Ann M Martin’s books to get a TV show by Netflix

Say hello to your friends, Baby-Sitters Club fans. Again.Netflix announced Thursday that it’s creating a new televised take on Ann M Martin’s best-selling book series. The contemporary-set, live-action show will follow the friendship and babysitting adventures of five best friends in Stoneybrook, Conn.Spanning 10 episodes, the family-friendly adaptation includes Rachel Shukert (GLOW) as showrunner and Lucia Aniello (Broad City) as director and executive producer.“The themes of The Baby-Sitters Club still resonate 30 years after the original book series was released and there has never been a more opportune time to tell an aspirational story about empowering young female entrepreneurs,” said Melissa Cobb, Netflix vice president of content for kids and families, in the announcement.Martin’s beloved book series, which began in the mid-1980s and wrapped up in 2000, has more than 200 books licensed in more than 20 territories with more than 180 million copies sold. The titles tell stories of female friendship and empowerment – topics that got the franchise lauded by the New Yorker for its “feminist legacy” in 2016.“I’m amazed that there are so many passionate fans of The Baby-Sitters Club after all these years, and I’m honoured to continue to hear from readers – now grown, who have become writers, editors, teachers, librarians, filmmakers – who say that they see a reflection of themselves in the characters of Kristy and her friends,” Martin said in a statement Thursday.The Baby-Sitters Club novels, first published in 1986, were previously adapted for the screen in 1990. The single-season series first aired on HBO and was then syndicated by Nickelodeon and Disney Channel. The books were also adapted into a feature film in 1995, starring Rachael Leigh Cook, Larisa Oleynik and Schuyler Fisk.Frank Smith, president and CEO of Walden Media: “For generations, young people have been captivated and inspired by the enterprising young women of The Baby-Sitters Club. Bringing this iconic series to life comes at a pivotal moment in Walden’s expansion into scripted televised content.”In 1986, Scholastic published the first The Baby-sitters Club book, Kristy’s Big Idea. Before long, the books were hitting bestsellers lists and what started as a four-part miniseries would eventually grow to more than 200 books. The Baby-Sitters Club series has over 176 million copies in print worldwide and inspired a generation of young readers. Matin’s other words and novels include the Main Street series; Belle Teal; the Newbery Honour book A Corner of the Universe; Here Today; A Dog’s Life; and On Christmas Eve; as well as the much-loved collaborations P.S. Longer Letter Later and Snail Mail, No More with Paula Danziger. — Los Angeles Times/ TNS