Magic school bus theme song old vs new

Hollywood clearly understands that the way to any millennial's heart is by mixing technology with a heavy dose of nostalgia. Just look how many reboots and remakes have popped up on streaming services in the last few years. And now, 10 years after The Magic School Bus last did its stuff, '90s babies can rejoice! The beloved series gets reimagined when The Magic School Bus Rides Again arrives on Netflix on Friday, Sept. 29. But, as one can expect, the Netflix Magic School Bus series vs. the original reveals some major differences.

Based on the book series of the same name, the original show followed the fun and occasionally outrageous adventures of an elementary school science class. Led by the eccentric Ms. Frizzle and voiced by Lily Tomlin, the class would go on field trips one could only dream about as a kid. The magical bus — which could fly, travel through time, and shrink — took them to outer space, through prehistoric ruins, and occasionally a student's digestive system. Best of all, the bus would coyly smile as it was "cruising on down Main Street" before it transformed and started "swingin' through the stars." Can you feel the nostalgia yet?

In the new series, students from the original class, like Arnold and Ralphie, join newcomers like Jyoti, a tech-savvy wiz-kid. And with the creation of social media, smartphones, and the uptick of video chatting devices — fans can expect plenty of high-tech changes. Here's everything else we know about Ms. Frizzle and the gang since we last buckled our seat belts.

There's A New Ms. Frizzle

Probably the biggest change from the original series is that there's a new Ms. Frizzle in town. After she drops into the class from the sky, students are introduced to Fiona Felicity Frizzle. Voiced by Kate McKinnon, the equally quirky, but slightly less eccentric Frizzle sister takes the keys to the magic bus and will be leading the class' wild adventures from here on out. She even has Lizzy Frizzle, her sister's pet Chameleon by her side.

Lin-Manuel Miranda Sings The Theme Song

Hands down, one of the best parts about watching The Magic School Bus growing up was singing along to the theme song. Just hearing it will instantly transport you back to 1994. And, while the reboot will feature the same catchy tune and lyrics as the original, Hamilton composer Lin-Manuel Miranda takes over the vocals for Little Richard.

The Original Ms. Frizzle Is Now A Professor

Valerie Frizzle (who knew Ms. Frizzle's first name was Valerie!?), has officially handed over the reigns to her bus and class. We're not exactly sure where's she headed to next, but get this: She's now a professor! Seems like in the last 10 years Ms. Frizzle became a student again and earned a doctorate degree. Hopefully she'll make an appearance on the reboot. That is, if she's not too busy teaching college-level classes nowadays.

The Bus Got A High-Tech Makeover

Of course, with technology being where it is in 2017, the magical bus had to undergo some pretty big changes. How much do you want to bet it even has wifi and phone chargers built into it? In addition to the bus getting an upgrade, the reboot will also will highlight innovations like robotics, wearables, and camera technology in hopes of sparking children's continued interest in science and innovation, much like the original series did.

Professor Frizzle Now Has A Monkey

With her sidekick Lizzy sticking around the classroom to hang with Fiona, Professor Frizzle had to find a new pet. And in true Frizzle fashion, she didn't just adopt a regular dog or cat. Instead she's now got an adorable little monkey named Goldie on her shoulder. Also, Professor Frizzle now rides around on a super cute magical scooter that's like a baby version of her bus.

So get your permission slips ready! Because although the reboot may have a new Ms. Frizzle and an updated theme song, it looks like it will be just as fun as the original to watch.

"Ride on the Magic School Bus" is the theme song of The Magic School Bus franchise, and it is both the opening and ending of The Magic School Bus and The Magic School Bus Rides Again. The version from The Magic School Bus was recorded in early 1994.

Lyrics

For alternate versions, see Ride on the Magic School Bus/Lyrics.

Professor FrizzleMSB/Ms. FrizzleRA: Seat belts, everyone!

Arnold: Please, let this be a normal field trip.

WandaMSB/Dorothy AnnRA: With the Frizz?

all: No way!

Arnold: Aww...

Little RichardMSB/Lin-Manuel MirandaRA:

Cruisin' on down Main Street, you're relaxed and feeling good

Next thing that you know, you're seeing...

Professor FrizzleMSB: Wa-ha-ha-hoo!/Ms. FrizzleRA: Whoo-hooooooo!

