Skip to main content

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

Kate McKinnon to voice Ms. Frizzle in Netflix's 'Magic School Bus' revival

kate mckinnon netflix magic school bus revival emmys
Disney | ABC Television Group/Flickr
A new version of the Magic School Bus is traveling to Netflix and Kate McKinnon will be on board. The Saturday Night Live and

Ghostbusters

 
star is set to voice the science-loving teacher Ms. Frizzle in the revival series, Variety reports.

Called The Magic School Bus Rides Again, the new series is described as a “reimagining” of

the original PBS show

, which aired from 1994 to 1997. Both are adaptations of the popular Scholastic book series written by Joanna Cole and illustrated by Bruce Degen. The stories follow Ms. Frizzle, nicknamed “The Friz” by her students, as she uses her magic bus to bring her class to incredible places. They get to see science in action, whether that be up in the clouds or down at the center of the earth.

Beyond her wild field trips, Ms. Frizzle is known for her equally crazy hair, pet lizard, and science-themed attire. The quirky character was voiced by Lily Tomlin (

Grace & Frankie

) during the original series’ four-season run. It was an Emmy-winning role for the actress, so we’ll see if McKinnon can manage similar success with the revival.

McKinnon has lent her voice to projects before, including the animated series

Nature Cat

,

The Angry Birds Movie

, and the video game Lego Dimensions, among others. She has also shown her versatility as an SNL cast member, impersonating everyone from Justin Bieber to Hillary Clinton. It will be fun to see her give her own spin to a well-known character like Ms. Frizzle.

The new series will use CG animation. Netflix has plans for 26 episodes, which will follow in the footsteps of its predecessors by offering imaginative and educational stories.

Stephanie Topacio Long
Stephanie Topacio Long is a writer and editor whose writing interests range from business to books. She also contributes to…
The best animated movies on Netflix right now
A cat points a bat at another cat in Puss in Boots: The Last Wish.

While Nimona has been the big Netflix original animated film of the summer, it's far from the only addition to the lineup. Netflix is making sure that animation fans are well served in August with the first two Despicable Me movies, Bee Movie, and Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2. However, Netflix's biggest recent addition is one of 2022's biggest animated hits: DreamWorks' Puss in Boots: The Last Wish.

Netflix's deals with Sony Pictures Animation, DreamWorks Animation, and Universal Pictures have given it a powerhouse library of animated films. And that's before we even get into Netflix's impressive originals like The Sea Beast. To help you keep track of what's new and what you can stream right now, we've updated our list of the best animated movies on Netflix.

Read more
From Barbarella to Howard the Duck: the 7 cheesiest sci-fi movies ever
Howard the Duck in "Howard the Duck."

The science-fiction genre has a vast smorgasbord of cheesy films stretching way back to the early days of cinema. Such pictures are known for their weird stories, unrealistic dialogue, low-budget productions, and exaggerated acting.

While many of these films have been panned by critics and audiences alike, some of them have garnered success for being "so bad, they're good." Whether or not they have been held up by a dedicated fan base, these seven movies stand out as the cream of the cheesy sci-fi crop.
Flash Gordon (1980)

Read more
10 best Batman stories ever, ranked
Batman Year One cover

Bounding from rooftop to rooftop, the Dark Knight never misses his mark. He operates like a well-oiled machine tracking bad guys, beating them to a bloody pulp, and throwing them in the slammer - or Arkham Asylum should they be anyone of Gotham's notable supervillains. As the brainchild of Bob Kane and Bill Finger, an artist and writer duo, Batman has been pounding the pavement of Gotham ever since his debut in Detective Comics in 1939. He's undergone a number of changes since his original conception ultimately becoming the brooding powerhouse we know today.

Most understand the basic tenants of Batman these days. His parents were murdered before his young eyes leading him down this path of personal vindication and pursuit of justice. Batman, in most iterations, never resorts to killing -- the one crime that separates his outlaw vigilante operations from the real criminals. Of course, it wasn't always that way. In Batman's earliest days, he had no qualms about ending the lives of baddies on the streets. Even now, some stories and films like Tim Burton's gothic take on the character depict him looking on with cold and uncaring glares as criminals meet their end. Regardless, Batman is mostly a well-established hero simply seeking justice and there are countless stories of the Caped Crusader. Let's take a look at the best among them.
10. Hush

Read more