Work It Out Wombats!

Last updated

Work It Out Wombats!
Work It Out Wombats logo.png
Genre Preschool
Educational
Created byKathy Waugh
Marcy Gunther
Robby Hoffman
Marisa Wolsky
Voices ofIan Ho
Nylan Parthipan
Mia Swami-Nathan
Rain Janjua
Yanna McIntosh
Theme music composer
  • Bill Sherman
  • Nina Woodford-Wells
Opening theme"Work It Out Wombats! Theme"
Ending theme"Work It Out Wombats! Theme" (instrumental)
Composers
  • Steve D'Angelo
  • Lorenzo Castelli
  • Terry Tompkins
  • Asher Lenz
  • Fabiola Mendez
  • Stephen Skratt
Country of originUnited States
Canada
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons2
No. of episodes45 (78 segments)
Production
Executive producersMarcy Gunther
Marisa Wolsky
Luis Lopez
Juan Lopez
Running time22 minutes (11 minutes per segment)
Production companies
Original release
Network
ReleaseFebruary 6, 2023 (2023-02-06) 
present

Work It Out Wombats! is a children's animated television series that premiered on February 6, 2023, on PBS Kids. The series is produced by GBH Kids and Pipeline Studios. [1] The series is animated using Toon Boom Harmony. The series also has a podcast, which premiered on January 4, 2024. [2] [3] Reception to the series has been mostly positive. The series has been renewed for a second season.

Contents

Premise

In the land of the Treeborhood, the series follows marsupials Malik, Zadie and Zeke living with their grandmother (Super) in her apartment complex. [4] Every episode features them encountering a problem of some kind and using computational thinking to solve it. [5] In-between each of the episodes is a 90-second music video, similar to the next show, (except for steps to play or do something).

Characters

The main and supporting cast of the series. From left to right: Louisa, Duffy, Quique, Sammy, Leiko, Mr. E, Ellie, Super (holding Malik, Zeke, & Zadie), JunJun, Gabriela, Kaya, Kat, Cece, Amado, Carly, Kit & Clyde (The Fishmans, Sylvia, Buckley and Beatrice, and Uncle Duper are not in this picture) Work It Out Wombats cast.jpeg
The main and supporting cast of the series. From left to right: Louisa, Duffy, Quique, Sammy, Leiko, Mr. E, Ellie, Super (holding Malik, Zeke, & Zadie), JunJun, Gabriela, Kaya, Kat, Cece, Amado, Carly, Kit & Clyde (The Fishmans, Sylvia, Buckley and Beatrice, and Uncle Duper are not in this picture)

Main

Recurring

Episodes

Series overview

SeasonEpisodesOriginally released
First releasedLast released
1 39February 6, 2023 (2023-02-06)March 25, 2025 (2025-03-25)
2 TBAJune 9, 2025 (2025-06-09)TBA

Season 1 (2023–25)

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release dateProd.
code [14]
1"Snout and About"Jeff BarkerKathy Waugh
Robby Hoffman (story by)
February 6, 2023 (2023-02-06)103
"Zadie's Shell Shuffle"Jiro C. Okada

When Zeke loses his favorite stuffed toy, Snout, the wombats need to retrace their steps to find Snout.


While playing hide-and-seek, Zadie accidentally rearranges the shells in Mr. E's garden, so she needs to rearrange it in the specific pattern that it was in.


Song: "Cause and Effect" written by Randy Rogel, Super sings about cause and effect.
2"Junior Supers"Jeff BarkerMonique D. HallFebruary 6, 2023 (2023-02-06)101
"Measure for Measure" Deanna Oliver
Song: "Break It Down" written by Joe Fallon, the wombats make a sandwich by breaking the jobs down into little jobs.
3"Special Delivery"Jeff Barker Sherri Stoner February 7, 2023 (2023-02-07)104
"Campout Confusion"Kathy Waugh

Sammy is sick, and Malik wants to deliver ice cream to him. But, he needs to find a way to stop the ice cream from melting.


