This summer, Netflix is making us all honorary members of The Baby-Sitters Club with the release of a new series based on the beloved franchise.
If you were a kid at any point during the past three decades, chances are you spent some time flipping through the pages of The Baby-Sitters Club. First released in 1986, the best-selling book series by Ann M. Martin is about a group of middle school friends who run a babysitting service in the fictional town of Stoneybrook, Connecticut. The books sold 176 million copies around the world and were translated into several languages. Even TV and film adaptations were made in the 90s.
This new adaptation has been given a modern twist — from the dialogue to the pop culture references — but there is some nostalgia in there as well, especially with the landline that the girls use to book their babysitting jobs. Of course, the themes of friendship, female empowerment, and entrepreneurship still feature heavily in the show.
In case it’s been a while since you picked up these books — or this is a completely new story to you — here’s an introduction to each member of The Baby-Sitters Club.
Kristy Thomas (Sophie Grace) – President
Kristy is the founder and president of The Baby-sitters Club (BSC), an idea she comes up with when her mom has trouble finding a last-minute babysitter. Kristy is smart, energetic, and a natural leader although she can sometimes be a bit bossy.
Mary Anne Spier (Malia Baker) – Secretary
Kristy’s best friend since birth, Mary Anne is sweet, shy, and a dreamer. When she was a baby, her mom passed away from cancer. She’s being raised by her loving yet overprotective dad. She joins her BFF Kristy as secretary of the BSC.
Claudia Kishi (Momona Tamada) – Vice President
A friend and neighbor of Kristy and Mary Anne, Claudia is cool and creative but easily distracted, especially when it comes to school. She also struggles with living up to her family’s expectations of her.
Stacey McGill (Shay Rudolph) – Treasurer
Stacey is Claudia’s new best friend and the new girl at school, having moved to Stoneybrook from NYC. She’s smart and fashionable but is also keeping a secret from her new friends.
Dawn Schafer (Xochitl Gomez) – Alternate Officer
Dawn is also new to Stoneybrook, moving from California to her mom’s hometown following her parents’ divorce. Free-spirited and a passionate activist, she quickly bonds with Mary Anne, causing some friction with Kristy, but she quickly becomes part of the BSC.
The series also stars Alicia Silverstone as Elizabeth Thomas, Kristy’s mother; Mark Feuerstein as Watson Brewer, Elizabeth’s love interest; and Marc Evan Jackson as Richard Spier, Mary Anne’s widower father.
Here’s a sneak preview:
Join the club this weekend and watch Season 1 of The Baby-Sitters Club on Netflix. For an even more exclusive experience, add Wiretap to Chrome so you can see comments and reactions from fans and friends around the world. Or add your own posts.
And over the weekend, check back here with the Wiretap Blog to find out how you can see fun facts and trivia from The Baby-Sitters Club as well as quotes from some of the cast and crew in the Wiretap stream!
Photos and Video Courtesy of Netflix
