If you’re a millennial (especially someone born in the late ‘80s), The Baby-Sitters Club is a book series. Thanks to Netflix, however, the beloved story has been brought to life in a new 10-episode TV show with a talented cast of young actors.
The Baby-Sitters Club aired on July 3 and already, it’s become one of the most popular things to watch on the streaming platform right now. It’s the perfect combination of nostalgia meets modern day.
While the main characters are the same — Kristy Thomas (played by Sophie Grace), Claudia Kishi (played by Momona Tamada), Stacey McGill (played by Shay Rudolph), Mary Anne Spier (played by Malia Baker) and Dawn Schafer (played by Xochitl Gomez) — the plot deals with more progressive topics like inclusivity and makes a lot of references to pop culture and technology in 2020.
Yes, the Stonybrook girls still use a landline for their business … but it was purchased on Etsy, duh! Additionally, the cast is more diverse than the characters previously described in Ann M. Martin’s original series. For example, Mary Anne is now biracial.
Speaking with Vanity Fair, Rachel Shukert, who created the TV series, and Lucia Aniello, who directed The Baby-Sitters Club, revealed that they had a very clear vision at the beginning of the casting process.“We were looking for girls that were very real and good actresses, but not very mannered,” Shukert explained.
“We found ourselves leaning towards the actresses that had either less experience or hadn’t really gone through so much of the L.A., Disney, Nickelodeon kind of route — kids who just felt like they were themselves,” echoed Aniello, adding all of the actresses have “incredible parents” who keep them “very grounded” which translates on screen.
As it stands, Netflix has yet to give The Baby-Sitters Club the green light for season 2 (but we’re hopeful!). In the meantime, scroll through the gallery below to learn more about the cast.