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The Magic School Bus (TV series)
Encyclopedia
The Magic School Bus is an American Saturday morning
animated television series based on the book series of the same name
by Joanna Cole
. It is notable for its use of celebrity talent and combining entertainment with an educational show, according to an article in Animation World Magazine
by Annemarie Moody incorporating an interview with Executive Producer Deborah Forte. Broadcasting & Cable
said the show was "among the highest-rated PBS
shows for school-age children."
, through South Carolina's SCETV
network; it was the first fully animated series to be aired on PBS. The last episode aired on December 6, 1997, when the series stopped production. The Fox
network aired repeats from September 1998 to September 2002. Starting September 27, 2010, the Magic School Bus started a daily run on qubo
(United States), and on Saturday mornings on NBC
/Telemundo (Telemundo broadcast The Magic School Bus in Spanish). The Fox Kids and qubo airings both use a shortened version of the opening.
The Magic School Bus was also seen on TLC
and Discovery Kids
in the U.S., Pop and CITV
in the United Kingdom
, with no plans to make more episodes, on November 9, 2002. In 2005, Nelvana sold the show to Cartoon Network. The series continued on these six stations until February 4, 2006. Qubo picked the show up on September 27, 2010.
When The Magic School Bus is syndicated on commercial networks, the Producer Says segment at the end of each episode is cut out to make space for commercials. The Producer Says segments are only seen when the series is shown on non-commercial networks (e.g. PBS and Knowledge) and children's networks (commercial breaks are shorter). Within the episodes, there also are timepoints where the episode fades out and then fades back in after a series of commercials are shown. On the VHS and DVD releases the scene immediately fades back in right after it fades out as no commercials are shown.
The show's theme song called "Ride on the Magic School Bus" was written by Peter Lurye
and performed by rock 'n' roll legend Little Richard
.
The show was produced in an animation and audio style reminiscent of Hanna-Barbera
cartoons of the 1970s and 1980s.
The show's voice director is Susan Blu
.
Two of the writers for the show were Brian Muehl
, and one of the Fraggle Rock
creators Jocelyn Stevenson.
The series was released on VHS
by KidVision
between December 13, 1994 and March 3, 1998 and by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
between January 12, 1999 and April 2, 2002, and on DVD
by Warner Home Video
between May 9, 2006 and August 4, 2009. Both the DVDs and VHS releases contain the funding credits. In the VHS and DVD releases, all the episodes are uncut with the Producer Says segments intact.
Tomlin won a Daytime Emmy
for her role as Ms. Frizzle.
, Microsoft Home
, the United States Department of Energy
, and the Carnegie Corporation of New York
. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting
and the viewers/stations of PBS also provided funding.
Saturday morning cartoon
A Saturday morning cartoon is the colloquial term for the animated television programming that has typically been scheduled on Saturday mornings on the major American television networks from the 1960s to the present; the genre's peak in popularity mostly ended in the 1990s while the popularity of...
animated television series based on the book series of the same name
The Magic School Bus
The Magic School Bus is a series of children's books about science written by author Joanna Cole. They feature the antics of Ms. Valerie Frizzle, an elementary school teacher, and her class, who board a magical school bus which takes them on field trips to impossible locations such as the solar...
by Joanna Cole
Joanna Cole
Joanna Cole , is a United States author of children’s books. She is most famous as the author of The Magic School Bus series of children's books...
. It is notable for its use of celebrity talent and combining entertainment with an educational show, according to an article in Animation World Magazine
Animation World Network
Animation World Network is an organization for animators, with an extensive website with news, articles and links for professional animators and animation fans. AWN also publishes a printed journal, "Animation World"....
by Annemarie Moody incorporating an interview with Executive Producer Deborah Forte. Broadcasting & Cable
Broadcasting & Cable
Broadcasting & Cable magazine is a television industry trade magazine published by NewBay Media. Previous names included Broadcasting/Telecasting, Broadcasting and Broadcast Advertising, and Broadcasting...
said the show was "among the highest-rated PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
shows for school-age children."
Production and airing
In 1994, The Magic School Bus concept was made into an animated series of the same name by Scholastic Studios (USA), and premiered on September 10, 1994. Forte says that adapting the books into an animated series was an opportunity to help kids “learn about science in a fun way”. Around that time, Forte had been hearing concern from parents and teachers about how to improve science education for girls and minorities. Each episode of the show ran about 30 minutes. In the United States, the show originally aired on PBSPublic Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
, through South Carolina's SCETV
South Carolina Educational Television
South Carolina Educational Television is the statewide public television and public radio network in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It consists of all the Public Broadcasting Service member [television stations and National Public Radio member radio stations in the state...
network; it was the first fully animated series to be aired on PBS. The last episode aired on December 6, 1997, when the series stopped production. The Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
network aired repeats from September 1998 to September 2002. Starting September 27, 2010, the Magic School Bus started a daily run on qubo
Qubo
Qubo is a multi-platform children's television specialty channel endeavor operated as a joint venture between ION Media Networks, NBCUniversal, Nelvana, Scholastic Corporation, and Classic Media...
(United States), and on Saturday mornings on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
/Telemundo (Telemundo broadcast The Magic School Bus in Spanish). The Fox Kids and qubo airings both use a shortened version of the opening.
