Netflix is doing it again! After reviving ‘Arrested Development’ and bringing back ‘Full House’ as ‘Fuller House’, the streaming service is set to revive another ’90s property, this time PBS’s ‘The Magic School Bus’ which will be called ‘The Magic School Bus Rides Again’. This is on the heels of them bringing back ‘Bill Nye the Science Guy’! The original ‘Magic School Bus’ animated series was used to teach kids about science, using the titular vehicle which was capable of traveling through time. Lily Tomlin provided the voice of lead character Ms. Valerie Frizzle, but the updated version will recast the part, in a manner of speaking.
‘Saturday Night Live’ featured player and Emmy Award-winner Kate McKinnon will now voice the lead, but this is a different Ms. Frizzle. McKinnon will be playing Fiona, the sister of Tomlin’s character.
The original series ran for an astounding 18 years, making it the longest running science program for children in history. It was based on an equally successful series of books, published by Scholastic, written by Joanna Cole and illustrated by Bruce Degen. The books have sold over 85 million copies.
The new version will feature “robotics, wearables and camera technology ” to appeal to the modern young audience.
As for McKinnon, in addition to her work on ‘SNL’, she starred in last summer’s lackluster ‘Ghostbusters’ reboot as Jillian Holtzman. She also appeared in ‘Office Christmas Party’. She is no stranger to voice acting either, having worked on ‘The Family Guy’, ‘The Angry Birds Movie’, ‘The Venture Brothers’ and ‘Finding Dory’ among others. It doesn’t appear that she’s leaving ‘SNL’ for ‘The Magic School Bus Rides Again’, so rest assured, she should be back for more hilarious roles on that show.
Are you excited that a new generation will get to explore the world of science via this program?
Source: The Wrap
