THIS IS NOT A DRILL.

[promethia_tenk]

The Baby-Sitter's Club ten-episode series on Netflix tomorrow. (Link is Washington Post, in case you're conserving your articles for the month.) TL;DR: apparently it's great.

Plz to reply with your favorite character and what portion of your 10-year-old life was spent reading BSC books. (My answers are Claudia, and about 80%)

Comments

[elisi]

IDK, it's kinda like My Little Pony: such a particular buried generational memory.
Uh-huh. I never watched My Little Pony, but I OWNED them. ♥ (I still have them. They're in a cupboard in my old bedroom.)

Oooooh yeah, he is! Though has LJ been educating you about Mary Anne's dad? That seems . . . oddly specific.
No. I know of the books, but zero specifics.

[promethia_tenk]

Uh-huh. I never watched My Little Pony, but I OWNED them. ♥ (I still have them. They're in a cupboard in my old bedroom.)
Yeah, MLP were strictly a toy when I was little; no idea about a show. But you know if you mention MLP then people who grew up in a certain age rage are gonna squee. It's like that.

(My second greatest yard sale score of all time was a My Little Pony dream mansion, moderate wear. I felt so swag.)

No. I know of the books, but zero specifics.
Things keep happening and it's like omg i remember that! Dawn just moved to town and became friends with Mary Anne and Dawn's mom and Mary Anne's dad used to date when they were in high school! It's very thrilling. However, I am distressed that Dawn and her mom seem to be living in a fairly normal house, not an old, haunted farmhouse, and then how is Dawn supposed to discover the secret underground railroad passage that goes out to the barn?!!?? Inquiring minds need to know.

[elisi]

Yeah, MLP were strictly a toy when I was little; no idea about a show. But you know if you mention MLP then people who grew up in a certain age rage are gonna squee. It's like that.
*nods* I understand.

(My second greatest yard sale score of all time was a My Little Pony dream mansion, moderate wear. I felt so swag.)
!! I had the small stable - it was my first pony, and I got it because my favourite doll had been lost in the airport. So my parents were going to get me another one, except I saw this PONY AND STABLE (never ever seen them before, this was just after we'd moved to Denmark, I was 8) and decided I wanted that instead. Later I got the Show Stable. I'd asked for the castle, but it was sold out. I also got a baby buggy. Ye gods, this is a walk down memory lane...

and then how is Dawn supposed to discover the secret underground railroad passage that goes out to the barn?!!?? Inquiring minds need to know.
I hope this mystery gets solved to your satisfaction!

[promethia_tenk]

!! I had the small stable - it was my first pony, and I got it because my favourite doll had been lost in the airport. So my parents were going to get me another one, except I saw this PONY AND STABLE (never ever seen them before, this was just after we'd moved to Denmark, I was 8) and decided I wanted that instead.
LOL. A fine choice. I have no idea what my first MLP was--probably got one as a gift before I could remember. Funny thing is, I don't even like horses, but I greatly preferred MLP to Barbie.

Later I got the Show Stable. I'd asked for the castle, but it was sold out. I also got a baby buggy. Ye gods, this is a walk down memory lane...
I don't think I've ever seen either of those, but at the same time I am clapping with childish glee.

Apparently what I had was called the My Little Pony Paradise Estate and this thing was insane and nothing that I would ever, ever have gotten in a million years if it wasn't slightly broken and being sold for $5 on somebody's driveway. I'm still a bit surprised I got it even so; I can't imagine my mom relished having all that crap around. But I'm looking at pictures of all the furniture and bits that came with it and I can remember all of it and which bits were broken and how it all smelled . . .

I hope this mystery gets solved to your satisfaction!
If they kept strictly to the order or the early books, we would have found out! But they kinda strayed towards the end and started mixing things around. Alas, I think Dawn's secret passage is no more . . .

[elisi]

Funny thing is, I don't even like horses, but I greatly preferred MLP to Barbie.
Same here! My best friend & I had a whole world going on - not just ponies but all kinds of other creatures inhabited MLP.

I don't think I've ever seen either of those, but at the same time I am clapping with childish glee.
They are so neat! (The absurdity of having a bed AND lots of jumping fences was something I don't think I really thought of at the time?)

Apparently what I had was called the My Little Pony Paradise Estate and this thing was insane and nothing that I would ever, ever have gotten in a million years if it wasn't slightly broken and being sold for $5 on somebody's driveway.
omg. That is AMAZING. I am not jealous as such, because I don't think it was sold in Denmark, but YE GODS I would have loved it. I made sure to spoil the girls wrt MLP. They got Celebration Castle (this is it all packed up - the mirror on the inside is the castle door/drawbridge). Actually looking at google images, they also got this one AND this one. Over the course of several years... We never bought them things 'just because' but tried to do our best to get them some good stuff for birthdays/Christmas.

