# List of The Magic School Bus episodes
*The Magic School Bus* is an American animated children's science education television series, based on the book series by Joanna Cole and Bruce Degen, in which teacher Ms. Frizzle (voiced by [Lily Tomlin](https://www.edgepedia.org/lily-tomlin)) takes her class on field trips aboard a transforming school bus. The original series aired on PBS from 1994 to 1997 in four seasons of 13 episodes, for 52 episodes in total[1](https://www.thedailybeast.com/white-house-uses-iconic-childrens-cartoon-the-magic-school-bus-in-unhinged-post/) • [2](https://time.com/2856719/netflix-the-magic-school-bus/), and a Netflix reboot, *[The Magic School Bus Rides Again](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-magic-school-bus-rides-again)*, added new episodes beginning in 2017[3](https://time.com/4927399/netflix-magic-school-bus-trailer/).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Original run | 52 episodes in 4 seasons of 13, PBS, 1994–1997[1](https://www.thedailybeast.com/white-house-uses-iconic-childrens-cartoon-the-magic-school-bus-in-unhinged-post/) • [2](https://time.com/2856719/netflix-the-magic-school-bus/) |
| Episode format | Approximately 25 minutes per episode; TV-Y rating[4](https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/magic-school-bus/) |
| Educational design | Each episode focuses on a single science concept with a deliberately limited set of science ideas[5](https://www.edweek.org/education/the-message-is-the-medium/1995/10?view=register) |
| Recurring closer | Each episode ends with an "Ask the Producer" segment in which callers question the episode's realism[6](https://www.rotoscopers.com/2020/07/29/series-review-the-magic-school-bus/) |
| Original theme song | Performed by Little Richard[2](https://time.com/2856719/netflix-the-magic-school-bus/) |
| Reboot | *The Magic School Bus Rides Again*, Netflix, premiered September 29, 2017; three seasons plus four 45-minute specials, with the franchise's latest listed episode, *Goldstealer*, released November 9, 2021[3](https://time.com/4927399/netflix-magic-school-bus-trailer/) • [7](https://www.brownbagfilms.com/our-work/magic-school-bus-rides-again) • [8](https://magicschoolbus.fandom.com/wiki/The_Magic_School_Bus_%2B_Rides_Again_Wiki) |
## Season 1 (1994)
Season 1 ran on PBS from September 10 to December 4, 1994, with 13 episodes of about 25 minutes each[9](https://thetvdb.com/series/the-magic-school-bus/seasons/official/1).
| No. | Title | Topic | First aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gets Lost in Space | The solar system; Arnold's cousin Janet leads the trip[4](https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/magic-school-bus/) | September 10, 1994[9](https://thetvdb.com/series/the-magic-school-bus/seasons/official/1) |
| 2 | For Lunch | Arnold's digestive system[4](https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/magic-school-bus/) | September 17, 1994[9](https://thetvdb.com/series/the-magic-school-bus/seasons/official/1) |
| 3 | Inside Ralphie | Germs and the immune system; Ralphie is sick at home[10](https://www.peacocktv.com/watch-online/tv/the-magic-school-bus/7197029589052300112/seasons/1) | September 24, 1994[9](https://thetvdb.com/series/the-magic-school-bus/seasons/official/1) |
| 4 | Gets Eaten | The ocean's food chain[4](https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/magic-school-bus/) | October 1, 1994[9](https://thetvdb.com/series/the-magic-school-bus/seasons/official/1) |
| 5 | Hops Home | Habitats; the class searches for Wanda's pet frog[10](https://www.peacocktv.com/watch-online/tv/the-magic-school-bus/7197029589052300112/seasons/1) | October 8, 1994[9](https://thetvdb.com/series/the-magic-school-bus/seasons/official/1) |
| 6 | Meets the Rot Squad | Decomposition in an abandoned lot[4](https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/magic-school-bus/) | October 15, 1994[9](https://thetvdb.com/series/the-magic-school-bus/seasons/official/1) |
| 7 | All Dried Up | Desert survival and the water cycle[4](https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/magic-school-bus/) | October 22, 1994[9](https://thetvdb.com/series/the-magic-school-bus/seasons/official/1) |
| 8 | In the Haunted House | Sound and vibrations at an audio museum[4](https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/magic-school-bus/) | October 29, 1994[9](https://thetvdb.com/series/the-magic-school-bus/seasons/official/1) |