Zadie wants to host a fun campout, and invites the crab kids to it. Things did not go as expected, because she did not plan initially.


Song: "The More I Try, The More I Know" song by Andrea Leon-Ramos, the wombats try out different scents for Super's bubble bath.
4"Snout Wash Day"Jeff Barker Cusi Cram & Peter K. HirschFebruary 8, 2023 (2023-02-08)102
"A Super Recipe"Nida Chowdhry

Snout gets very dirty and needs to be cleaned up, but Malik accidentally spills soap on the instructions.


The wombats want to make cornbread for Grandma Super, but when they lose the cookbook, they need to create the recipe by other means.


Song: "What Do You See?" written by Sofia Geck, Mr. E, Ellie, and Zeke sing about how they view art from their different perspectives.
5"Summerweenie Halloweenie"Jeff BarkerDeanna OliverFebruary 9, 2023 (2023-02-09)110
"Make It Snow"Michael Olmo

The wombats go trick-or-treating in summer (Pretty unusual, right?) and learn how to organize their treats by size and color. Mr. E didn't seem to enjoy Halloween at first, but he grows to love it when he joins the wombats.


After Mr. E shows the wombats a snow globe, they decide to make their own giant snow globe, and search for materials that could stand in for snow.


Song: "Mystery Box" written by Andrea Leon-Ramos, JunJun and Malik try to guess what's inside Louisa's mystery box.
6"Crab Quakes"Jeff BarkerDeanna OliverFebruary 13, 2023 (2023-02-13)106
"Hopping Helpers"Crescent Imani Novell

The crabs are scared by something they heard, so they run away to the wombats' house to seek refuge. The wombats take it upon themselves to solve the mystery of what made the noise. They figure out that the noise is revealed to come from a wind-up dragon toy.


Malik, Zadie, and Zeke realize that it feels good to help others, so they become the "Hopping Helpers" and try to help everyone in the Treeborhood. But with all the tasks they have to do, they realize that even helpers need help sometimes.


Song: "What's Going On?" written by Glen Berger, the wombats find out what's making a scary shadow in their room.
7"Brother Day"Jeff BarkerDarnell Lamont WalkerFebruary 14, 2023 (2023-02-14)107
"Cafe Chaos"Cooper Sweeney

After Duffy sprains her ankle, Zeke and Louisa become waiters at the Eat N' Greet. However, waiting so many tables at once proves to be difficult for them, and they keep messing up the orders. Quique helps them memorize the steps to being a waiter. With Zeke and Louisa's help and skills, Mr. E's meal with Ellie is successful.


Song: "Collaborate" written by Stacey Greenberger, the wombats work together to get a box to the top of the hill.
8"The Sleepover"Jeff BarkerGlen Berger & Peter FerlandFebruary 15, 2023 (2023-02-15)109
"Secret Tunnels"Chuck Tately

Zeke attends a sleepover at the Creation Station with Louisa and the crab children, but the activities at the sleepover are nothing like his usual bedtime routine.


When the wombats want to deliver books to the crabs, Super shows them a secret network of passageways in the underbelly of the Treeborhood. Zeke loses his book, so the wombats have to navigate the tunnels to find it.


Song: "One Part at a Time" written by Sofia Geck, Ellie teaches Malik the steps to a dance.
9"The Mighty Zeke"Jeff BarkerMichael OlmoFebruary 16, 2023 (2023-02-16)105
"Gift For a Fish"Kathy Waugh

Malik and Zadie help Zeke ride a bike.


The Fishmans just had their babies, and the wombats are invited to their fish shower. The wombats come up with the perfect gift for the fish babies.


