Work It Out Wombats!
American animated children's television series on PBS Kids From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Work It Out Wombats! is an 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. This series is renewed for Season 2, and it will premiere on June 9, 2025.
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| Work It Out Wombats! | |
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| Genre | Preschool Educational Children's animation |
| Created by | Kathy Waugh Marcy Gunther Robby Hoffman Marisa Wolsky |
| Voices of | Ian Ho Mia Swami-Nathan Rain Janjua Yanna McIntosh |
| Theme music composer |
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| Opening theme | "Work It Out Wombats! Theme" |
| Ending theme | "Work It Out Wombats! Theme" (instrumental) |
| Composers |
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| Country of origin | United States Canada |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 39 (78 segments) |
| Production | |
| Executive producers | Marcy Gunther Marisa Wolsky Luis Lopez Juan Lopez |
| Running time | 22 minutes (11 minutes per segment) |
| Production companies |
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| Original release | |
| Network | PBS Kids |
| Release | February 6, 2023 – present |
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
Main
- Malik (voiced by Ian Ho) is a playful and curious 8-year-old (starting off at a 7 year old) grey wombat and the oldest of the siblings. He is meticulous and organized, but nonetheless likes having fun with his siblings.[6]
- Zadie (voiced by Mia Swami-Nathan) is an adorable and cute 6-year-old purple wombat and the middle child of the siblings. She likes to create fantastical ideas that are shown in a cardboard/puffball/popsicle stick art style.[7]
- Zeke (voiced by Rain Janjua) is a playful 4-year-old yellow wombat and the youngest of the siblings. He usually carries a stuffed animal named Snout with him, and is fond of asking lots of questions and talking nonstop.[8]
- Super (voiced by Yanna McIntosh) is a fifty-something pink-haired cyan wombat who is the wombats' grandmother as well as the superintendent of the Treeborhood. She is open minded and encourages her grandchildren to make mistakes.[9] She has a brother named Duper who lives in another town miles away. She has many friends which include Beatrice Beaver and Chanáa.
Recurring
- Mr. E (voiced by Joseph Motiki), is an iguana who owns the Everything Emporium. He is very organized and does care for the wombats but doesn't like their antics. He has a crush on Ellie, as she is the only person that he is openly affectionate towards.[10]
- Ellie (voiced by Tymika Tafari) is a moose of Jamaican descent who is the Treeborhood's EMT. She is reliable and very kind-hearted. Some of her interests include fitness and jumping on a trampoline.[11][12]
- Louisa (voiced by Claire Mackness) is a 4-year-old adopted pink tarsier who wants to know everything. Her catchphrase is "Did/do you not know?". She is good friends with Zeke. She shares a name with another character with the same name from the next show.
- Leiko and Duffy (voiced by Ana Sani and Shoshana Sperling, respectively) are a pair of kangaroos who are a lesbian couple and the adoptive mothers of Louisa. They used to be in a rock music duo together. Duffy works at Eat 'N Greet, while Leiko is the COO of the Creation Station.
- Sammy (voiced by Baeyen Hoffman) is an 8-year-old (starting off at a 7 year old) orange laid-back emerald tree boa snake with Puerto Rican heritage.[12] He is good friends with Malik.
- Quique, real name Enrique (voiced by B'atz' Recinos) is the father of Sammy. He is a teacher at the Starlight Room.[13] He has a wife named Yolanda whom he had divorced but still remains contact by taking turns in taking care of their son.
- JunJun (voiced by Roman Pesino) is a playful 6-year-old Philippine Eagle who likes singing and playing guitar. He occasionally speaks Tagalog words. He is good friends with Zadie.
- Kaya (voiced by Gianelle Miranda) is JunJun's 17-year-old (starting off at 16 years old) sister. She is a waitress at the Eat 'N Greet and a social media influencer.
- Amado (voiced by Mark Andrada) is JunJun and Kaya's father. He is the arborist of the Treeborhood and frequently cuts topiary trees. He wears a red barong tagalog.
- Gabriela (voiced by Carolyn Fe) is JunJun and Kaya's grandmother. She is the local mail carrier.