The Magic School Bus was also seen on TLC
TLC (TV channel)
TLC is an American cable TV specialty channel which initially focused on educational content. Since 1991 TLC has been owned by Discovery Communications, the same company that operates the Discovery Channel, Animal Planet and The Science Channel, as well as other learning-themed networks...
and Discovery Kids
Discovery Kids
Discovery Kids is an American website owned by Discovery Communications, Inc. created for children. Until October 10, 2010, it was an American digital cable specialty channel, owned by Discovery Communications with television programming for education of children. It was launched in October 1996...
in the U.S., Pop and CITV
CITV
CITV is a British television channel from ITV Digital Channels Ltd, a division of ITV plc. It broadcasts content from the CITV archive, as well as commissions and acquisitions. CITV itself is the programming block on the main ITV Network .The CITV channel broadcasts from 06:00 to 18:00...
in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, with no plans to make more episodes, on November 9, 2002. In 2005, Nelvana sold the show to Cartoon Network. The series continued on these six stations until February 4, 2006. Qubo picked the show up on September 27, 2010.
When The Magic School Bus is syndicated on commercial networks, the Producer Says segment at the end of each episode is cut out to make space for commercials. The Producer Says segments are only seen when the series is shown on non-commercial networks (e.g. PBS and Knowledge) and children's networks (commercial breaks are shorter). Within the episodes, there also are timepoints where the episode fades out and then fades back in after a series of commercials are shown. On the VHS and DVD releases the scene immediately fades back in right after it fades out as no commercials are shown.
The show's theme song called "Ride on the Magic School Bus" was written by Peter Lurye
Peter Lurye
Peter Lurye is a composer and lyricist.-Credits:Lurye is credited for theme music and/or songs in*Jungle Junction*Bear in the Big Blue House...
and performed by rock 'n' roll legend Little Richard
Little Richard
Richard Wayne Penniman , known by the stage name Little Richard, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, recording artist, and actor, considered key in the transition from rhythm and blues to rock and roll in the 1950s. He was also the first artist to put the funk in the rock and roll beat and...
.
The show was produced in an animation and audio style reminiscent of Hanna-Barbera
Hanna-Barbera
Hanna-Barbera Productions, Inc. was an American animation studio that dominated North American television animation during the second half of the 20th century...
cartoons of the 1970s and 1980s.
The show's voice director is Susan Blu
Susan Blu
Susan Maria Blu , sometimes credited as Sue Blu, is an American voice actress, voice director, and casting director in American and Canadian cinema and television...
.
Two of the writers for the show were Brian Muehl
Brian Muehl
Brian Muehl born in the 1950s, is an American book writer, and a former Sesame Street puppeteer living in Connecticut.Brian's muppet characters included Oscar the Grouch's girlfriend, Grundgetta, Telly Monster, Barkley the dog and Forgetful Jones's girlfriend Clementine. He continued to voice...
, and one of the Fraggle Rock
Fraggle Rock
Fraggle Rock is a children's live action puppet television program series created by Jim Henson. The central characters were a set of "Muppet" creatures called Fraggles. The show ran from January 10, 1983, to March 30, 1987, on CBC Television in Canada, ITV in the UK, HBO in the United States,...
creators Jocelyn Stevenson.
The series was released on VHS
VHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
by KidVision
KidVision
KidVision was a Warner Bros-owned home video distributor of children's programing active from 1993 to 2002.-History:KidVision was founded as a division of A*Vision Entertainment, later WarnerVision Entertainment in 1993 and started distributing videos in 1994 with The Magic School Bus, Shining Time...
between December 13, 1994 and March 3, 1998 and by 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
20th Century Fox Home Entertainment
20th Century Fox Home Entertainment is the home video distribution arm of the 20th Century Fox film studio. It was established in 1976 as Magnetic Video Corporation, and later as 20th Century Fox Video, CBS/Fox Video and FoxVideo, Inc....
between January 12, 1999 and April 2, 2002, and on DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
by Warner Home Video
Warner Home Video
Warner Home Video is the home video unit of Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., itself part of Time Warner. It was founded in 1978 as WCI Home Video . The company launched in the United States with twenty films on VHS and Betamax videocassettes in late 1979...
between May 9, 2006 and August 4, 2009. Both the DVDs and VHS releases contain the funding credits. In the VHS and DVD releases, all the episodes are uncut with the Producer Says segments intact.
Reception
Jason Fry, in a column for the online edition of the Wall Street Journal, expressed an overall appreciation for the show, but wrote that the episode The Magic School Bus Gets Programmed should have been about the perils of internet searches and network concepts surfacing at the time, rather than an old-fashioned technology-run-amok story about the respective roles of programmer and machine (although he admitted that the episode was ten years old).Tomlin won a Daytime Emmy
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
for her role as Ms. Frizzle.
Funding
The series was primarily funded by the National Science FoundationNational Science Foundation
The National Science Foundation is a United States government agency that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Its medical counterpart is the National Institutes of Health...
, Microsoft Home
Microsoft Home
Microsoft Home is a defunct line of software applications and personal hardware products published by Microsoft. Microsoft Home software titles first appeared in the middle of 1993. These applications were designed to bring multimedia to Microsoft Windows and Macintosh personal computers...
, the United States Department of Energy
United States Department of Energy
The United States Department of Energy is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government concerned with the United States' policies regarding energy and safety in handling nuclear material...
, and the Carnegie Corporation of New York
Carnegie Corporation of New York
Carnegie Corporation of New York, which was established by Andrew Carnegie in 1911 "to promote the advancement and diffusion of knowledge and understanding," is one of the oldest, largest and most influential of American foundations...
. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting
Corporation for Public Broadcasting
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting is a non-profit corporation created by an act of the United States Congress, funded by the United States’ federal government to promote public broadcasting...
and the viewers/stations of PBS also provided funding.