| 9 | Gets Ready, Set, Dough | Chemistry inside a giant birthday cake; the bus's shrinker-scope malfunctions[4](https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/magic-school-bus/) | November 5, 1994[9](https://thetvdb.com/series/the-magic-school-bus/seasons/official/1) |
| 10 | Plays Ball | Physics of a frictionless baseball game[4](https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/magic-school-bus/) | November 12, 1994[9](https://thetvdb.com/series/the-magic-school-bus/seasons/official/1) |
| 11 | Goes to Seed | Plants and seeds[10](https://www.peacocktv.com/watch-online/tv/the-magic-school-bus/7197029589052300112/seasons/1) | November 19, 1994[9](https://thetvdb.com/series/the-magic-school-bus/seasons/official/1) |
| 12 | Gets Ants in Its Pants | Inside an anthill[10](https://www.peacocktv.com/watch-online/tv/the-magic-school-bus/7197029589052300112/seasons/1) | November 26, 1994[9](https://thetvdb.com/series/the-magic-school-bus/seasons/official/1) |
| 13 | Kicks Up a Storm | Weather; the bus becomes a weathermobile[10](https://www.peacocktv.com/watch-online/tv/the-magic-school-bus/7197029589052300112/seasons/1) | December 4, 1994[9](https://thetvdb.com/series/the-magic-school-bus/seasons/official/1) |
## Season 2 (1995)
Season 2 comprised 13 episodes airing in 1995[11](https://www.filmnoir.app/links/tmdb/tv-series/7248). Episode titles covered in the retained listings include *The Busasaurus*, an episode about dinosaurs[12](https://magicschoolbus.fandom.com/wiki/List_of_original_series_episodes) • [13](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/18504/the-magic-school-bus/episodes).
## Season 3 (1996)
Season 3 aired in late 1996 and closed with a recycling-themed Holiday Special on December 25, 1996, in which [Dolly Parton](https://www.edgepedia.org/dolly-parton) sings an original song plus four special carols written by Peter Lurye, composer of the series' theme[13](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/18504/the-magic-school-bus/episodes) • [14](https://thetvdb.com/series/the-magic-school-bus/allseasons/official).
| No. | Title | Topic | First aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | Shows & Tells | Archaeology[13](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/18504/the-magic-school-bus/episodes) | October 19, 1996[13](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/18504/the-magic-school-bus/episodes) |
| 7 | Makes a Rainbow | Color[13](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/18504/the-magic-school-bus/episodes) | October 26, 1996[13](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/18504/the-magic-school-bus/episodes) |
| 8 | Goes Upstream | Migration[13](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/18504/the-magic-school-bus/episodes) | November 2, 1996[13](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/18504/the-magic-school-bus/episodes) |
| 9 | Works Out | Circulation system[13](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/18504/the-magic-school-bus/episodes) | November 9, 1996[13](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/18504/the-magic-school-bus/episodes) |
| 10 | Gets Planted | Photosynthesis[13](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/18504/the-magic-school-bus/episodes) | November 16, 1996[13](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/18504/the-magic-school-bus/episodes) |
| 11 | In the Rain Forest | Rain forest ecology[13](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/18504/the-magic-school-bus/episodes) | November 23, 1996[13](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/18504/the-magic-school-bus/episodes) |
| 12 | Rocks and Rolls | Water erosion[13](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/18504/the-magic-school-bus/episodes) | November 30, 1996[13](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/18504/the-magic-school-bus/episodes) |
| 13 | Holiday Special | Recycling[13](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/18504/the-magic-school-bus/episodes) | December 25, 1996[13](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/18504/the-magic-school-bus/episodes) |
## Season 4 (1997)
Season 4 ran from September 13 to December 6, 1997 and concluded the original series[13](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/18504/the-magic-school-bus/episodes). Paramount+ lists the season beginning with *Cracks a Yolk*, while TVmaze places *Meets Molly Cule* first; the table below follows TVmaze's dated order[13](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/18504/the-magic-school-bus/episodes) • [15](https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/magic-school-bus/episodes/).