Song: "Sandcastle Song" written by Pierce Freelon, the crab children try different ways to get their sandcastle to stay up.
10"Me Time"Jeff BarkerCusi Cram & Peter HirschFebruary 20, 2023 (2023-02-20)108
"Zadie and the Really Big, Really Loud Noisy Thing"Sherri Stoner
Kathy Waugh (story by)

After they find out that Super takes time off for herself every day, Malik and Zadie set out to do the same.


Zadie needs to find a place where she can make loud noises.


Song: "Pattern Song" written by Randy Rogel, Super sings about patterns.
11"Talent Turmoil"Jeff BarkerCooper SweeneyFebruary 21, 2023 (2023-02-21)114
"Zeke's Collection Selection"Darnell Lamont Walker

The Treeborhood is having a talent show, and Zeke is in charge of everyone's props. Trouble arises when the props are put in the wrong order.


The Treeborhood is holding a collection fair, so Zeke tries to create his own collection.


Song: "Same But Different" written by Randy Rogel, Zadie and Malik sing about similarities and differences.
12"Helper For the Day"Jeff BarkerDeanna OliverFebruary 22, 2023 (2023-02-22)113
"Racecar Wombats"Jessica Tsou

Zeke helps Mr. E sort things at the Everything Emporium.


The wombats want to participate in the Treeborhood Derby, but struggle to get their homemade box race car out in time for the race before it starts


Song: "The Clean-Up Song" song by Ron Holsey, the wombats sing a song while cleaning their room.
13"Sparklepants"Jeff BarkerGlen Berger & Peter FerlandFebruary 27, 2023 (2023-02-27)111
"Game Changer"Sherri Stoner
Robby Hoffman (story by)

While preparing for Ellie's welcome home party, Mr. E accidentally orders 200 pairs of Sparklepants. It is up to JunJun and Zadie to figure out what to do with the pants before Ellie gets home from her vacation.


Everybody in the Treeborhood are too busy to play with Zadie so she decides to play with the crab kids. They all try to find a game that they can all enjoy. Meanwhile, Zeke and Malik collect umbrellas.


Song: "Set the Table" song by Ron Holsey, the wombats learn to set the table before their meal.
14"Bake It Til You Make It"Jeff BarkerRachel ReubenFebruary 28, 2023 (2023-02-28)112
"Zoom In Zadie"Atul N. Rao

Zeke and Louisa sell mud pies in exchange for stickers, but they need to figure out how to bake a perfect pie.


Mr. E has never been able to paint a square. Zadie tries to get the others to help but realizes that she needs to take a good picture to send to the Treeborhood newsletter.


Song: "Step It Out" song by Ron Holsey, the wombats go over the steps they need to get ready for the beach.
15"Moo Moo Choo Choo"Jeff BarkerSherri StonerJuly 24, 2023 (2023-07-24)119 [15]
"Lake Bellyflop"Crystal Villarreal

The wombats help to free the Moo Moo Choo Choo train, which got itself stuck in a sea of mud.


First spied through a telescope, the wombats attempt to find the mystical Bellyflop Lake without getting lost.


Song: "The Wombat Wiggle" song by Ron Holsey, the wombats show a dance called the Wombat Wiggle and the other Treeborhood residents join in the fun.
16"3,2,1 Lift Off!"Jeff BarkerNatalie VazquezJuly 25, 2023 (2023-07-25)118 [16]
"Moon Magic"Kathy Waugh

The wombats journey to the Moon and look for unicorns.


Song: "Get Things Going Your Way" song by Glen Berger, the wombats encourage Leiko and Duffy to keep trying, even if they fall.
17"Color Fun"Jeff BarkerDarnell Lamont WalkerJuly 26, 2023 (2023-07-26)122 [17]
"A Super Invention"Deanna Oliver

The wombats make up a color game.


