Scripted series · PBS Kids
The Magic School Bus
Seat belts, everyone!
Who's in it
Cast
The principal ensemble across the run of the series.
Lily Tomlin
Ms. Frizzle (voice)
52 eps
Max Beckford
Tim (voice)
52 eps
Daniel DeSanto
Carlos (voice)
52 eps
Stuart Stone
Ralphie (voice)
52 eps
Erica Luttrell
Keesha (voice)
52 eps
Lisa Yamanaka
Wanda (voice)
52 eps
Tara Meyer
Dorothy Ann (voice)
52 eps
Maia Filar
Phoebe (voice)
52 eps
Malcolm-Jamal Warner
The Producer (voice)
52 eps
Amos Crawley
Arnold (voice)
54 eps
Carol Channing
Cornelia C. Contralto II (voice)
1 eps
Elliott Gould
Mr. Perlstein (voice)
1 eps
Dana Elcar
Mr. Terese (voice)
1 eps
Dom DeLuise
Baker (voice)
1 eps
Sherman Hemsley
Mr. Junkett (voice)
1 eps
Ed Asner
Gen. Aranius (voice)
1 eps
Alex Trebek
Announcer (voice)
1 eps
Tyne Daly
Ralphie's Mom (voice)
2 eps
Michael York
Harry Herpst (voice)
1 eps
Eartha Kitt
Mrs. Franklin (voice)
1 eps
Edward James Olmos
Mr. Ramon (voice)
1 eps
Robby Benson
Archibald Seedplot (voice)
1 eps
Ed Begley Jr.
Logaway Larry (voice)
1 eps
Matt Frewer
Inspector 47 (voice)
1 eps
Jessica Walter
Ashlee Walker Club Dupree (voice)
1 eps
Dolly Parton
Katrina Eloise 'Murph' Murphy (voice)
1 eps
Wynonna Judd
Molly Cule (voice)
1 eps
Paul Winfield
Mr. Ruhle (voice)
4 eps
Dabney Coleman
Horace Scope (voice)
1 eps
Bebe Neuwirth
Flora Whiff (voice)
1 eps
Malcolm McDowell
Mr. McClean (voice)
1 eps
Dan Marino
Garth Sinew (voice)
1 eps
Cindy Williams
Gerri Poveri (voice)
1 eps
Rita Moreno
Dr. Carmina Skeledon (voice)
1 eps
Tony Randall
Radius Ulna 'R.U.' Humerus (voice)
1 eps
Rosalind Chao
Mrs. Li (voice)
2 eps
Renessa Blitz
Janet Perlstein (voice)
4 eps
Cindy McGee
Ghostly Call-Taker (voice)
2 eps
Jacelyn Holmes
Caller (voice)
2 eps
Chantellese Kent
Caller (voice)
2 eps
The Nutevio profile
TV DNA
How The Magic School Bus actually feels to watch, measured on the traits our editors track across every series.
Signature profile
The Magic School Bus reads strongest on Spectacle, World Building and Bingeability.
Visual ambition — scale, craft and set-piece filmmaking.
The scale, internal logic and texture of the world.
How hard it is to stop after one episode.
How often the series is genuinely funny, by design.
How fully written and psychologically layered the ensemble is.
How much the series is designed to affect you.
How much each hour depends on the one before it.
How often an episode ends on a hook you can't ignore.
The sustained pressure the series keeps you under.
The story
What it's about
An eccentric schoolteacher takes her class on wondrous educational field trips with the help of a magical school bus.
Where the series peaks
Best Episodes
The hours that define the show, ranked by audience response and editorial signal.
S01E01
Gets Lost in Space
Arnold's know-it-all cousin Janet drives the kids crazy when she joins Ms. Frizzle's class on a field trip and gets them lost in outer space!
- Written by Brian Meehl, Jocelyn Stevenson
S01E02
For Lunch
Arnold's so excited he doesn't have to go on a field trip! But when he accidentally swallows his miniaturised class, he becomes the field trip!
- Written by Ellen Schecter, Brian Meehl
S01E03
Inside Ralphie
Ralphie is crushed when a fever keeps him home from school the day he's scheduled to host a FNN (Frizzle News Network) television broadcast on health. With Tyne Daly as Ralphie’s mom.
- Written by John May, Jocelyn Stevenson
Behind the series
Created by
Showrunners, creators, executive producers and the writers who set the voice of the series.
- Photo unavailable
Joanna Cole
Creator
- Photo unavailable
Bruce Degen
Showrunner
- Photo unavailable
Clive Smith
Executive producer
- Photo unavailable
Jane Startz
Executive producer
Michael Hirsh
Executive producer
- Photo unavailable
Patrick Loubert
Executive producer
- Photo unavailable
Alison Blank
Executive producer
Noel MacNeal
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Ellen Schecter
Writer
- Photo unavailable
George Arthur Bloom
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Kermit Frazier
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Sean Kelly
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Libby Hinson
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Ronnie Krauss
Writer
Brian Meehl
Writer
- Photo unavailable
John May
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Kristin Laskas Martin
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Robert Schechter
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Jocelyn Stevenson
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Suzanne Bolch
Writer
- Photo unavailable
Doug Booth
Writer
The craft
Key Crew
Directing, writing, production, camera, music and editing.
Executive production
- Clive SmithExecutive Producer
- Jane StartzExecutive Producer
- Michael HirshExecutive Producer
- Vince CommissoProducer
- Patrick LoubertExecutive Producer
- Alison BlankExecutive Producer
Writing
- Noel MacNealWriter
- Ellen SchecterWriter
- George Arthur BloomWriter
- Kermit FrazierWriter
- Sean KellyWriter
- Libby HinsonWriter
Direction
- Charles E. BastienDirector
Where to watch
Streaming
Availability verified against regional listings.
- NetflixStreaming
- Amazon Prime VideoStreaming
- Amazon VideoBuy
- Paramount Plus PremiumStreaming
- Paramount Plus EssentialStreaming
- Peacock PremiumStreaming
- Paramount Plus Apple TV Channel Streaming
- Paramount+ Amazon ChannelStreaming
- Netflix KidsStreaming
- Netflix Standard with AdsStreaming
- Amazon Prime Video with AdsStreaming
If you liked this
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Where to go from here
Watch Next
Our editors' suggestion for the show you should start tonight — and why.
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If the world-building is what held you, this is the next map to walk.
Never stop watching
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