- Carly, CeCe, and Clyde (all voiced by Julie Lemieux), Kat (voiced by Athena Karkanis), and Kit (voiced by Dan Chamroy) are a green fiddler crab family who are farmers at the Sow 'N Grow. They are rather timid. Carly, CeCe, and Clyde are triplets who function as a single character. Carly wears red, CeCe wears green, and Clyde wears blue. Also, Cece is the only crab who wears square glasses while Kit, Kat, Carly and Clyde wear round glasses. Kit and Kat are their father and mother.
- Fergus and Felicia Fishman (voiced by Michael Gordin Shore and Athena Karkanis, respectively) are fish entrepreneurs who live in a tank near the top of the Treeborhood.
- Flip, Fannie, and Finn Fishman are three fish children who live with Fergus and Felicia in their tank near the top of the Treeborhood.
- Sylvia (voiced by Paloma Nuñez) is a white cow with lavender spots, dark blue glasses, and curly maroon hair. She wears a purple button-up shirt.
- Duper (also known as Great Uncle Duper, voiced by Martin Roach) is Malik, Zadie, and Zeke’s granduncle and Super’s brother.
- Buckley (voiced by Jayd Deroché) is a beaver and the wombats' friend.
- Yolanda (voiced by Margarita Varderrama) is the ex-wife of Quique and Sammy’s mother.
- Benito (voiced by Juan Pablo Romero) is Sammy’s cousin. Benito speaks Spanish in the English version and English in the Spanish version.
Episodes
Summarize
Perspective
Series overview
Season 1 (2023-25)
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | Prod. code [14] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Snout and About" | Jeff Barker | Kathy Waugh Robby Hoffman (story by) | February 6, 2023 | 103 | ||||
| "Zadie's Shell Shuffle" | Jiro C. Okada | ||||||||
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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 messes up Mr. E's shell 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 Barker | Monique D. Hall | February 6, 2023 | 101 | ||||
| "Measure for Measure" | Deanna Oliver | ||||||||
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Super's special trick, breaking big jobs into little ones, helps Zadie and Malik clean up a big mess. To make a new hat for Ellie, the Wombats are helped by a "special trick": measuring. 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 | 104 | ||||
| "Campout Confusion" | Kathy Waugh | ||||||||
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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. Hirsch | February 8, 2023 | 102 | ||||
| "A Super Recipe" | Nida Chowdhry | ||||||||
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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 Barker | Deanna Oliver | February 9, 2023 | 110 | ||||
| "Make It Snow" | Michael Olmo | ||||||||
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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. Zeke wants to play in the snow, but it is not winter yet. 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 Barker | Deanna Oliver | February 13, 2023 | 106 | ||||
| "Hopping Helpers" | Crescent Imani Novell | ||||||||
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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 Barker | Darnell Lamont Walker | February 14, 2023 | 107 | ||||
| "Cafe Chaos" | Cooper Sweeney | ||||||||
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Malik learns the key to a successful brother day; to ask Zeke what he wants to do. 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 Barker | Glen Berger & Peter Ferland | February 15, 2023 | 109 | ||||
| "Secret Tunnels" | Chuck Tately | ||||||||
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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 Barker | Michael Olmo | February 16, 2023 | 105 | ||||
| "Gift For a Fish" | Kathy Waugh | ||||||||
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Malik and Zadie help Zeke overcome his fear of riding a two-wheeler. 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 Barker | Cusi Cram & Peter Hirsch | February 20, 2023 | 108 | ||||
| "Zadie and the Really Big, Really Loud Noisy Thing" | Sherri Stoner Kathy Waugh (story by) | ||||||||
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After they find out that Super takes time off for herself every day, Malik and Zadie set out to create the perfect "Me Time". 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 Barker | Cooper Sweeney | February 21, 2023 | 114 | ||||
| "Zeke's Collection Selection" | Darnell Lamont Walker | ||||||||
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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 Barker | Deanna Oliver | February 22, 2023 | 113 | ||||
| "Racecar Wombats" | Jessica Tsou | ||||||||
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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 Barker | Glen Berger & Peter Ferland | February 27, 2023 | 111 | ||||
| "Game Changer" | Sherri Stoner Robby Hoffman (story by) | ||||||||