Song (repeat from episode 1): "Cause and Effect" written by Randy Rogel, Super sings about cause and effect.
18"A Sleep Story for Ellie"Jeff BarkerSherri StonerJuly 27, 2023 (2023-07-27)121 [18]
"Super's Super Mug"Mercedes Brazier-Thurman
Song (repeat from episode 5): "Mystery Box" written by Andrea Leon-Ramos, JunJun and Malik try to guess what's inside Louisa's mystery box.
19"JunJun's Wake Up Call"Jeff BarkerCheyenne "Casper" LynnJuly 31, 2023 (2023-07-31)120 [19]
"Stack 'Em Up"Rachel Reuben
Song: "It's Pancake Day" song by Ron Holsey, The wombats choose pancake toppings.
20"A Boxful of Snout"Jeff BarkerChuck TatelyAugust 1, 2023 (2023-08-01)117 [20]
"Postcard from Snout"Deanna Oliver

The wombats lose Snout while helping Mr. E wrap boxes.


Snout sends a postcard to Zeke.


Song: "The Day is Over, Night is On its Way" song by Kathy Waugh, the wombats sing a lullaby to all the Treeborhood.
21"Amazing Adventure"Jeff BarkerCrescent Imani NovellAugust 2, 2023 (2023-08-02)116 [21]
"Kayatastic Split"Jehan Madhani & Sherri Stoner
Song: "Don't Cry Little Fishes" song by Pierce Freelon, Ellie babysits the Fishmans' children.
22"The Treeborhood Photo Album"Jeff BarkerSherri StonerAugust 3, 2023 (2023-08-03)115 [22]
"Runway Recycling"Tavashia Berry

The wombats learn about the history of their tree which they grew up in.


Mr. E judges a sculpture contest.


Song: "Drip, Drop" song by Andrea Leon-Ramos, the wombats wait for a few days until the rain stops.
23"The Treeborhood Harvest Day"Jeff Barker & Andrea GerstmannKathy WaughNovember 13, 2023 (2023-11-13)130 [23]
"The Treeborhood Thankfulness Stew"Sherri Stoner

The Treeborhood's Harvest Day may be canceled due to fog, so Zadie and Malik help Mr. E find some fog goggles.


Zeke and Louisa make a special stew on Thanksgiving while the other children at the Treeborhood play a game.


Song (repeat from episode 7): "Collaborate" written by Stacey Greenberger, the wombats work together to get a box to the top of the hill.
24"The Treeborhood Parranda"Jeff Barker & Andrea GerstmannNatalie VazquezDecember 4, 2023 (2023-12-04)133 [24]
"Happy New Acorn Year!"Michael Olmo

The Treeborhood is having a parranda.


The wombats try to stay up late on New Year's Eve.


Song (repeat from episode 8): "One Part at a Time" written by Sofia Geck, Ellie teaches Malik the steps to a dance.
25"A Room of Our Own"Jeff BarkerKathy Waugh
Cusi Cram & Peter Hirsh (story by)
March 11, 2024 (2024-03-11) [25] 123 [25]
"Zeke's Fairy Village"Jessica Tsou
Song (repeat from episode 2): "Break It Down" written by Joe Fallon, the wombats make a sandwich by breaking the jobs down into small parts.
26"A House for Snout"Jeff BarkerCooper SweeneyMarch 12, 2024 (2024-03-12) [26] 124 [26]
"JunJun's Brain Freeze"Sofia Geck

Zeke and Louisa plan a house for Snout. If they can manage to stop arguing, they might even get around to building it.


"Hooray for Spring!" is the title of the video Kaya hopes she will make, once JunJun conquers his on-camera phobias.


Song (repeat from episode 9): "Sandcastle Song" written by Pierce Freelon, the crab kids try different ways to get their sandcastle to stay up.
27"Treeborhood Carnaval"Jeff BarkerMichael OlmoMarch 13, 2024 (2024-03-13) [27] 125 [27]
"Magic Tricky"Glen Berger & Peter Ferland

Malik the Magnificent is about to perform a magic trick, but cannot seem to get it right.


