The Baby-sitters Club Club

After realizing just how out of their depth they are in the dangerous narrative universe of Sweet Valley High, the Sweet Sweet Valley Boys call in an expert to help them navigate these choppy waters. And not a moment too soon, because Bruce Pac-Man is being aggravatingly perverse, Jessica Wakefield is not helping at all, and pretty much everyone from Todd Wilkins all the way to some guy called Tony is playing, this week, with fire. Music credits: “Chopstick Slapstick,” by OurMusicBox “Vibe,” by Marble Space “The Prophecy,” by Fox Beat Listen to Marissa Flaxbart's "Sweet Valley Diaries" here or wherever you get your podcasts! Advertise on The Baby-Sitters Club Club via Gumball.fm --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/jack-shepherd8/support Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sweet Valley Jack and Tanner are back to investigate who's keeping secrets and who's telling lies in this scintillating novel by Francine Pascal about a world where sentient cars battle for supremacy with hideous creatures made of amorphous flesh and teeth. Also, Ronnie's going to the dance with Jessica, and it kind of looks like George Wallace and Enid are an item? Scandalous! Music credits: “A Sitcom,” by HitsLab "Secret," by Audio Library "For Scary," by Silverhoof “Chopstick Slapstick,” by OurMusicBox “Stardust,” by Fox Beat Stock Music Thanks to Baby Bee Kelsey for the "Jack Googles" theme. Advertise on The Baby-Sitters Club Club via Gumball.fm --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/jack-shepherd8/support Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The "Dark Library" is a collection of forbidden texts composed by Ann M. Martin before it was given to her to weave the great Sitters' Cycle. It is unknown what words of power are writ inside the hidden tomes of the Dark Library — all that is known is that anyone who dares to read them is driven mad. This Scholastic-approved biography of Ann M. Martin was written by Margot Becker R., one of the few living beings to have seen the Dark Library and witnessed its macabre secrets, and as such, it's a pretty perilous read! This week, our two brave boys are opening their minds to this dangerous book on your behalf, so dive in and enjoy ... but consider yourself warned. Also, be sure to preorder "We Are the Baby-Sitters Club: Essays and Artwork from Grown-Up Readers" wherever you get your books! Music credits: "Old Fantasy Legend," by _Blacksmith_ "Dark Fantasy Ambient," by Orchestralis “Carnival Lament,” by Robert Austin “Haunted,” by LucaFrancini “The Prophecy,” by Fox Beat "Risky Low," by Purple Planet "P

Five years ago, two men made a solemn promise: They would tell the story of Agent Associate Baby-Sitter Shannon Kilbourne the way Ann M. Martin always intended it to be told. Almost immediately, one of those men fully delivered on that promise, but literally no one noticed, primarily because of an almost overwhelming lack of interest from the other man. But now, in full technicolor, you can finally hear the breathtaking tale of danger and intrigue known in Baby-Sitters Club-associated circles as "A Time to Kilbourne." Music credits: "Mysterious Spy Movie," by Shorties "A Suspense," by Fat Bunny "Suspense & Crime," by Alexander Rufire "Fight Back," by Shorties "Suspenseful Background," by Luca Francini "Tech Glitch Opener," by Gentle Jammers "Spy on Me," by 2A Soundworks Thanks as always to original Baby Boy Scott Lamb for the intro music, and to Superbrat for the outro music. Advertise on The Baby-Sitters Club Club via Gumball.fm --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/

In 1992, the brilliant but reclusive game designer Milton Bradley created what was to become his masterpiece, a game so compelling and so dangerous that few have ever dared to play it. Nearly 30 years later, two of the world's foremost Baby-Sitters Club experts sat down with an accomplished, brave, and highly credentialed Dungeon Master to immerse themselves in Bradley's legendary role-playing experience. This is their story. Prepare yourselves for an epic, shocking, and occasionally quite sexy adventure in the magical, mysterious world of The Baby-Sitters Club Mystery Board Game. Music credits: "Medieval Story," by Orchestralis "Slow Sad Ominous," by Flossie Wood "Monster Squad," by J Blanks "Lonesome Gaucho," by CineMedia "Motivation Speech," by Positive Sound "The Heart Beat Vibe," by Adigold "Exorcism Tension Horror," by Wild Kitty Tunes "Inspire," by Orchestralis "Angels," by Heart Drum Machine "The Triumph," by Anuch "Happy Ending," by _Blacksmith_ Thanks as always to original Baby Boy Scot