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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 Barker | Rachel Reuben | February 28, 2023 | 112 | ||||
| "Zoom In Zadie" | Atul N. Rao | ||||||||
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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 Barker | Sherri Stoner | July 24, 2023 | 119[15] | ||||
| "Lake Bellyflop" | Crystal Villarreal | ||||||||
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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 Barker | Natalie Vazquez | July 25, 2023 | 118[16] | ||||
| "Moon Magic" | Kathy Waugh | ||||||||
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The wombats journey to the Moon and look for unicorns. Louisa commands the moon to change its shape. 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 Barker | Darnell Lamont Walker | July 26, 2023 | 122[17] | ||||
| "A Super Invention" | Deanna Oliver | ||||||||
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The wombats make up a color game. Super invents a Huggyback rider. 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 Barker | Sherri Stoner | July 27, 2023 | 121[18] | ||||
| "Super's Super Mug" | Mercedes Brazier-Thurman | ||||||||
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Zadie soothes Ellie to sleep with a story. The wombats fix Super's favorite mug after it breaks. 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 Barker | Cheyenne "Casper" Lynn | July 31, 2023 | 120[19] | ||||
| "Stack 'Em Up" | Rachel Reuben | ||||||||
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Zadie comes up with a plan to make sure JunJun is awake so he can have Ice Cream for breakfast. Zeke tackles cleaning Super's closet. Song : "It's Pancake Day" song by Ron Holsey, The wombats choose pancake toppings. | |||||||||
| 20 | "A Boxful of Snout" | Jeff Barker | Chuck Tately | August 1, 2023 | 117[20] | ||||
| "Postcard from Snout" | Deanna Oliver | ||||||||
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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 Barker | Crescent Imani Novell | August 2, 2023 | 116[21] | ||||
| "Kayatastic Split" | Jehan Madhani & Sherri Stoner | ||||||||
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The wombats go on a treasure hunt. Kaya has to get creative for her Kaya-tastic Banana-tastic Halo-Halo Split cooking class. Song : "Don't Cry Little Fishes" song by Pierce Freelon, Ellie babysits the Fishmans' children. | |||||||||
| 22 | "The Treeborhood Photo Album" | Jeff Barker | Sherri Stoner | August 3, 2023 | 115[22] | ||||
| "Runway Recycling" | Tavashia Berry | ||||||||
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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 Gerstmann | Kathy Waugh | November 13, 2023 | 130[23] | ||||
| "The Treeborhood Thankfulness Stew" | Sherri Stoner | ||||||||
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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 Gerstmann | Natalie Vazquez | December 4, 2023 | 133[24] | ||||
| "Happy New Acorn Year!" | Michael Olmo | ||||||||
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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 Barker | Kathy Waugh Cusi Cram & Peter Hirsh (story by) | March 11, 2024[25] | 123[25] | ||||
| "Zeke's Fairy Village" | Jessica Tsou | ||||||||
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When Malik and Zadie cannot agree on how tidy to keep their bedroom, the solution seems easy, which is to divide one room between three wombats. It takes a village of Zeke's friends to build enough houses for the "fairies" who have moved in. Song (repeat from episode 2) : "Break It Down" written by Joe Fallon, the wombats make a sandwich by breaking the jobs down into little parts. | |||||||||
| 26 | "A House for Snout" | Jeff Barker | Cooper Sweeney | March 12, 2024[26] | 124[26] | ||||
| "JunJun's Brain Freeze" | Sofia Geck | ||||||||
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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 Barker | Michael Olmo | March 13, 2024[27] | 125[27] | ||||
| "Magic Tricky" | Glen Berger & Peter Ferland | ||||||||
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While Sammy works to plan a surprise Carnaval for his dad, Quique plans a surprise treat for his son. 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 Barker | Shemeka Foster | March 14, 2024[28] | 126[28] | ||||
| "Balloonasaur Delivery" | Chuck Tately | ||||||||
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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 Barker | Rachel Reuben | March 15, 2024[29] | 127[29] | ||||
| "Count to 10!" | Dejen Tesfagiorgis | ||||||||
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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 Gerstmann | Deanna Oliver | July 1, 2024[30] | 140 | ||||
| "A Super Duper Wombat Whirlgig" | Sherri Stoner | ||||||||