Song (repeat from episode 6): "What's Going On?" written by Glen Berger, the wombats find out what's making a scary shadow in their room.
28"Malik Gets Muddy"Jeff BarkerShemeka FosterMarch 14, 2024 (2024-03-14) [28] 126 [28]
"Balloonasaur Delivery"Chuck Tately

Malik goes on a journey in the Undergroundberhood to retrieve JunJun's favorite ball when it ends up there.


The wombats cheer Buckley up, using balloons.


Song (repeat from episode 14): "Step It Out" song by Ron Holsey, the wombats go over the steps they need to get ready for the beach.
29"Sticker Monster Storytime"Jeff BarkerRachel ReubenMarch 15, 2024 (2024-03-15) [29] 127 [29]
"Count to 10!"Dejen Tesfagiorgis

Super hunts for a lost sticker while the wombats collaborate on a new ending for an old Sticker Monster Story.


Malik and Zadie go all over the Treeborhood so they can help Zeke learn how to count to 10.


Song (repeat from episode 4): "What Do You See?" song by Sofia Geck, Mr. E, Ellie, and Zeke sing about how they view art differently.
30"The Wombat Family Road Trip"Jeff Barker and Andrea GerstmannDeanna OliverJuly 1, 2024 (2024-07-01) [30] 140
"A Super Duper Wombat Whirlgig"Sherri Stoner

The Wombats are off to visit their Great Uncle Duper in the Windborhood by taking the Moo Moo Choo Choo.


The World's Biggest Whirligig has blown away. Because of that, the wombats are there to help Great Uncle Duper imagine how they can build a new one.


Song (repeat from episode 15): "The Wombat Wiggle" song by Ron Holsey, the wombats show a dance called the Wombat Wiggle and the other Treeborhood residents join in the fun.
31"Zadie to the Rescue"Jeff Barker and Andrea GerstmannJames Eason-GarciaJuly 2, 2024 (2024-07-02) [30] 128
"Cake Mistake"Charity L. Miller

Zadie assists Ellie on her EMT calls.


The wombats use different shapes to make a sailboat-shaped birthday cake for Carly, Cece, and Clyde.


Song (repeat from episode 13): "Set the Table" song by Ron Holsey, the wombats learn to set the table before their meal.
32"Yo-Ho-Ho: A Sandwich for Mr. E"Jeff Barker and Andrea GerstmannCooper SweeneyJuly 3, 2024 (2024-07-03) [30] 129 [31]
"Balloonie for Youie"Kai Grayson
Dean Outschoorn & Paul Moncrieffe (story by)

Mr. E buys a robot that hands out balloons.


Song (repeat from episode 3): "The More I Try, The More I Know" song by Andrea Leon-Ramos, the wombats try out different scents for Super's bubble bath.
33"Sammy Makes a Day"Jeff Barker and Andrea GerstmannDarnell Lamont WalkerJuly 4, 2024 (2024-07-04) [30] 131
"Sammy's Primo"Michael Olmo

Sammy wants to surprise his mother with a day of fun, but it all goes downhill. But is fun still fun even if it's not really epic?


Sammy speaks English, Benito speaks Spanish and Quique isn't around to translate. Thus, they are finding a way to communicate without words.


Song (repeat from episode 11): "Same But Different" written by Randy Rogel, Zadie and Malik sing about similarities and differences.
34"Backwards Day"Jeff Barker and Andrea GerstmannDarnell Lamont WalkerJuly 5, 2024 (2024-07-05) [30] 132
"Patternpalooza"Deanna Oliver

On Backwards Day, The wombats do things the opposite way.


A Patternpalooza is happening at the Treeborhood, with all sorts of games and prizes including a stuffed monster as the grand prize.


Song (repeat from episode 10): "Pattern Song" written by Randy Rogel, Super sings about patterns.
35"The Treeborhood Cause and Effect Machine"Jeff Barker and Andrea GerstmannAlyson PiekarskyMarch 17, 2025 (2025-03-17)134
"Riddles of the Treeborhood"Sydney Isaacs

The Wombats are willing to watch their favorite game show and water a plant for the Shellys at the same time.