| No. | Title | Topic | First aired |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Meets Molly Cule | Molecules[13](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/18504/the-magic-school-bus/episodes) | September 13, 1997[13](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/18504/the-magic-school-bus/episodes) |
| 2 | Cracks a Yolk | Eggs[13](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/18504/the-magic-school-bus/episodes) | September 20, 1997[13](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/18504/the-magic-school-bus/episodes) |
| 3 | Goes to Mussel Beach | Tides and the intertidal zone[15](https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/magic-school-bus/episodes/) | September 27, 1997[13](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/18504/the-magic-school-bus/episodes) |
| 4 | Goes on Air | Air pressure and gas molecules[15](https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/magic-school-bus/episodes/) | October 4, 1997[13](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/18504/the-magic-school-bus/episodes) |
| 5 | Gets Swamped | How wetlands filter and clean water[15](https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/magic-school-bus/episodes/) | October 11, 1997[13](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/18504/the-magic-school-bus/episodes) |
| 6 | Goes Cellular | Structure of biological cells[15](https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/magic-school-bus/episodes/) | October 18, 1997[13](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/18504/the-magic-school-bus/episodes) |
| 7 | Sees Stars | Birth and death of stars[15](https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/magic-school-bus/episodes/) | October 25, 1997[13](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/18504/the-magic-school-bus/episodes) |
| 8 | Gains Weight | Gravity on different planets[15](https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/magic-school-bus/episodes/) | November 1, 1997[13](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/18504/the-magic-school-bus/episodes) |
| 9 | Makes a Stink | Tracking the molecules of a bad smell[15](https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/magic-school-bus/episodes/) | November 8, 1997[13](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/18504/the-magic-school-bus/episodes) |
| 10 | Gets Charged | Static and current electricity[15](https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/magic-school-bus/episodes/) | November 15, 1997[13](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/18504/the-magic-school-bus/episodes) |
| 11 | Gets Programmed | Shrinking to explore the inside of a computer[15](https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/magic-school-bus/episodes/) | November 22, 1997[13](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/18504/the-magic-school-bus/episodes) |
| 12 | In the City | How animals survive in urban areas[15](https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/magic-school-bus/episodes/) | November 29, 1997[13](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/18504/the-magic-school-bus/episodes) |
| 13 | Takes a Dive | Ecology of a coral reef[15](https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/magic-school-bus/episodes/) | December 6, 1997[13](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/18504/the-magic-school-bus/episodes) |
## The reboot: The Magic School Bus Rides Again (2017–2021)
Netflix ordered a CGI-animated reboot in 2014 under the working title *The Magic School Bus 360°*, planning 26 half-hour episodes with an updated Ms. Frizzle, an updated bus, and modern scientific tools such as robots; Netflix chief content officer [Ted Sarandos](https://www.edgepedia.org/ted-sarandos) said the original series was the service's top educational show[2](https://time.com/2856719/netflix-the-magic-school-bus/).
