The Baby-Sitters Club (2020 TV series)


The Baby-Sitters Club is an American comedy-drama web television series created by Rachel Shukert, based on the children's novel series of the same name by Ann M. Martin. It was released on Netflix on July 3, 2020.

Plot

The series follows the friendship and adventures of five middle-schoolers as they start a babysitting business in Stoneybrook, Connecticut.

Cast and characters

Main

Production

Development

In February 2019, Netflix ordered a 10-episode reboot based on The Baby-Sitters Club with Ann M. Martin as producer, Rachel Shukert as showrunner, and Michael De Luca and Lucia Aniello as executive producers. Aniello also directed.

Casting

and Mark Feuerstein joined the cast in August 2019. In March 2020, Sophie Grace, Malia Baker, Momona Tamada, Shay Rudolph and Xochitl Gomez joined the cast of the series.

Design

Cynthia Ann Summers is the series' costume designer. She told Vulture, "We definitely wanted to make sure that, whenever we could, we'd give a nod to the style of the '90s and even some of the book covers." One notable piece is Claudia's yellow plaid pantsuit, a reference to Clueless.
Summers told Refinery29, "Most of the characters' were purchased from places these girls would shop in real life: Zara, H&M, American Eagle, Gap, Urban Outfitters, Aritzia, Topshop, Kate Spade, Alice + Olivia, Anthropologie, Nordstrom... Because we shot in Canada, 80 percent of everyone's fashion was purchased at Simons in Vancouver. Also lots and lots of vintage shopping and upcycling.”

Reception

Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported an approval rating of 100% based on 38 reviews, with an average rating of 8.56/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Sweet, sincere, and full of hope, The Baby-Sitters Club grounded approach honors its source material while updating the story for a new generation." On Metacritic, it has a weighted average score of 87 out of 100 based on 18 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".
Meghan O'Keefe of Decider praised the fourth episode of the first season for its portrayal of a transgender child. She wrote that the series is "unabashedly feminist", and that it "does more than just affirm that transgender children exist and matter and are worthy of respect; the show argues for these children's rights."
Rebecca Onion, writing for Slate, said, "The new show is indeed adorable—the multiracial group of suburban middle schoolers earnestly booking gigs from their perch in Claudia Kishi's colorful bedroom is just as plucky and kind as ever... The new show has gotten plaudits for its diverse cast and plotlines, but in many important ways, the whole idea is a pure fantasy: of suburban community, of gentle coming-of-age, of meaningful work that teaches responsibility and pays just enough for fancy new paintbrushes."
Writing for The Guardian, Lucy Mangan said, "What could have been a sugary nostalgia-fest or worse a reboot that indulged the apparently insatiable urge to sex up material from a more innocent time, regardless of the age and/or continued innocence of its audience, is in fact a funny, fresh reimagining. Building on Martin's solid, good-hearted tales, it maintains a contemporary feel without losing the old-fashioned charm at its heart."
Petrana Radulovic of Polygon said, "Like their book counterparts, all the girls in The Baby-Sitters Club are more in-depth than their one-word trope descriptor implies, thanks in part to the skillful performances from the young actresses. As spunky, outspoken Kristy, Sophie Grace adds nuance to her bossy, bratty attitude, grounding what could be an over-the-top performance with some tender moments. Momona Tamada, of To All the Boys I've Loved Before fame, captures Claudia's quirkiness and energy, but not without pangs of isolation because she feels her family will never understand her."
Writing for the Hollywood Reporter, Robyn Bahr called the show "not only warm and effervescent, downright among the best shows the streaming platform has produced to date."
Kelly Lawler, writing for USA Today, said the show was "optimistic but not deluded, youthful but not juvenile and sweet but not mawkish. Its quintet of young actresses are talented beyond their years, but the dialogue never makes them sound like 40-year-old Hollywood scriptwriters."
Hank Stuever, writing for The Washington Post, noted "the show's remarkably talented cast of young actresses, all of whom either never learned the kidz-show style of overacting, or were never afflicted with it to begin with. They are wholly believable in the roles of these idealized youths, with especially good performances from Tamada and Baker."
Jenny Singer, writing for Glamour, called the show "both unbelievably wholesome and seriously entertaining. The girls buy a landline phone on Etsy, hit up local parents with targeted Instagram ads, and make comments like, 'Art shouldn't be only the province of the privileged!' Their comedy is funny, their trauma is real, their style choices slay."