Song (repeat from episode 12): "The Clean-Up Song" song by Ron Holsey, the wombats clean their room.
36"The Great Splendito"Jeff Barker and Andrea GerstmannKathy WaughMarch 18, 2025 (2025-03-18)135
"The Bike Wash"Natalie Vazquez

Mr. E (as Mr. Splendito) has hidden five tickets to a special performance around the Treeborhood, and Malik and Sammy are trying to find the tickets.


A storm has dirtied everyone's bike before the bike parade. It's up to the Wombats to create something to fix the mess.


Song (repeat from episode 22): "Drip Drop" song by Andrea Leon-Ramos, It is raining outside so the wombats wait for a few days until the rain stops.
37"Tricky Tricky Taiko Drum"Jeff Barker and Andrea GerstmannJiro C. OkadaMarch 19, 2025 (2025-03-19)137
"Toy Swap Flop"Cooper Sweeney

There are lots of sound patterns all over the Treeborhood, so many that Zeke keeps forgetting the drum pattern that he needs to remember.


Zadie has a hard time admitting that she lost Louisa's toy blimp. If only she could remember to keep track of where she exactly had it!


Song (repeat from episode 20): "The Day is Over, Night is On its Way" song by Kathy Waugh, the wombats sing a lullaby to the Treeborhood.
38"Lost and Found Patrol"Jeff Barker and Andrea GerstmannDeanna Oliver
Lalo Alcaraz (story by)
March 24, 2025 (2025-03-24)138
"Survey Says"Chuck Tately

When Super loses glasses, The Lost and Found Patrol are on the case to find them.


Mr. E has a lot of ping-pong balls, which is both a good thing and a nuisance. The solution is to survey his customers.


Song (repeat from episode 19): "It's Pancake Day" song by Ron Holsey, the wombats choose pancake toppings.
39"Ellie's Island"Jeff Barker and Andrea GerstmannKathy Waugh
Tymika Tafari
Kathy Waugh
Kimberly Wright (story by)
March 25, 2025 (2025-03-25)139
"Zadie and Buckley's Playdate Problem"Natalie Vazquez

Ellie is excited to be going back to Jamaica. This makes the Wombats and Mr. E start to worry whether she will return.


Buckley comes over for a playdate with Zadie. But when things usually go wrong, but they also go right sometimes.


Song (repeat from episode 21): "Don't Cry Little Fishes" song by Pierce Freelon, Ellie babysits the Fishmans' children.

Season 2 (2025–)

Nylan Parthipan replaced Ian Ho in the role of Malik.

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release dateProd.
code [32]
40"The Big Loud Storm"Jeff Barker and Andrea GerstmannSherri StonerJune 9, 2025 (2025-06-09)201
"Wish Monster"Kathy Waugh
Zeke gets nervous about a big storm; Zeke's dream of becoming a Wish Monster comes true
41"Without Snout"Jeff Barker and Andrea GerstmannCooper SweeneyJune 10, 2025 (2025-06-10)202
"Remote Out of Control"Deanna Oliver
The wombats search for a missing remote control
42"The Fishman's Big Date"Jeff Barker and Andrea GerstmannSherri StonerJune 11, 2025 (2025-06-11)207
"Fishman Family Circus"Cusi Cram & Peter K. Hirsch
Fergus test-runs an official anniversary date for his wife, Felicia; The Fishmans want to put on a underwater circus show, The Wombats are there to help them find a way to do so.
43"Flowerhood Photo Hunt"Jeff Barker and Andrea GerstmannChuck TatelyJune 12, 2025 (2025-06-12)206
"A Stuffie Tea Party"Rachel Reuben
Sammy's mom, Yolanda sends the Treeborhood kids on a picture perfect scavenger hunt at the Flower Hood;
44"Cake Day Surprise"Jeff Barker and Andrea GerstmannGlen Berger & Peter FerlandJune 13, 2025 (2025-06-13)205
"A Treeborhood Vacation!"Elizabeth Gardner & Deanna Oliver
45"The Lakeview Hotel"Jeff Barker and Andrea GerstmannChuck TatelyTBA136
"Louisa's Home Movie"Sherri Stoner
The Wombats visit a underwater hotel with popcorn and movies and a map that helps them navigate the hotel Song (repeat from season 1 episode 16): "Get Things Going Your Way" song by Glen Berger, the wombats encourage Leiko and Duffy to keep trying, even if they fall.
TBA"Untitled Special: Part 1"TBDN/A2025 (2025)TBA
"Untitled Special: Part 2"N/A

