The Magic School Bus is getting a facelift from Netflix and Scholastic Media for a new CG animated original series.
According to Deadline, Netflix ordered 26 episodes of the series with a planned premiere of 2016. Also on board for the new series is original executive producer and Scholastic President Deborah Forte. She will return to produce. The new series is inspired by the popular 1990s’ PBS kid series and will be titled The Magic School Bus 360°. The series is targeted for school-aged children.
The original series had the same target and focused on science and technology lessons. Joanna Cole and Bruce Degan’s book was the inspiration for the original series. It was the recipient of a Daytime Emmy for the voice work of the bus driver Ms. Frizzle played by Lily Tomlin.
“Scholastic Media is a powerhouse creator and producer of top-quality programming for kids and families and its flagship series like The Magic School Bus, Clifford The Big Red Dog and Goosebumps have been huge hits on Netflix in all our territories,” said Ted Sarandos, Chief Content Officer of Netflix. “We’re thrilled to expand our relationships and to be the first-run home of The Magic School Bus 360°, introducing a whole new generation to Ms. Frizzle and her high jinks.”