Critical response
The series received critical acclaim. For the first season, review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reported an approval rating of 100% based on 55 reviews, with an average rating of 8.57/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Sweet, sincere, and full of hope, The Baby-Sitters Club's grounded approach honors its source material while updating the story for a new generation." [19] On Metacritic, it has a weighted average score of 87 out of 100 based on 18 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim". [20]
Critics praised the show for managing to be both current and also true to the book series' spirit. Meghan O'Keefe of Decider praised the fourth episode of the first season for its portrayal of a transgender child and wrote the series is "unabashedly feminist" and "does more than just affirm that transgender children exist and matter and are worthy of respect; the show argues for these children's rights." [21]
Writing for The Guardian , Lucy Mangan said, "What could have been a sugary nostalgia-fest or worse a reboot that indulged the apparently insatiable urge to sex up material from a more innocent time, regardless of the age and/or continued innocence of its audience, is in fact a funny, fresh reimagining. Building on Martin's solid, good-hearted tales, it maintains a contemporary feel without losing the old-fashioned charm at its heart." [22] Writing for the Hollywood Reporter, Robyn Bahr called the show "not only warm and effervescent, [but] downright among the best shows the streaming platform has produced to date." [23]
Rebecca Onion of Slate said, "The new show is indeed adorable—the multiracial group of suburban middle schoolers earnestly booking gigs from their perch in Claudia Kishi's colorful bedroom is just as plucky and kind as ever . . . The new show has gotten plaudits for its diverse cast and plotlines, but in many important ways, the whole idea is a pure fantasy: of suburban community, of gentle coming-of-age, of meaningful work that teaches responsibility and pays just enough for fancy new paintbrushes." [24]
Widespread acclaim was given to the series' young cast. Petrana Radulovic of Polygon said, "Like their book counterparts, all the girls in The Baby-Sitters Club are more in-depth than their one-word trope descriptor (tomboy, goody two-shoes, artsy kid, prep, hippie) implies, thanks in part to the skillful performances from the young actresses. As spunky, outspoken Kristy, Sophie Grace adds nuance to her bossy, bratty attitude, grounding what could be an over-the-top performance with some tender moments. Momona Tamada, of To All the Boys I've Loved Before fame, captures Claudia's quirkiness and energy, but not without pangs of isolation because she feels her family will never understand her." [25]
Kelly Lawler, writing for USA Today , said the show was "optimistic but not deluded, youthful but not juvenile and sweet but not mawkish. Its quintet of young actresses (the original four sitters and one mid-season addition) are talented beyond their years, but the dialogue never makes them sound like 40-year-old Hollywood scriptwriters." [26] Hank Stuever, writing for The Washington Post , noted "the show's remarkably talented cast of young actresses, all of whom either never learned the kidz-show style of overacting ('schmacting,' we sometimes call it), or were never afflicted with it to begin with. They are wholly believable in the roles of these idealized youths, with especially good performances from Tamada and Baker." [27]
Jenny Singer, writing for Glamour , called the show "both unbelievably wholesome and seriously entertaining. The girls buy a landline phone on Etsy, hit up local parents with targeted Instagram ads, and make comments like, 'Art shouldn't be only the province of the privileged!' Their comedy is funny, their trauma is real, their style choices (by costume designer Cynthia Ann Summers) slay." [28]
The second season has a 100% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 12 reviews, with an average rating of 8.6/10. The website's critics consensus states, "The Baby-Sitters Club returns with a strong second season that explores new issues with care and gives its charming cast plenty of room to shine." [29]