Games

These games were released on the PBS Kids website, as well as the PBS Kids Games App.

  1. Step It Out!
  2. Road Repair
  3. Story Emporium
  4. Toy Maker
  5. Pattern Palooza Fair!

Development

The themes and ideas of the show were previously covered in Aha Island, a WGBH multimedia project about monkeys who use computational thinking.

Some elements from Aha Island were recycled for Work It Out Wombats!, such as the existence of the Everything Emporium. [33]

The series was greenlit in October 2020, under the working title of Wombats! [34] Wombats were chosen as the species of the main characters because they are underused in media. [35]

Early-career writers were granted fellowships so they could bring diverse viewpoints and BIPOC representation to the series. [36]

The production team worked to ensure authentic representations of names, language, and some of the cultural origins found with the animals themselves, while keeping in mind that animals are not a proxy for race and ethnicity.

For example, JunJun and his family are Philippine eagles, while Ellie is a moose; an animal not found in Jamaica. [37]

Casting

The producers deliberately sought out voice actors that match the ethnicity of the characters to ensure authenticity. [38] Rain Janjua, the voice of Zeke, originally auditioned for the role of Malik for being asked to try out for Zeke. To create the voice, Janjua tried to recall how his voice sounded between four and five years old. [39]

Animation

The series is animated using Toon Boom Harmony. The characters are animated using complicated rigging systems that allow the animators to draw things by hand, thus giving each character their own nuances and walk cycles. The designs of the characters and settings are rounded in order to create a friendly, welcoming feel. Curvilinear perspective and hazing is used for the backgrounds to make the characters stand out. [40]

Reception

Audience viewership

Work It Out Wombats! achieved 23 million streams on PBS Kids video platforms within its first two weeks, as well as over 1.7 million views on YouTube. [41]

Critical response

The series was praised for its positive messages, educational value, and high-energy characters. Writing for Common Sense Media, Diondra Brown rated it 5/5 stars, saying "The show's quality matches -- actually, exceeds, the high expectations viewers have for PBS Kids programming." [42]

Controversy

The lesbian characters of Leiko and Duffy caused the series to be controversial among conservative crowds. In May 2023, the Governor of Oklahoma, Kevin Stitt, vetoed a measure to provide state funding to Oklahoma Educational Television Authority for three years, due to their broadcasting of Work It Out Wombats! (and of Clifford the Big Red Dog (2019 TV series) , which also features same-sex parents) and the claims that it "overly sexualizing" kids. [43]

Accolades

YearAwardCategoryNomineeResultRef.
2024 GLAAD Media Awards Outstanding Children's ProgrammingWork It Out Wombats!Nominated [44]

Marketing

To promote the series, a walkaround mascot of Zeke traveled to different places in the Boston area from February 22 to February 24, under the title "Zeke's Big Boston Adventure." Zeke went to the Boston Children's Museum, the Franklin Park Zoo, and the Boston Public Library. The Mayor of Boston, Michelle Wu, declared February 21 as "Work It Out Wombats! Day." [45]