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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 Gerstmann | James Eason-Garcia | July 2, 2024[30] | 128 | ||||
| "Cake Mistake" | Charity L. Miller | ||||||||
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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 Gerstmann | Cooper Sweeney | July 3, 2024[30] | 129[31] | ||||
| "Balloonie for Youie" | Kai Grayson Dean Outschoorn & Paul Moncrieffe (story by) | ||||||||
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The wombats battle sea monsters, surfing scoundrels, and pointing rocks on their way to make a sandwich delivery. 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 Gerstmann | Darnell Lamont Walker | July 4, 2024[30] | 131 | ||||
| "Sammy's Primo" | Michael Olmo | ||||||||
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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 Gerstmann | Darnell Lamont Walker | July 5, 2024[30] | 132 | ||||
| "Patternpalooza" | Deanna Oliver | ||||||||
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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 Gerstmann | Alyson Piekarsky | March 17, 2025 | 134 | ||||
| "Riddles of the Treeborhood" | Sydney Isaacs | ||||||||
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The Wombats are willing to watch their favorite game show and water a plant for the Shellys at the same time. A visit from Super's oldest and dearest friend Chanáa sends the Wombats on a riddle-solving scavenger hunt all over the Treeborhood. 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 Gerstmann | Kathy Waugh | March 18, 2025 | 135 | ||||
| "The Bike Wash" | Natalie Vazquez | ||||||||
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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. When a storm has dirtied everyone's bike before the bike parade, It's up to The Wombats try 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 Gerstmann | Jiro C. Okada | March 19, 2025 | 137 | ||||
| "Toy Swap Flop" | Cooper Sweeney | ||||||||
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There are lots of sound patterns all over the Treeborhood, so many that Zeke keeps forgetting the one 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 Katy Waugh, the wombats sing a lullaby to the Treeborhood. | |||||||||
| 38 | "Lost and Found Patrol" | Jeff Barker and Andrea Gerstmann | Deanna Oliver Lalo Alcaraz (story by) | March 24, 2025 | 138 | ||||
| "Survey Says" | Chuck Tately | ||||||||
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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 Gerstmann | Kathy Waugh Tymika Tafari Kathy Waugh Kimberly Wright (story by) | March 25, 2025 | 139 | ||||
| "Zadie and Buckley's Playdate Problem" | Natalie Vazquez | ||||||||
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Ellie is so excited to be going back to Jamaica, so excited that the Wombats and Mr. E start to worry whether she will return. Buckley comes over for a fun 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
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | Prod. code [32] | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "The Big Loud Storm" | TBA | N/A | June 9, 2025 | 201 | ||||
| "Wish Monster" | N/A | ||||||||
| 2 | "Without Snout" | TBA | N/A | June 10, 2025 | 202 | ||||
| "Remote Out of Control" | N/A | ||||||||
| 3 | "The Fishmans Big Date" | TBA | N/A | June 11, 2025 | 207 | ||||
| "Fishman Family Circus" | N/A | ||||||||
| 4 | "Flowerhood Photo Hunt" | TBA | N/A | June 12, 2025 | 206 | ||||
| "A Stuffie Tea Party" | N/A | ||||||||
| 5 | "Cake Day Surprise" | TBA | N/A | June 13, 2025 | 205 | ||||
| "A Treeborhood Vacation!" | N/A | ||||||||
| TBA | "The Lakeview Hotel" | Jeff Barker and Andrea Gerstmann | Chuck Tately | 2025 | 136 | ||||
| "Louisa's Home Movie" | Sherri Stoner | ||||||||
|
The wombats visit an underwater hotel, with popcorn and movies and maps that help them navigate the hotel. Through the magic of home movies, Louisa, Leiko and Duffy relive the wonderful day when baby Louisa was adopted. Song (repeat from episode 16) : "Get Things Going Your Way" song by Glen Berger, the wombats encourage Leiko and Duffy to keep trying, even if they fall. | |||||||||
Related media
Games
These games were released on the PBS Kids website, as well as the PBS Kids Games App.
- Step It Out
- Road Repair
- Story Emporium
- Toy Maker
Development
Summarize
Perspective
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 at four 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 a 5/5, 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
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | GLAAD Media Awards | Outstanding Children's Programming | Work 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
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References
External links
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