You may have heard the rave reviews about the new "The Baby-Sitters Club" series on Netflix. Your kids may have even watched it. But if not, I'm here to urge you to seek out this incredible series... even if you're not a kid or a parent. This 30-something single woman spent an evening with a glass of wine bingeing the series (and occasionally crying), so even though the series is rated TV-G, it's truly for everyone.
If you're not familiar, the book series by Ann M. Martin follows a group of young entrepreneurial tween/teen girls who seek to disrupt the babysitting market and form a club where parents can reach a group of ready, willing and able babysitters. Each girl has a different and unique personality, and the series is, of course, more about friendship than anything else.
This is a highly recommended watch for fans of the book series. I felt like I was having acid flashbacks to my tweenage self with all the small details and character beats the series pays attention to: the way Claudia's grandmother Mimi calls her "My Claudia," strident Kristy's combination of bossy and noble; certain plot beats and names and moments are so spot on, it's clear creator Rachel Shukert knows and loves the books inside and out. The series is thoughtfully updated for our times, and it's fresh, modern and sensitive.
If your kid is inspired to try more "Baby-Sitters Club" content, go for the book series of course. But Netflix is also smartly releasing a documentary short by Sue Ding on Friday called "The Claudia Kishi Club," all about the coolest member of the BSC, Claudia (in the series she's played by Momona Tamada) and how important she was for Asian American representation.
For something a little bit more retro, the 1995 movie version of "The Baby-Sitters Club," starring Schuyler Fisk, Rachael Leigh Cook and Larisa Oleynik, directed by Melanie Mayron, is on Showtime and free to stream with ads on Pluto TV.
Also new to Netflix for young viewers is Season 2 of "Chico Bon Bon: Monkey with a Tool Belt," which dropped July 1, and this Friday comes a new season of "The Epic Tales of Captain Underpants In Space!" It joins a host of other Captain Underpants content on Netflix, including the interactive series "Choice-o-Rama." I found the 2017 Captain Underpants feature film "Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie" to be quite charming, and that is available on Direct TV and for a $3.99 digital rental. Also on Netflix Friday is Season 3 of the beloved animated series "Hello Ninja," aimed at preschoolers.
