The beloved educational children’s TV series The Magic School Bus is revving its engine for a new life at Netflix, and today we’re learning who’ll voice the iconic teacher, Ms. Frizzle.
McKinnon will provide the voice of the inimitable Ms. Frizzle, a quirky science teacher who takes immersive education to a magical new level. As ’90s kids will probably remember, the scarlet-haired wizard used her ever-obliging bus to take her class on a variety of scientific adventures.
Kate McKinnon currently stars on Saturday Night Live, and has recently won an Emmy for her work. She also captured the hearts of many as Holtzman in last year’s Ghostbusters reboot.
McKinnon will take on the role of Ms. Frizzle from actress Lily Tomlin who is busy with her own Netflix series, Grace & Frankie (whose third season premieres March 24). With her loud, wry, unapologetic humor, McKinnon seems like the perfect candidate to take over the role of our favorite crazy teacher.
An airdate for the series has yet to be revealed, but the streaming site’s original announcement back in June 2014 shocked and thrilled fans of the original series. 26 half-hour episodes are slated for season 1.
The new series “features a modernized Ms. Frizzle and her class along with an inventive high-tech bus that invites children on high-flying hijinks that introduce the incredible world of science. Each new episode promises thrilling discoveries, heart-pounding explorations and relatable humor, while encouraging kids to think critically and creatively to answer questions and solve problems. The series also features the latest tech innovations such as robotics, wearables and camera technology to captivate children’s imaginations and motivate their interest in the sciences.”
The original Magic School Bus series aired from 1994 to 1997 on PBS. Along with Ms. Frizzle’s class, young viewers explored scientific ecosystems from the human digestive system, to recycling technology, to the far reaches of space.
And of course, we could all use a little of Ms. Frizzle’s timeless advice. Take chances, make mistakes, and get messy everybody!
In related Science on Netflix news, we also got our first look today at the new Bill Nye series hitting Netflix in April. What a great time for science nerds who love to binge!