I'm still a bit surprised I got it even so; I can't imagine my mom relished having all that crap around. But I'm looking at pictures of all the furniture and bits that came with it and I can remember all of it and which bits were broken and how it all smelled . .
This! ♥ I had lots of clothes for mine? Like little rubbery shoes and even ice skating outfits and tiny little bootees with skates on. ETA: THISSSS. Look at the skates. <3

If they kept strictly to the order or the early books, we would have found out! But they kinda strayed towards the end and started mixing things around. Alas, I think Dawn's secret passage is no more . . .
I am fighting VERY HARD to keep a straight face.

[promethia_tenk]

Someone wrote a Lindsey Lohan Parent Trap reference in the middle of an episode and I have never felt so culturally catered to.

[elisi]

♥

[promethia_tenk]

I finished the whole thing (it's half-hour episodes, so very bingeable in a short period) and it is so pure. For the first half it was like, well, this is nice and nostalgic for me and a very solid production but not really something I'd recommend to anyone who isn't a ten year old girl or was once a ten year old girl obsessed with this series. But it really hit its stride in the second half and by the end I was just totally in love with it all.

Not to say anybody needs to run out and watch it, but if you're ever in the mood for some television written for ten year old girls, it is fucking lovely.

[maia]

I never read the books as a kid, but I started watching the show, and it is so much fun!

[promethia_tenk]

omg

I think it's one of those 'I needed this right now' things?

How far in are you?

[maia]

I WATCHED THE ENTIRE THING!


I think it's one of those 'I needed this right now' things?

YES!


I don't think I have a favorite character; I like them all! Though I think I find Kristy most interesting (the girl who plays her is a good actor).
I also particularly like Karen.

[promethia_tenk]

I WATCHED THE ENTIRE THING!
*\o/* SO FUN.

I'm glad it works for someone even if they don't know the books.

I don't think I have a favorite character; I like them all! Though I think I find Kristy most interesting (the girl who plays her is a good actor).
Kristy quite possibly got the biggest boost from the books for me, and yes, her actor was amazing. (Also how great was Alicia Silverstone? That helped too.) Sadly my book-favorite Claudia didn't pop as much for me here, though I can't tell you that they did anything wrong in particular. It might just be a matter of media and the introvert/extrovert divide? Introvert Claudia comes across better in a book where we have more access to her thoughts while extrovert Kristi reads better on screen.

But the show absolutely solidified my love of Dawn, who is my runner-up fav in the books. As soon as she showed up I felt like the show came to life.

Alas, I've always struggled with Stacy, and I don't think the show did anything to help there.

I also particularly like Karen.
She was an unexpected pleasure, for sure, I don't particularly remember anything about her character from the books (I remember her existing) so I wonder how much license they took there.

I did like the show's upgraded progressivism. The books were actually fairly progressive for their time: Claudia has always been Japanese, Jessi has always been black. Stacy has always had diabetes. All of the divorce and single-parent households and blended families were very much a feature of the books. And they tried to show a real variety of kids and families in the people they babysat, like there's a book about a kid who's deaf (admittedly all in a pretty well-off Connecticut suburb). So I think they've done a good job of translating that into modern day with more modern consciousness.

[maia]

*\o/* SO FUN.


YES!!!


yes, her actor was amazing. (Also how great was Alicia Silverstone? That helped too.)

Yes!


Sadly my book-favorite Claudia didn't pop as much for me here, though I can't tell you that they did anything wrong in particular. It might just be a matter of media and the introvert/extrovert divide? Introvert Claudia comes across better in a book where we have more access to her thoughts while extrovert Kristi reads better on screen.

Yes, I can see that. Also, it might be that it's easier for a kid actor to portray an extroverted character? Maybe it takes a more mature actor to portray an introvert?


my love of Dawn, who is my runner-up fav in the books

Dawn is awesome!


I've always struggled with Stacy, and I don't think the show did anything to help there.

Yes, I have the same reaction. I don't dislike her, but I don't find her interesting at all.


She was an unexpected pleasure, for sure, I don't particularly remember anything about her character from the books (I remember her existing) so I wonder how much license they took there.

I fell for her as soon as she said she was having a wake for her doll.


I did like the show's upgraded progressivism. The books were actually fairly progressive for their time: Claudia has always been Japanese, Jessi has always been black. Stacy has always had diabetes. All of the divorce and single-parent households and blended families were very much a feature of the books. And they tried to show a real variety of kids and families in the people they babysat, like there's a book about a kid who's deaf (admittedly all in a pretty well-off Connecticut suburb). So I think they've done a good job of translating that into modern day with more modern consciousness.

Yes!

The show clearly takes place in Fairfield County, which is one of the wealthiest counties in the country. Connecticut has extreme disparities in income: some of the wealthiest towns and some of the poorest cities in the country. New Haven (where Yale is) has a poverty rate over 25%.

I ADORED the bit about Andy Goldsworthy - I'm a huge fan of his!