The Magic School Bus Rides Again (commonly shortened as Rides Again and known as The Magic School Bus 360° during development) is the second installment in the Magic School Bus TV franchise. It is a Canadian-American Flash/CGI animated TV series produced by 9 Story, Scholastic Entertainment (all 3 seasons), and Brown Bag Films (Season 3 only). It first premiered on Netflix on September 29, 2017, and is available on DVD and digital since 2019. It is preceded by (and is the sequel to) The Magic School Bus and succeeded by The Magic School Bus: Mighty Explorers.
In the United States, qubo began airing the first two seasons on television in November 2020, like the original series did in the early 2010s, and has been airing reruns until the channel went off the air in February 2021 due to Scripps' acquistion[1]. In Canada, all three seasons currently air on Knowledge Kids.
The show was produced and animated by 9 Story (Seasons 1 and 2) and 9 Story through Brown Bag Films (Season 3).
As of the early 2020s, all three seasons, including the fourth episode of Season 3, “Goldstealer,” currently air reruns on the Canadian television network Knowledge Kids[2].
On March 22, 2024, it was revealed on KidScreen that The Magic School Bus Rides Again was cancelled after its third season, and that the brand's legacy will continue in the movie and a brand-new CGI animated series.[3]
Premise
The Magic School Bus Rides Again is the direct sequel to The Magic School Bus, set after the fourth season. Now in fifth grade at Walkerville Elementary School, Arnold, Carlos, Dorothy Ann, Keesha, Ralphie, Tim, Wanda, and their newest classmate, Jyoti, embark on educational escapades aboard the Bus, only this time there have been big changes - Phoebe has returned to her old school, and Professor Valerie Frizzle, PhD has retired from teaching to become a research professor, so she passes the keys of the Magic School Bus on to her younger sister, Ms. Fiona Frizzle, who gets hired to teach the class.
Broadcast
The first run started on September 29, 2017 and ended on April 13, 2018, respectively, with twenty-six 25-minute episodes across two total seasons. From August 7, 2020 to November 9, 2021, the show was renewed for a third season of four 45-minute episodes dubbed the Joanna Cole specials. They were dedicated to the author of the book series who passed away in 2020.
All the main 26 episodes were released to DVD (however, only on Region 1) and other streaming services by NCircle on July 7, 2020. Instead of breaking the main 26 episodes into two seasons, NCircle grouped all the episodes into a single season.
On November 1, 2020, the show started airing on Qubo, similar to how its predecessor aired in 2010.
Ms. Frizzle, now Professor Frizzle, has taken over the role of the producer by answering questions at the end of the episodes. At the end of the Is This the Magic School Bus? segments with Professor Frizzle, the next episode is teased, similar to the books by Joanna Cole and Bruce Degen. Professor Frizzle has hosted these segments for the first two seasons, and as of now, only guest stars have hosted Producer Says Segments in Season 1 and 2, with Liz reprising her role in the original series as the "pet," and the Bus taking over the Motorbike's role as the "vehicle."
A film adaptation for the main series was announced in June 2020, with Elizabeth Banks playing the role of Ms. Frizzle, without clarifying if she will be playing Valerie or Fiona.
Seasons
- ↑ https://qubo-channel.fandom.com/wiki/The_Magic_School_Bus_Rides_Again
- ↑ https://www.knowledgekids.ca/videos/magic-school-bus-rides-again
- ↑ reen.com/2024/03/22/qa-scholastic-9-story-aim-for-360-degree-franchise-building-with-new-investment/