The Babysitters Club Netflix Show and Graphic Novel Parent Review
Written by the Elf and Unicorn on 7/5/2020 This post contains affiliate links, you can find out more on our policies page or in the disclaimer at the bottom of the blog.
The Babysitters Club Netflix Show-
Know Before You Watch:
*Light Spoilers Included*
Show Name: The Babysitters Club Netflix Show
Rating: TV-G
Age Suggestion: 10+ with a parent because of the depth of the family topics brought up, it would probably bore kids under 10.
Episode Length: Currently there are 10 episodes that run about 30 minutes each
Where to Watch: Netflix
Themes: Family, several types of parental loss and relationships, divorce, blended families, a new illness diagnosis, middle school relationships, sexual identities, different religions and cultures, responsibility, friendship, (The Washington Post calls it a family dramedy not a fun sitcom)
Warnings: The series has always been a little progressive but the show is very progressive. In every episode there are HEAVY, real-life, topics dealt with (some might say with a specific agenda)- which isn’t the light and airy, G rated, sitcom that was advertised. Nothing is overtly offensive or worth a specific warning. It’s mostly well done, but emotionally intense. Definitely one to watch with your kids- especially if your kiddo has dealt with any family related trauma.
The Babysitters Club Netflix Summary:
Middle School- you’re not quite grown up enough to drive, but you’re old enough to start taking on more responsibilities like babysitting. How do you balance school, a business, and your friends?!?! The Babysitters Club is a new family drama on Netflix that tackles that question and so much more. It’s based closely on the book series (now an updated graphic novel series). Each episode, in only a half hour, manages to touch on main points from an entire book. Parents need to know that this show covers a lot of hot button and triggering topics. Personally, I think the content is more Gilmore Girls speed and less G rated like Jessie. It’s a cute, generally well done, show but not one I would recommend to everyone because of the content. The actors and actresses were all brilliant though and were really what shined most in the series.
The Babysitters Club Netflix Show Discussion Questions:
1) Which of the babysitters do you relate to the most?
2) If you have babysat before- what is your craziest babysitting story? Which one did you think was the craziest during the show?
3) How do you feel about the Middle School and Family struggles that the show brought up?
The Babysitters Club Netflix Review
-Characters & Acting:
All of these leads are young actresses and they really do a phenomenal job! The characters are pulled directly from the book and if you love them in the book you will love them on screen! The girls had great chemistry and really looked like seasoned actresses- even the youngest ones! Even the parents were brilliantly cast- That is exactly how we pictured Mary Anne’s dad, Watson, and MiMi.
-Script & Story:
The series is right on track with the books, they do differ slightly but it’s very similar. There were a few things we missed from the books, like Claudia’s deeper art story line. The stories tackle a LOT, especially in this show! It all flows together very well and provides a lot of great room for discussion. However, the series packs so much pointed drama into each episode that the storytelling overall really suffers. It’s tough to get into character development with four leads, impossible when you pack in SO much story into each episode- which means that I didn’t really connect with the characters like I did in the books. There were also a lot of holes and unanswered questions with the plot line, which I hope would be connected if there was another season. And it’s definitely more mature than the G rating. It’s way more like Gilmore Girls than Disney’s Jessie.
-Film Quality:
The quality of Netflix originals has definitely gone up. This series is shot really well and the visual storytelling is really engaging. The Babysitters Club Netflix show feels like you are stepping straight out of the graphic novel into the television screen.
–Overall Thoughts:
The series is more diverse than even the graphic novels, which is great!! (except for with the boys the girls like- what’s up with that?) There is also a lot of different representation for different types of family structures and at least one different culture so far. Personally, I wish they would have stretched the books out a little bit and not packed quite as much into each episode. The final two episodes were my favorite! I was glad to see Mallory and Jessi join the club at the end.
With the G rating I was expecting and hoping for more of a fun show. While it has fun moments, it’s more of a heavy drama than a fun sitcom. I thought it was well done but I definitely would not suggest it on it’s own to anyone under 12. If your kids are interested, I would suggest watching it with them so you can really talk about it together, especially if they have experienced any family trauma.
Keep Reading for our The Babysitters Club Graphic Novel #1 Review
The Babysitters Club Graphic Novel Book One Review
Know Before You Read
*Light Spoilers Included*
Book: The Babysitters Club #1: Kristy’s Great Idea
Author and Illustrator: Based on the novels by Ann M. Martin and illustrated by Raina Telgemeier
Pages: 192
Published: April 2015
Age Suggestion: 10+
Themes: Friendship, The teenage and parent relationship, Divorce, Re-marriage, Step and blended families, Responsibility, Illness diagnosis
Warnings: This book is one of the most tame in the series, but there are still some sensitive subjects touched on, like divorced parents remarrying.
Quick Summary of The Babysitters Club graphic novel:
Kristy has a great new idea, a babysitters club. But she also has a really big problem, her mom’s boyfriend. Can the BSC be a successful business in spite of how difficult kids are? Or how difficult middle school is?
This is the graphic novel version of the first book in the Babysitters Club series. It’s very well translated from middle grade novel to graphic novel.
The Babysitters Club Graphic Novel Review:
Why Read It:
If you loved The Babysitter’s Club original series, this is a great way to share it with your kids! The graphic novels are based off of the books, just updated (think cell phones & learning how to advertise on social media). Graphic novels are really fun, and Raina Telgemeier has a couple of extremely popular ones out already. She does a wonderful job modernizing the first book in the series.
Plot and Art:
Kristy is trying to navigate middle school as a strong and independent girl- but that isn’t always thought of well by adults. Including her mom, who likes to encourage her strengths but also still needs to parent her. Plus, how do you make a business work in middle school? The plot is engaging and doesn’t differ drastically from the original. The artwork is also really well done and absolutely adds some great depth to the story.
What we loved about it:
-The artwork really increased your empathy with the characters.
-This book was very faithful to the original series.
-It’s a pretty short read.
-I loved the tales of babysitting adventures! Every babysitter can relate to being overwhelmed by crazy kids and unexpected situations!
The Babysitters Club Graphic Novel Discussion Questions:
1) Why did Kristy react the way she did to her moms news? Have you ever reacted badly to something because you were upset about something else?
2) Is it easy to work together as a group? What are some ways to make that work in real life?
3) What was your favorite part of this book?
Final Thoughts:
Both The Babysitters Club Netflix Show and Graphic Novel are relatable, fun, and pretty true to the series. However, I personally would have preferred more comedic babysitting stories and less intense drama. Is the show relevant? Yes. Is it well acted? Absolutely! Are they worth watching and reading?: Yes, but not without lots of discussion. Are they well made? Yes and no. They’re fun, but they are way more heavy than fun and I wish that was flipped. I’ve got some really wonderful and hysterical memories from my babysitting days- but I didn’t find myself reliving many of them with this series that was way more of an older/teen adult drama than pre-teen sitcom (or pre-teen novel.)
What to Check Out Next
-If you are looking for more Netflix suggestions, check out this post!
-For other graphic novels; check out our reviews of Inquisitors Tale, Awkward, Alls Faire In Middle School.
-Don’t miss this post on Life Lessons from the new Little Women Movie or review of the new fun movie My Spy.
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