By, Brittany Snow
Staff Writer
A favorite childhood series is back. Today, Netflix debuts the first 21 episodes of “The Magic School Bus Rides Again.” The show was initially entitled “The Magic School Bus 360°” when it was announced in 2014. The reboot will be brought back to life with a sudden twist. Ms. Frizzle, now Professor Frizzle, has given the bus keys to her younger sister Ms. Fiona Frizzle, played by Kate McKinnon. Lily Tomlin, the original voice for Ms. Frizzle, is also set to guest star in the first episode to bid her final farewell to the children’s show.
In addition, recent Oscar nominee Lin-Manuel Miranda is partnering with the producers of the show. Miranda will be singing the updated theme song, which has a contemporary spin. He is well known for his works in the hit Broadway musical “Hamilton” and the Disney movie “Moana.” The show will aim to modernize its material by including adventures such as traveling across the internet, but maintains the educational value that fans are familiar with.
Almost 20 years ago, the original series brought education and laughter into everyone’s homes. Children were taught about science in ways guaranteed to help them retain the information. They learned about the human body, space, and much more by traveling in a school bus to different places one could only dream of. When traveling, they would learn about topics such as animal habitats, digestion, germs and the environment. The children would travel to different areas, such as inside the human body, the desert, and sometimes even space.
“The Magic School Bus” helps the children in the cartoon, as well as those watching, to understand what was being taught. Continuing the series with more field trips to such places can help interest children in the studies of science at an early age. The first season will be a blast from the past. In a recent press release, Netflix assured viewers that the new Ms. Frizzle shares her sister’s zany ways and passion for science. Although the series may be a children’s show, it is also intended to interest new viewers as well as fans of the original.