Little RichardMSB/Lin-Manuel MirandaRA and students: An octopus in the neighborhood?

Little RichardMSB/Lin-Manuel MirandaRA:

Surfing on a sound wave, swinging through the stars

Take a left at your intestine, take your second right past Mars

On the Magic School Bus, navigate a nostril

Climb on the Magic School Bus; spank a plankton, too

On our Magic School Bus, raft a river of lava

On the Magic School Bus, it's such a fine thing to do

So strap your bones right to the seat; come on in and don't be shy

Just to make your day complete, you might get baked into a pie

On the Magic School Bus

Step inside; it's a wilder ride

Come on, ride on the Magic School Bus

Trivia

• Most of the original series' closed captions (VHS captioning) misspell "Friz" as "Frizz" (the double-Z spelling wouldn't become official until the episode, The Frizz Connection). In the DCMP captions, it says "Friz".
• In the Rides Again version, most of the scenes are ripped directly from "Monster Power", "The Magnetic Mambo", "Carlos Gets the Sneezes", and "The Tales Glaciers Tell".
• In the Italian dub of the original series, Allacciate le cinture! Viaggiando s'impara! , a different theme song is used. In the Italian dub of Rides Again, Ride on the Magic School Bus is translated instead.
  • This is the same in the Arabic dubs. It used a different theme song in the original series, and translated the English theme in Rides Again.
• Shots of the theme in the 2020-21 art style are used as the end credits of the Joanna Cole specials.
• A rock cover plays in the 2002-05 Region 1 DVD menus, the ending credits for "A Magic School Bus Halloween" and the Family version of the Holiday Special. A alternate rock cover plays in the ending credits for the main 26 episodes of the Rides Again series, and the menus for the 2020-22 Region 1 DVDs.
• The Bus' parachute and raft are orange in the theme song, and yellow in "Monster Power".
• In most dubs of Rides Again that are not English, the "Octopus in the neighborhood" line is sung rather than spoken. The music that it is sung in stays the same throughout each dub.
• An instrumental version of the theme (without guitar) plays in the TLC airings during the original end credits.
• On the PAL version of the song in the original series, due to some kind of error in the PAL speeding-up process, the music is slightly louder than the voices, and there is a slight delay on both tracks.

Differences between The Magic School Bus and The Magic School Bus Rides Again

• In the original version, the biggest difference is that Wanda says "with the Friz?". In the Rides Again version, Dorothy Ann instead says the line, probably due to her absence in the original "no way!" (she was in fact not seen until 16 seconds later in the original opening sequence).
• In the original version, the kids are saying "Yeah!". In the Rides Again version, instead of saying "Oh!".
• During the line "Navigate a nostril", Ralphie sneezes in the original version. Carlos sneezes in the Rides Again version (probably due to them sneezing in their titular episodes).
• During the line "Surfin' on a soundwave", Liz spins a turntable in the Rides Again version, and a rock musician plays an electric guitar in the original theme.
• In the original, Wanda says "Take that!". In the Rides Again version, Jyoti says it instead.
• In the Rides Again version, the lines "Strap your bones right to the seat/come on in and don't be shy" have a alternate melody than in the original version.
• In the original, Tim's says "C'mon". In the Rides Again version, like foreign dubs of the original series which use the English theme, his line is not added in the theme.
• During the line, "You might get baked into a pie", the Bus comes out from the baker's pie in the original version, from a school secretary's pie in the Rides Again opening, and from a Walkervillian woman in her kitchen in the ending for Rides Again's Joanna Cole specials.
• In the original series, a title card appears at the end of the theme song that reads the episode's title. Title cards for the episodes never appear in Rides Again. However, in the Greek dub of Rides Again, an announcer reads the episode title.

Goofs/Errors (1994 version)

• When Ms. Frizzle is driving into the ocean, the Bus' tires change colors slightly.
• When Ms. Frizzle pulls the lever in the bus, Ralphie is shown in the background.
• When the close up of the Bus is shown during the line "Next thing that you know, you'll see an octopus in the neighborhood", Ralphie is never inside. In fact, only Arnold, Phoebe, and Keesha are on the Bus, the rest of the class is not there.
• During the line "Navigate a nostril", the Bus' back wheel flickers when it is inside the nostril. This is due to the wheel is missing in a few frames, and then visible in the next.
• During the line "Surfing on a sound wave", Carlos is missing in one frame.

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