When Netflix announced that the streaming site would be bringing an adaptation of The Baby-Sitters Club to its subscribers in 2019, fans of the original series of novels were equal parts excited and nervous. It had, after all, been more than a decade since the last live action adaptation of Ann M. Martin's beloved series.
Fans can now rest assured that the series might be the best adaptation of the stories so far. While much has been modernized for 2020, the heart of the stories and the impeccable characterization remains the same. In fact, the team behind the Netflix show did a lot of work to include details from the novels that even the most loyal of fans might have missed on their first watch of the series.
Book Accurate Opening Credits
One thing fans of the novels might remember is that each novel is narrated by a member of the club. It's done in the guise of Kristy wanting the club members to make notes in the "club notebook" about different jobs.
The opening credits of each episode homage that idea by opening with a notebook belonging to the character narrating. The notebooks aren't simply designed to reflect the personality of the character. They also contain handwriting in the font used to distinguish the character's handwriting in the novels. The final two episodes feature "writing" by more than one of the girls in the same way the mysteries and "super special" spin-offs would feature chapters by multiple characters.
Claudia's Butterflies
There's no way an audience member who is able to see Claudia's room would miss out on the butterflies that grace her walls. What they might not realize is that there is another important butterfly above her desk.
Claudia tells a story about a memory to her friends in Super Special #11. When she's six years old, the teacher gives her class the assignment of drawing self portraits. Claudia draws herself as a butterfly. The teacher criticizes her for not understanding the instructions, but Mimi comes to her defense, telling the teacher Claudia did as instructed because she sees herself as a free spirit. That butterfly is amongst the art over her desk.
The Cover Recreations
The first promotional poster released for the Netflix series homaged the original cover of the first novel. That's not where the homages stop.
Producers tried to recreate covers in different episodes, but the one that might stand out most to fans is actually in the season finale. As the members of the club get together to pose for a photo at Camp Moosehead, they stand in the exact same positions as they did when they attend Camp Mohawk in one of the "super special" novels.
Episode Titles
If the episode titles in the TV series sound familiar, that's because most of them are also titles of books in the original series. "Kristy's Great Idea," for example, is the title of the first episode, but also the first book in the series.
In fact, the first eight episodes of the series share their names with the first eight books of the series, but in a slightly different order. Out of order is the episode "Kristy's Big Day." Though it's episode eight in the Netflix series, it's the sixth book. The last two episodes are inspired the Super Special #2: Baby-sitters' Summer Vacation.
Street Names
Fans of the books will recognize more than just episode titles. Ann M. Martin had a very clear vision of what Stoneybrook looked like, right down to which houses were on which street and which streets intersected where. Fans could probably make their own map of the town.
Elm Street, the street on which Stoneybrook Middle School resides, is a prominent one in the series. It's where Stacey's house is as well. Bradford Court, where Kristy, Claudia, and Mary Anne all live is also name checked with a visible street sign. Even the placement of the houses in the show is exactly to the specification of the novels.
Claudia's Room Is Shoe-Free
For viewers outside of the US, this might seem like a strange thing to notice, but Claudia's friends not wearing shoes in her room is significant. It shows that the production team is making an effort to be culturally accurate.
For a lot of US houses, wearing shoes indoors is no big deal, and not something many think twice about. In most other countries, however, especially those in East Asia, it's customary to remove shoes at the entrance, even to wear designated slippers around the house. Mimi is always shown in slippers in the Kishi residence, and Claudia's friends always leave their shoes at the front door.
Kristy Wears Her Visor
At Camp Moosehead, Kristy decides to call an "emergency meeting of the Baby-Sitters Club." As she states her intention, she pops a bright visor on the top of her head.
In the novels, that visor designated the president of the club. Kristy wore it at every meeting. When Dawn, the alternate officer who took on roles when others were absent, was president, she also sported the visor to call the meetings to order. Kristy doesn't wear a visor during meetings in the Netflix series usually, so the scene provided a nice callback.
Only Two Characters Have A Name Change
All of the main characters in the series - and the kids they baby-sit - have a counterpart in the novels. Even the kids that the audience doesn't see, like Jackie Rudowski, are from the novels. Only two characters get a name change in the show.
One of those is Lacey Lewis. She's the high-schooler who starts the Baby-Sitters Agency. In the books, she's Liz instead. Likewise, the child that Mary Anne baby-sits and has to take to the hospital is Jenny in the books. In the show, her name is Bailey.
Kristy And Mary Anne's Photos
Mary Anne and Kristy both get dramatically new rooms in the series. Mary Anne's gets a makeover while Kristy moves into Watson's house. Before both of these major changes, both girls have photos displayed in their rooms.
The photos visible on camera in Kristy's room are all of the two of them and her brothers. In Mary Anne's, however, the only visible photos are of her and Kristy, likely her only friend at that point.
The Girls Are Hardy Boys And Nancy Drew Fans
In the run of Baby-Sitters Club novels, Ann M. Martin penned letters about some of the decisions she made for the characters - like Kristy being inspired by her friend and Mary Anne being inspired by herself. Martin was also a big fan of Nancy Drew mysteries growing up, and that's reflected in the novels.
Claudia is the Nancy Drew fan in the books, and eagle eyed fans will spot volumes of the original hardcovers on her desk in the show. Likewise, Kristy has Hardy Boys novels. Could this be a hint at the mysteries to come in a possible second season?