Saturday, January 26, 2013

My Top Magic School Bus Kids and Episodes

PBS was a big part of my childhood growing up since my family didn't, and still doesn't have cable.  Because of that, I watched PBS nonstop as a kid, watching shows like Arthur, Wishbone, Bill Nye the Science Guy, Zoom, Sesame Street, Mister Rogers, etc.  Besides Arthur, my go to show was The Magic School Bus because it was funny, and the class had a diverse cast.  I knew it was educational, but I didn't appreciate that fact back then like I do now.  Now that I do though, I realize it's one of the best educational shows of all time, and one you don't have to "force" people to watch as my friends say.

For those who don't know, The Magic School Bus series was about a group of students and their teacher who go on crazy field trips on their bus.  Each field trip had to do with a scientific topic like erosion or the solar system.

Since I've explained everything enough, it seems, it's time to delve into this list.

Top Magic School Bus Kids

8. Phoebe- Phoebe is last because all she contributed to the show was her catchphrase "At my old school...", like we care what she did at her old school.  Her routine got so tiring fast.  Plus, she was too much of a tree hugger for my taste, and never in many good episodes.

7. Keesha- Keesha is like Phoebe, except she contributed something to the show, and is a good foil for Ralphie.  She's levelheaded which I like, but she argues a lot too, which can be annoying if you're trying to have fun on a field trip.  I understand Arnold does the same thing too, but he doesn't have an attitude like Keesha does.

6. Tim- Tim is here because he's here.  He's nice, quiet, and occasionally does something relevant, but he never did enough for me to boost him up.  You can tell he's a solid character guy though, which is always a plus.

5. Wanda- Wanda is fifth because she represents two sides of a person.  One side of her is the pushy side that tells everyone to "Stop being such weasly wimps", but the other side is the caring side that helps people and wants to learn, like in the recycling episode.  Because she's so interesting, and seems to get along with everyone overall, I place her fifth.

4. Carlos- Carlos is here because of his lame puns and the fact he's just really funny.  I didn't like him much as a child, but I appreciate him now because he adds humor to the class, and is a foil to both Dorothy Ann and Keesha.

3. Arnold- This may be a surprise to some people since I know how annoying Arnold can be with his whining, but I like him since he's an honest, and even occasionally thinks of a way to get the class out of danger, like fighting the T-rex.  His cousin Janet is annoying as hell though.

2. Ralphie- Ralphie is second because of his humor, and the fact he has the wildest imagination of the bunch, like being Weatherman.  I wasn't like him in Elementary school, but I feel like if I could relive my life again, he'd be the closest one I resemble since I always have my head in the clouds.

1. Dorothy Ann- In what may be the upset of the century, Dorothy Ann is my favorite kid in Ms. Frizzle's class.  She's annoying to some because of her book smarts, but I still like her because she's passionate, plays well as a foil, and is really cute.  I had a crush on her as a child, so I guess I'm biased, but she was in some pretty great episodes.

Top 10 Magic School Bus Episodes

All of these episodes are ranked based on how interesting the topic was to me, and how enjoyable the episode was overall.

10. Plays Ball (Friction)- Ralphie wants to play baseball, but all Dorothy Ann wants to do is show everyone her new physics book.  The compromise, the class goes inside Dorothy Ann's book to see what it'd be like to play a baseball game with no friction.

9. Spins A Web (Spiders)- The class is at an old drive in movie theater watching a boring movie.  To make things more interesting, Ms. Frizzle transports them inside the movie, except when they get transported back out, they're the size of spider prey.

8. Out Of This World (Meteorites)- Dorothy Ann has a dream that Walkerville Elementary is about to be hit by a giant asteroid, so the class goes in their spaceship-bus to try and destroy it in this Star Trek themed episode.

7. Gets Ready, Set, Dough (Basic Chemistry)- It's Ms. Frizzle's birthday and the class wants to make her a cake, but they don't have one, so they go to the bakery.  Only problem is that they're shrunken down when the bus acts up, and they have to avoid the baker.

6. In The City (Urban Wildlife)- The class is on a field trip to the zoo and ponders what it would be like to be animals.  Because Ms. Frizzle loves the idea, she transforms them all into animals, but the bus becomes a grizzly bear being hunted down by the authorities, which could mean trouble for them.

5. Revving Up (Engines)- Mr. Junkit, the Vehicle Maintenance Inspector (VMI), says the bus has to go to the junkyard because it's a piece of junk, but the class vows to show him that the bus in still in working condition.

4. Makes A Stink (Smell)- The famous Flora Whiff comes to Walkerville Elementary to find the most wonderful scent.  Ms. Frizzle's class thinks they have the competition it in the bag, but Arnold's cousin Janet isn't going to let them win until she gets her time alone with their scent.

3. Cold Feet (Reptiles)- Liz is gone from school and the class traces her to a place where reptiles go.  To look for her, Ms. Frizzle has the class transformed into reptiles, but the other reptiles don't seem to enjoy the new company.

2. Makes A Rainbow (Color)- Ms. Frizzle shows the class a pinball machine she made that uses color.  She has never made a rainbow before on it, but has to do it before the school principal comes.  Otherwise, the pinball machine is his.

1. See's Star's (Star's)- It's Dorothy Ann's birthday and the class makes her a gift, but it breaks.  Plan B for them, buying a star from an infomercial on TV, but Keesha is suspicious, so the class goes into space to look at each star individually.

The awesome Magic School Bus intro sung by the great Little Richard

Question: Who are your favorite Magic School Bus kids?  What are some of your favorite episodes?

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