family-friendly adaptation, which has received a 10-episode order, comes from Walden Media and Michael De Luca, who will executive produce. De Luca Productions’ Lucy Kitada will also serve as an executive producer. Rachel Shukert (GLOW) has been set as the project's showrunner and Lucia Aniello (Broad City) will serve as director and executive producer. Ann M. Martin and Walden Media’s Naia Cucukov will produce.
The series, which has over 200 books licensed in over 20 territories with more than 180 million copies sold to date, celebrates the building of strong friendships between its female cast members, as well as empowering their adventurous and entrepreneurial spirits.
“I’m amazed that there are so many passionate fans of The Baby-Sitters Club after all these years, and I’m honored to continue to hear from readers – now grown, who have become writers, editors, teachers, librarians, filmmakers – who say that they see a reflection of themselves in the characters of Kristy and her friends. So I’m very excited about the forthcoming series on Netflix, which I hope will inspire a new generation of readers and leaders everywhere," said Ann M. Martin, author of The Baby-Sitters Club.
“For generations, young people have been captivated and inspired by the enterprising young women of The Baby-Sitters Club,” said Frank Smith, president and CEO of Walden Media. “Bringing this iconic series to life comes at a pivotal moment in Walden’s expansion into scripted televised content. We are honored to be part of this special collaboration with Ann M. Martin, Netflix, and Michael De Luca.”
Adding her voice to the conversation is Melissa Cobb, vice president of Kids & Family at Netflix, who said, “The themes of The Baby-Sitters Club still resonate 30 years after the original book series was released and there has never been a more opportune time to tell an aspirational story about empowering young female entrepreneurs." She then added, "Together with Ann M. Martin and the team at Walden Media, our ambition is to contemporize the storylines and adventures of this iconic group of girlfriends to reflect modern-day issues.”
While I've not read any of the original The Baby-Sitters Club novels, I can vouch for the best-selling graphic novel collection from Scholastic and Smile author Reina Talgemeier. While there are other books in the series, I'd found Talgemeier's installments: Kristy's Great Idea, The Truth About Stacey, Mary Anne Saves the Day, and Claudia and Mean Janine to be nothing short of delighful in every way. In my experience, Talgemeier is a master of her craft, and presents the ladies of The Baby-Sitters Club as strong-willed, savvy, and seriously dramatic women on the verge of a bright future. It's a great collection for young and adult readers alike.
Here's hoping that Michael De Luca Productions, Netflix and Walden Media can capture the magic of Martin's best-selling series when the show arrives for its series premiere.