Hope is on the horizon for one of this year’s Netflix cancellation casualties, The Baby-Sitters Club. This past March, the streamer cancelled the nostalgic and universally beloved comedy-drama, which still holds a perfect Tomatometer score on Rotten Tomatoes. Fans were rightfully gutted by the decision to cut the series short after only two seasons, with the showrunner and creator expressing similar sentiments of heartbreak upon receiving the news. Despite the series’ short-lived duration, The Baby-Sitters Club now has a fighting chance for its return back to screens as a potential series revival or TV movie.
On Sunday, the heartwarming series earned a grand total of three Emmys at the 2022 Children’s & Family Emmys, two of which were for Outstanding Writing for a Live Action Preschool or Children’s Program and Outstanding Children’s or Family Viewing Series. The wins further prove the lasting impact of the acclaimed series and why it should be brought back for a new generation. Fans might not have to wait too much longer as The Baby-Sitters Club’s showrunner and executive producer, Rachel Shukert hinted at the possibilities for a relaunch in a conversation with Variety.
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“We’re talking about it in a very preliminary way, talking about if we can bring it somewhere else. Or if we could do maybe like a movie, like kind of a wrap up special,” stated Shukert. “The girls obviously are older now than they were when we started, and they’ve really grown up. So I think we would have to set it a little bit in the future. But there’s just so much love for the show and for this property and for these characters, and I’m so grateful for that." In the wake of her show’s untimely end, Shukert remained grateful, finding comfort and gratification in the love shown for the remake post-cancellation. Their current Emmy wins represent a pinnacle, “the cherry on a sundae,” as mountains of support for a renewal strengthens within the fanbase.
The series’ newly awarded Emmy-winner status has also rejuvenated the cast and production team. The 2022 Children’s & Family marked the first time the cast and producers got together to celebrate the show. When speaking about their celebration, Shukert said, “You have to think that infectious energy could carry through to a movie or something like that…stay tuned.”
The Baby-Sitters Club Reached A Brand New Generation And Reconnected With Its Previous Generation
Netflix
There’s no denying how Netflix’s The Baby-Sitters Club amassed a huge following of loyal fans across multiple generations. The 2020 revival is based on the eponymous best-selling novels by Ann M. Martin between 1986 and 2000, and the series remained faithful to the source material. Plenty of book-to-cinematic adaptations don’t go over well with audiences due to deviations. However, the series avoids this common faux pas. Instead, Netflix’s The Baby-Sitters Club retained a nostalgic familiarity for millennials who grew up reading the novels or watched the 90s cinematic renditions.
Although the lighthearted show stays true to its roots, Shukert still finds a way to modernize it in a progressive and attractive way for Gen Z. The series doesn’t shy away from having the girls tackle complex, real-life issues from a place of compassion such as social media bullying, anti-colonialism, or even the onset of health issues like diabetes. They are exemplary models for the younger generation to emulate, showcasing their interwoven personal journeys through entrepreneurship, relationships, and unadulterated adolescence in multi-faceted, empathetic, and dynamic characters. And above all, The Baby-Sitters Club features a lead cast of diverse backgrounds including Black, Asian, Hispanic, and even a transgender young girl in this series.
As it stands, there are no new productions currently underway for The Baby-Sitters Club yet. However, audiences can still rewatch seasons 1 and 2 exclusively on Netflix.