**The Rides Again episodes.** The reboot, *The Magic School Bus Rides Again*, premiered on Netflix on September 29, 2017, with [Kate McKinnon](https://www.edgepedia.org/kate-mckinnon) voicing Ms. Frizzle's younger sister Fiona and Lily Tomlin returning as the original character, now Professor Frizzle; [Lin-Manuel Miranda](https://www.edgepedia.org/lin-manuel-miranda) performed the new theme song[3](https://time.com/4927399/netflix-magic-school-bus-trailer/). The first episode, "Frizzle of the Future," takes the class, joined by new tech-savvy student Jyoti, to the Galapagos Islands to learn about ecosystems and invasive species[16](https://www.scholastic.com/content/dam/teachers/lesson-plans/17-18/Magic-School-Bus-Rides-Again-Discussion-Guide.pdf). Produced as a Netflix Original by Scholastic Entertainment and 9 Story Media Group, with animation by Brown Bag Films' Toronto studio, the series spans three seasons plus four 45-minute specials, including *Kids in Space*, in which the class travels to space to learn about space exploration[7](https://www.brownbagfilms.com/our-work/magic-school-bus-rides-again). The franchise's latest listed episode is *Goldstealer*, released November 9, 2021[8](https://magicschoolbus.fandom.com/wiki/The_Magic_School_Bus_%2B_Rides_Again_Wiki).
## Where to watch
As of the most recent listings, the original 52-episode series streams on Paramount+, Peacock, Netflix, and Amazon Prime Video, and free with ads on [The Roku Channel](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-roku-channel) and Tubi TV[17](https://www.justwatch.com/us/tv-show/the-magic-school-bus).
## References
1. [White House Uses Iconic Children's Cartoon in Unhinged Post, The Daily Beast](https://www.thedailybeast.com/white-house-uses-iconic-childrens-cartoon-the-magic-school-bus-in-unhinged-post/)
2. [Netflix Orders Reboot of The Magic School Bus, Time](https://time.com/2856719/netflix-the-magic-school-bus/)
3. [Hear Lin-Manuel Miranda's Theme Song in Netflix's The Magic School Bus Trailer, Time](https://time.com/4927399/netflix-magic-school-bus-trailer/)
4. [Magic School Bus, Paramount+](https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/magic-school-bus/)
5. [The Message Is the Medium, Education Week](https://www.edweek.org/education/the-message-is-the-medium/1995/10?view=register)
6. [Series Review: The Magic School Bus, Rotoscopers](https://www.rotoscopers.com/2020/07/29/series-review-the-magic-school-bus/)
7. [The Magic School Bus: Rides Again, Brown Bag Films](https://www.brownbagfilms.com/our-work/magic-school-bus-rides-again)
8. [The Magic School Bus + Rides Again Wiki, Fandom](https://magicschoolbus.fandom.com/wiki/The_Magic_School_Bus_%2B_Rides_Again_Wiki)
9. [The Magic School Bus Season 1, TheTVDB](https://thetvdb.com/series/the-magic-school-bus/seasons/official/1)
10. [Watch The Magic School Bus Season 1, Peacock](https://www.peacocktv.com/watch-online/tv/the-magic-school-bus/7197029589052300112/seasons/1)
11. [The Magic School Bus, FilmNoir (TMDB data)](https://www.filmnoir.app/links/tmdb/tv-series/7248)
12. [List of original series episodes, The Magic School Bus + Rides Again Wiki, Fandom](https://magicschoolbus.fandom.com/wiki/List_of_original_series_episodes)
13. [The Magic School Bus Episode List, TVmaze](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/18504/the-magic-school-bus/episodes)
14. [The Magic School Bus Aired Order, TheTVDB](https://thetvdb.com/series/the-magic-school-bus/allseasons/official)
15. [Magic School Bus Seasons & Episodes, Paramount+](https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/magic-school-bus/episodes/)
16. [The Magic School Bus Rides Again Discussion Guide, Scholastic](https://www.scholastic.com/content/dam/teachers/lesson-plans/17-18/Magic-School-Bus-Rides-Again-Discussion-Guide.pdf)
17. [The Magic School Bus streaming, JustWatch](https://www.justwatch.com/us/tv-show/the-magic-school-bus)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Seasons, episodes, and installments › Installment collections and reference*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 19, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license