The boys are joined by a very, very, very special guest to discuss a little-known MTV Buzz Bin act called Ednaswap. Also, the novel Karen’s Unicorn. This is a bonus episode from our Patreon. To get an episode like this every week for just $5 a month, subscribe to the show here! We love and also kiss you! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/jack-shepherd8/support Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this special one-off episode, Dan Brown scholars and archivists Jack Shepherd and Tanner Greenring collaborate to painstakingly recreate the first chapter "The Da Vinci Code" for posterity. This astonishing oral history will be part of the living memory of our culture for as long as humans tell stories to one another, and as an act of public service for a world community that hungers to collectively remember this vital text, it is unparalleled. Music credits: "Cinematic Victory," by Florews "Be Suspense," by Art Haiz "Mystery Cinematic," by Gentle Jammers Advertise on The Baby-Sitters Club Club via Gumball.fm --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/jack-shepherd8/support Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kind of a frantic energy about this one. Tanner reveals a big secret. Karen disgraces herself. Jack is ... distracted. This is a bonus episode that aired on our Patreon on April 16, 2020. To get an episode like this every week for just $5 a month, subscribe to the show here! We love and also kiss you! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/jack-shepherd8/support Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Some fun (and let's be honest, quite sexy!) spoilers for the classic baby-sitting novel (she's a governess!) "Jane Eyre"  in this episode — a book you've had 174 YEARS to read. What else do you need to know ... let's see ... Team Jane all the way, Rochester's a mega-creep, and the name of the First Century British queen who led an uprising against the Romans can in fact be pronounced "Bo-Di-See-A" — I looked it up — so eat it, Tanner. We can also officially reveal that this book is very good and also we loved this one! Music credits: "Classical Hope," by Alex Bird "Epic Love," by Luca Francini "Classical Piano," by Orchestralis “Typewriter Blues,” by AllenGrey “The Prophecy,” by Fox Beat Thanks as always to original Baby Boy Scott Lamb for the intro music, and to Superbrat for the outro music. Advertise on The Baby-Sitters Club Club via Gumball.fm --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/jack-shepherd8/support Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The boys will be back next week with Jane Eyre, but in the meantime, here's the latest episode of Tanner's OTHER podcast. The idea here, I think, was, wouldn't it be fun to have an episode of something with Tanner in it but where Jack wasn't invited even though we've had Josh on our show and also, hey, let's ask Jack to write the description? Anyway, in this one, Tanner and his best friend ~Josh~  do some kind of Pokémon nonsense. If you like the show, you can subscribe at expsharepod.com or wherever you get your podcasts! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/jack-shepherd8/support Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Perhaps the most highly anticipated babysitting movie of all time, "The Phantom Menace" proved to be a showcase of just how bad babysitting can be when left in the hands of a director with no one nearby to rein in his worst impulses. As a result, baby Anakin is allowed by the Babysitters Club consisting of Obi Wan and his friend Jim to do dangerous driving and age-inappropriate flirting, which leads him inevitably to become an insufferable teenager and, later, a dark lord of evil. Nonetheless, some of us loved this one anyway. Music credits: "Duel of the Fates," by John Williams "Duel of the Fates," by The Noisy Freaks and Dead Cat Bounce Thanks as always to original Baby Boy Scott Lamb for the intro music, and to Superbrat for the outro music. Advertise on The Baby-Sitters Club Club via Gumball.fm --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/jack-shepherd8/support Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It takes a lot to surprise two boys who've encountered every form of babysitting from leopards to Tiny Yoda to that time Jake Kuhn fell down a well and had to babysit himself for a few days. But even these hardened babysitting veterans were put through their paces by this literal island of babies (plus, this one dude), who are sat — within an inch of their tiny lives — by the unflappable, incandescent force of babysitting that is the sisters Mary and Jean Wallace. We frickin' loved this one. Music credits: "Fairytale Adventure," by Praded “The Prophecy,” by Fox Beat Thanks as always to original Baby Boy Scott Lamb for the intro music, and to Superbrat for the outro music. Advertise on The Baby-Sitters Club Club via Gumball.fm --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/jack-shepherd8/support Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our sexiest episode yet. This is a bonus episode from our Patreon. To get an episode like this every week for just $5 a month, subscribe to the show here! We love and also kiss you! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/jack-shepherd8/support Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One huge fan, one reluctant cohost, and one perfect babysitting movie makes for one particularly fine day over here at BSCC headquarters, where we're talking about a surprisingly polarizing 1996 Rom-Com starring Michelle Pfeiffer and George Clooney. This one has a deep dark chocolate layer, LSD, and a surprising visitor from Stoneybrook! Music credits: "TV Show Opener," by Shorties “You Gotta Have Theremin and Ukulele,” by Squidlord "Life Is Fun," by J Hunger "Monsters Are Coming," by Tunes To Go “The Prophecy,” by Fox Beat Thanks as always to original Baby Boy Scott Lamb for the intro music, and to Bye Bye Empire for the outro music. Advertise on The Baby-Sitters Club Club via Gumball.fm --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/jack-shepherd8/support Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What do you do when your baby is an actual leopard and the man you love is kind of a chicken? Is the question this fascinating babysitting film from the olden times seeks to answer with about a hundred hijinks per minute. The boys, and extremely special guest Sarah Morgan, are on hand to provide thoughtful, professional, and erudite analysis in an entirely non-screwball manner. Music credits: "Jazz," by Texas Brother "Jazz It Up," by Allen Grey Thanks as always to original Baby Boy Scott Lamb for the intro music, and to Bye Bye Empire for the outro music. Advertise on The Baby-Sitters Club Club via Gumball.fm --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/jack-shepherd8/support Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

