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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.

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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.

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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
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Stephanie Topacio Long is a writer and editor whose writing interests range from business to books. She also contributes to…
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