The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

‘Baby-Sitters Club’ series reboot in works at Netflix

- By Ashley Lee

Say hello to your friends, “Baby-Sitters Club” fans. Again.

Netflix announced Thursday that it’s creating a new televised take on Ann M. Martin’s best-selling book series. The contempora­ryset, live-action show will follow the friendship and babysittin­g adventures of five best friends in Stoneybroo­k, Connecticu­t.

Spanning 10 episodes, the family-friendly adaptation includes Rachel Shukert (“GLOW”) as showrunner and Lucia Aniello (“Broad City”) as director and executive producer.

“The themes of ‘The BabySitter­s 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,” said Melissa Cobb, Netflix vice president of content for kids and families, in the announceme­nt.

Martin’s beloved book series, which began in the mid-1980s and wrapped up in 2000, has more than 200 books licensed in more than 20 territorie­s with more than 180 million copies sold. The titles tell stories of female friendship and empowermen­t — topics that got the franchise lauded by the New Yorker for its “feminist legacy” in 2016.

“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,” Martin said in a statement Thursday.

The “Baby-Sitters Club” novels, first published in 1986, were previously adapted for the screen in 1990. The single-season series first aired on HBO and was then syndicated by Nickelodeo­n and Disney Channel. The books were also adapted into a feature film in 1995, starring Rachael Leigh Cook, Larisa Oleynik and Schuyler Fisk.

 ?? SCHOLASTIC/TNS ?? Netflix is turning “The Baby-Sitters Club” book series into a liveaction television series.
SCHOLASTIC/TNS Netflix is turning “The Baby-Sitters Club” book series into a liveaction television series.

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