See also

References

  1. "Work It Out Wombats! . Work It Out Wombats! . Home | PBS KIDS | PBS KIDS". pbskids.org. Retrieved June 29, 2011.
  2. "Work it Out Wombats! Podcasts Station News WQPT PBS". wqpt.org. January 2024. Retrieved February 1, 2024.
  3. "Facebook". www.facebook.com. January 3, 2024. Retrieved February 1, 2024. You're invited to a playdate with Malik, Zadie, and Zeke! WHEN: Starting tomorrow...
  4. "PBS KIDS Announces New Series, WORK IT OUT WOMBATS! Debuting Winter 2023". About PBS – Main. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
  5. "New PBS KIDS Series, WORK IT OUT WOMBATS!, Premieres February 6, 2023". CPB. Corporation for Public Broadcasting. July 26, 2022. Retrieved February 10, 2023.
  6. Work It Out Wombats! [@WombatsPBS] (January 2, 2023). "Malik is the oldest of the Wombats, and he's been known to make a careful list of pros and cons. ⭐ Meet Malik FEBRUARY 6th, 2023 on @PBSKIDS! #WombatsPBS ⭐ https://t.co/rPOvT5WuTM" (Tweet). Retrieved February 23, 2023 via Twitter.
  7. Work It Out Wombats! [@WombatsPBS] (January 4, 2023). "Zadie doesn't have just one idea, she has eight. Twelve! A hundred! She's looking to get more patience— somewhere and immediately. ⭐ Meet Zadie FEBRUARY 6th, 2023 on @PBSKIDS! #WombatsPBS ⭐ https://t.co/QQnJvrFjbD" (Tweet). Retrieved February 23, 2023 via Twitter.
  8. Work It Out Wombats! [@WombatsPBS] (January 6, 2023). "Zeke is the youngest of the Wombats, and he is rarely spotted without his stuffy Snout— who is better than Zeke at keeping secrets. ⭐ Meet Zeke FEBRUARY 6th, 2023 on @PBSKIDS! #WombatsPBS ⭐ https://t.co/MCe9zQlF8L" (Tweet). Archived from the original on February 10, 2023. Retrieved February 23, 2023 via Twitter.
  9. Work It Out Wombats! [@WombatsPBS] (January 13, 2023). "Super is the squishiest, huggiest grandma you'll ever find. But, where can you find her? ➡️ She might be under the sink, fixing a skateboard ramp, or even hang-gliding. ⭐ Meet Gramma Super FEBRUARY 6th, 2023 on @PBSKIDS! #WombatsPBS ⭐ https://t.co/QO3tWw7CbA" (Tweet). Retrieved February 23, 2023 via Twitter.
  10. Work It Out Wombats! [@WombatsPBS] (January 21, 2023). "While cleaning the Everything Emporium, Mr. E might accidentally knock over boxes, topple displays, and then fire himself for incompetence. ⭐ Meet Mr. E FEBRUARY 6th on @PBSKIDS! #WombatsPBS ⭐ https://t.co/2uOtLym45P" (Tweet). Archived from the original on February 10, 2023. Retrieved February 23, 2023 via Twitter.
  11. Work It Out Wombats! [@WombatsPBS] (February 3, 2023). "Never running out of things to do, Ellie is a rock for the Treeborhood. ⭐ Meet Ellie on @PBSKIDS starting FEBRUARY 6TH! #WombatsPBS ⭐ https://t.co/SUixstDYGX" (Tweet). Archived from the original on February 10, 2023. Retrieved February 23, 2023 via Twitter.
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  13. Work It Out Wombats! [@WombatsPBS] (February 4, 2023). "Why is Sammy so cool and thoughtful? Because that's how his Dad, Quique, is! ⭐ Meet Sammy and Quique on @PBSKIDS starting FEBRUARY 6TH! #WombatsPBS ⭐ https://t.co/NEgC9lVHaV" (Tweet). Retrieved February 23, 2023 via Twitter.
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