‘The Baby-Sitters Club’ for Gen Z: Our predictions for the new show
For those looking to fulfill their nostalgic TV show quota, Netflix’s adaptation of Ann M. Martin’s The Baby-Sitters Club book series has you covered. Executive producer Michael De Luca (The Social Network) really pulled a great choice to double up on the 90s nostalgia. The books themselves are already nostalgic, but the supporting cast Walden Media and Netflix have gathered will take you back.
Queen of the 90s Alicia Silverstone (Clueless, Batman & Robin) will play club president Kristy Thomas’s mother Elizabeth in the new show. Yes, that’s right: Silverstone is now old enough to be playing mothers. You’re old. Don’t worry; if you think that’s bad, then you missed her playing Diane Keaton’s daughter in Book Club.
As Elizabeth Thomas-Brewer, Silverstone will help teach the message that Elizabeth taught in the original books about mixed families. Mr. Thomas walked out on Kristy and the family long before the books begin, so Kristy’s family includes her stepfather Watson (set to be played by Royal Pains star Mark Feuerstein) and her stepsiblings Karen and Andrew as well as her mother, three biological siblings, and one adopted sister.
With the announcement of the Thomas-Brewer parents, we know the club members themselves will be revealed soon enough. The show intends to modernize the stories, taking on “timely” topics such as “divorce, racism and belonging”. Considering this show is veering family-friendly, they’re aiming for a Generation Z audience.
The adventures of the Baby-Sitters Club are definitely a fit for these times. If showrunner Rachel Shukert (GLOW) really wants to cash in on the GenZ audience, we have a few suggestions on how to catch their attention. Here are some great ideas for topics the Club can tackle.
Baby-Sitters Club meetings are just a group message on WhatsApp
At least one character will barely check in (probably Dawn) and just sporadically respond “LOLOLOLOL” at random intervals. There’ll be heated discussions about who can take care of Mr. Kociensky’s demon twins and why Stacey legit has PTSD since last time when those bastard kids infiltrated her “safe space” and told her Taylor Swift is sh**.
The whole series happens over Skype
It’ll be like Unfriended but with less murder and more discussions about empowerment and the booming babysitting economy.
The gang developing a Baby-Sitters app and take Silicon Valley by storm
Thomas Middleditch (The Final Girls), Zach Woods (The Other Guys), and Kumail Nanjiani (The Big Sick) will guest star and audiences will breathe a sigh of relief that T.J. Miller (Deadpool) had his ass fired long ago so these poor young women don’t have to deal with him.
The Baby-Sitters Club only accepting payment in bitcoin
It’s, like, totally the future.
At least one Baby-Sitters Club escapade involving two of the girls discovering lesbianism
You’re never too young to discover the joy of sapphic necking, ladies! However, it will likely cause a mass outcry from every Parents Television Association in the country.
An entire episode about solving the mystery of a stolen avocado
This is why the club will barely meet IRL – too much low-level crime involving pricey brunch favorites.
A super clunky storyline exploring gender identity
It’ll definitely involve Kirsty’s sudden dysphoria and a brief arc in which she explores who she really is with the help of a Bustle guide to gender identity and a montage where she tries on different clothes and shaves her head. The storyline will last exactly one episode so the network can fulfil their “diversity quota” for the season and never be spoken of again.
The girls start a hashtag movement after a Dad harasses one of them on a babysitting assignment
So edgy. So timely. So essential.
A character almost dying after eating a Tide Pod on a dare
It’ll be about two years since the Tide Pod challenge craze actually happened, but America will still learn a lot from the episode about why eating washing detergent is never a wise move, even if you can’t taste it as it goes down.
