The Baby-Sitters Club

I decided to take a look back at the BSC series here on IMDb. I agree with many of the other comments, it was definitely well casted. Much more so than the movie. While I did like the movie, the casting didn't make much sense. They chose to cast well-known actors, for the most part or at least more well known than were on the series. Larisa Oleynik had Alex Mack, Rachel Leigh Cook had Tom & Huck and whatever else she'd done by that point.

It wasn't about making the series we so treasured come to life. It was just about making as much money as possible, during that summer of 1995.

My only problems with the series was that it was too short and didn't expand enough on its own. It could have become an offset while mixing aspects of the books into them. Like what there lives were like in between each book.

I'm not sure why i'm writing about this 12 years later. But hell, I'm off today, so why not?

Wow, some pretty strong comments on this show! Honestly, it's not as cheesy as some make out. Sure, it's not Citizen Kane, but for what it is, it's not bad at all.

First, I think the casting was great. I often found it unbelievable in the books that the girls were only in Middle School, considering all the things they were able to do (go to NYC at the drop of a hat, babysit infants, etc), so casting older actresses made the whole thing more plausible. Also, I think the actresses have been unfairly criticized, I think it was the writing that was a bit off, it was geared a little too young to be believable, not the writers fault or the actresses, just how it worked out. Also, those who have commented on the lack of television and film appearances of the actresses post-BSC should be aware that the majority of the performers on this show were from the stage, and many returned there after this series.

The series was much closer to the books than the film was, and the supporting cast did well. As the show progressed, it improved drastically. The performers had gotten the chance to get to know each other and develop a working relationship, and the story lines also began to embrace heavier topics, such as divorce and the destruction of our environment.

Good fun to revisit on rainy Saturdays, and something I will surely share with my own children if I am blessed to have any.

As a member of the "Babysitter's Club Generation", I was probably the only 9 year old not reading the books (there were what 250 books?). But now as a 20 something, I, for some reason, find the re-runs of the show irresistible. If I flip through the channels and it is on, I find it almost impossible not to stop and watch. Yes, I know that the show is incredibly stupid and the acting is quite lacking, maybe it is the escape back to my childhood that I need. I don't recommend anyone watch it, but don't feel shame if you do.

I LOVED these books when they first came out and until several years after, so of course I had to try the silly TV series that was spawned from them. How was it? Well, I think I was 10 when I first watched, and I didn't even like it then. That was when I took "The Baby-sitter's Club" seriously, and I didn't like how they used different plots. Also, I was not crazy about the actors. They could have done better with many of them. The one who played stupid Mary Anne doesn't even REMOTELY look like the dumb character on the book covers.(but to give her "credit", the actress is pathetically probably one of the "better" ones.)

Anyway, when I was 10, I saw the show, didn't like it and went on with life. Several years later, I discovered that they were showing reruns on the Disney channel, so I decided to check one out. How was it? Well, it was still as corny as ever. If it had been more popular, it would have been to TV in the '90s what Full House was in the '80s and what The Brady Bunch was in the late '60s and early '70s. Those girls are supposed to be 13 and they act about 35! In one episode, when stupid Kristy (who I never liked in the books, and most certainly don't love in the show) was helping some third grader run for class president, and she and her pals were thinking up slogans in the street. When they finally found one, they chanted it over and over again and squealed and giggled as that silly theme song played in the background. Yuck! "Real" people would never be caught dead doing such a thing. Another particularly nauseating episode was when some boys tried to join the BSC.

Well, the episodes may have been nauseating, and I don't care for many of the casting choices. Stupid Dawn was supposed to be from California, and sounds like some reject from New York, and Kristy simply bugs me. The other's aren't much better. It is these flaws and the fact that it also tends to be BORING that make me not exactly take this show seriously, but it is entertaining, neverthless. What a "classic."

I remember watching this with my friend, and to tell you the truth - it's not that bad! Sure, it's corny and cheesey and whatever, but the actresses were a hell of a lot better than those morons that acted in the movie!! At least these actresses made their friendship seem natural rather than forced and awkward like the actresses in the movie! This, to me, is a classic (genuine), it reminds me of when I was at school, and is a hell of a lot funnier and interesting than the film! In my opinion, if Ann M. Martin wanted to make a movie, than she should have done so at the time the TV series was being made! She should have used the same actresses that she had used for the TV series! To me, the characters described in the book were portrayed more realistically by the actresses in the TV series than in the awful movie!! I just regret the fact that the actresses in the TV series seem to have faded into oblivion whereas, the awful actresses in the movie have actually found more work!!! There is no justice in America!!! And by the way, if people criticise this series for being "unrealistic" then they should realise that the movie could hardly be described as "realistic". Besides the TV series was aimed at young teens, so it's hardly going to show sex, violence and bad language is it?!?! People have to put this into perspective, and when it is put into a young teen's perspective, it works out as a great TV series!!