No jokes or digressions this week, because we've got an imposing amount of critical theory related to the seminal '80s babysitting text, "He-Man & She-Ra: A Christmas Special," to cover. Buckle your seatbelts and strap in for a dry but informative disquisition on themes of duality and identity in the Kingdom of Eternia, a wearisome but exhaustive analysis of the embedded power structures on Horde World, and a lengthy historical account of the origins of "Snout Spout." Music credits: "He-Man theme," He-Man Official "Saving the Day," He-Man Official "Call to Action," He-Man Official Thanks as always to original Baby Boy Scott Lamb for the intro music, and to Bye Bye Empire for the outro music. Advertise on The Baby-Sitters Club Club via Gumball.fm --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/jack-shepherd8/support Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed. Along the way, he did some pretty heavy-duty babysitting, took a bunch of mescaline, and shot everyone in a town. This week, the boys dive deep into the first book of Stephen King's "The Dark Tower" series in their ongoing quest to ferret out babysitting wherever it may lurk. Music credits: "Western Background," by CineMedia "Spaghetti Western," by Luca Francini “You Gotta Have Theremin and Ukulele,” by Squidlord "Western Movie," by Green Rocket Audio "The Wild West," by Texas Brother "Wild West Saga," by CineMedia “Stardust,” by Fox Beat Stock Music Thanks as always to original Baby Boy Scott Lamb for the intro music, and to Bye Bye Empire for the outro music. Advertise on The Baby-Sitters Club Club via Gumball.fm --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/jack-shepherd8/support Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The boys (and special guest Jaime Green) make a valiant effort to keep the rating on this one down and appease the censors, but end up with what can only be described as a raunchy, titillating, supercharged s*x romp. "The Governess Game" is a very naughty novel that does indeed have some babysitting in it but really is mostly frenching and groping and generally getting to third base. Draw up a warm bubble bath, light some candles, and settle in for a legitimately wild ride. Music credits: "Boccherini String Quartet Minuet," by Orchestralis "Serenade," by AG Soundtrax "Voice of Spring," by AG Soundtrax “Typewriter Blues,” by AllenGrey "Paganini Caprice 24 Sacrilegious EDM Remix," by The Flabby Fish "Moonlight Sonata," by Audiophile Trax Thanks as always to original Baby Boy Scott Lamb for the intro music. Advertise on The Baby-Sitters Club Club via Gumball.fm --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/jack-shepherd8/support Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.f

The year is 1988 and it is prophesied that a bikini baby will bring about the downfall of an evil sorceress named Bad Mother. Consequently, Bad Mother attempts to steal the foretold child for a ritual murder, which is very bad babysitting. After the child escapes, Bilbo Baggins and his best friend Val Kilmer look after her until she can fulfill her destiny. This is very good babysitting. And when there's good babysitting happening, you can be certain that the Babysitters Club Club will be there! And so we were. This week, Willow. Music credits: "Adventurer's Inn," by Simming “Stardust,” by Fox Beat Stock Music “Where We Belong,” by Equalize “Chopstick Slapstick,” by OurMusicBox Thanks as always to original Baby Boy Scott Lamb for the intro music, and to Superbrat for the outro music. Advertise on The Baby-Sitters Club Club via Gumball.fm --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/jack-shepherd8/support Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Can you babysit your own children? What if you're pretending to be someone else? Is it in any way creepy to disguise yourself as an elderly nanny and spy on your ex-wife? These are just a few of the nuanced and complex babysitting questions that are posed by the iconic 1993 babysitting film Mrs. Doubtfire, and as usual, the boys bring their sensitive and thoughtful insights to bear on this important cultural artifact in a way that is both thought-provoking and intelligible. Music credits: "Cute Commercial," by Luca Francini "Sexy," by Light Sound "An Epic Cinema," by Alex Bird Thanks as always to original Baby Boy Scott Lamb for the intro music, and to Superbrat for the outro music. Advertise on The Baby-Sitters Club Club via Gumball.fm --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/jack-shepherd8/support Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices