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The series follows Malik, Zadie, and Zeke, creative marsupial siblings who live with their grandmother (Super) in her treehouse apartment complex, known as the Treeborhood.[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.
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, and Zadie), JunJun, Gabriela, Kaya, Kat, Cece, Amado, Carly, Kit, Clyde
Malik (voiced by Ian Ho) - 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) - A 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) - A 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) - A 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]
Mr. E (voiced by Joseph Motiki) - An iguana who owns the Everything Emporium. He is very organized and seems grumpy most of the time, but he ultimately does care for the wombats. He has a crush on Ellie, as she is the only person that he is openly affectionate towards.[10]
Ellie (voiced by Tymika Tafari) - 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) - A 4-year-old adopted tarsier who wants to know everything. Her catchphrase is "Did/do you not know?" She is best friends with Zeke.
Leiko and Duffy (voiced by Ana Sani and Shoshana Sperling respectively) - 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 the Eat 'N Greet, while Leiko is the COO of the Creation Station.
Sammy (voiced by Baeyen Hoffman) - A 7-year-old, laid back emerald tree boa snake with Puerto Rican heritage.[12] He is best friends with Malik.
Quique, real name Enrique (voiced by B'atz' Recinos) - The single father of Sammy. He is a teacher at the Starlight Room.[13]
JunJun (voiced by Roman Pesino) - A 6-year-old Philippine Eagle who likes singing and playing guitar. He occasionally speaks Tagalog words. He is best friends with Zadie.
Kaya (voiced by Gianelle Miranda) - JunJun's 16-year-old sister. She is a waitress at the Eat 'N Greet and a social media influencer.
Amado (voiced by Mark Andrada) - JunJun and Kaya's father. He's the arborist of the Treeborhood and frequently cuts topiary trees. He wears a red Barong Tagalog.
Gabriela (voiced by Carolyn Fe) - JunJun and Kaya's grandmother. She's the local mail carrier.
Kat (voiced by Athena Karkanis), Kit (voiced by Dan Chameroy), and Carly, CeCe, and Clyde (all voiced by Julie Lemieux)- A green 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 & 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) - Fish entrepreneurs who live in a tank near the top of the Treeborhood. They have three babies: Flip, Frannie, and Finn.
"Snout and About": Zeke loses his beloved stuffed animal, Snout, so the wombats retrace their steps to find it. "Zadie's Shell Shuffle": While playing hide-and-seek, Zadie 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": Super sings about cause and effect. Written by Randy Rogel.
"Junior Supers": Zadie and Malik are tasked to clean the Starlight Room while Super is attending to other things. "Measure for Measure": Ellie's hat flies away, so the wombats help make her a new one. However, they need to measure how big her head is so they can make a hat that fits just right.
Song: "Break It Down": The wombats make a sandwich by breaking the jobs down into little jobs. Written by Joe Fallon.
"Special Delivery": Sammy is sick, and Malik wants to deliver ice cream to him. He needs to find a way to stop the ice cream from melting. "Campout Confusion": Zadie wants to host a fun campout, and invites the crab kids to it. Things don't go the way she wanted because she didn't plan ahead.
Song: "The More I Try, The More I Know": The wombats try out different scents for Super's bubble bath. Song by Andrea Leon-Ramos.
4
"Snout Wash Day""A Super Recipe"
Jeff Barker
Cusi Cram & Peter K. HirschNida Chowdhry
February 8, 2023 (2023-02-08)
102
"Snout Wash Day": Snout is very dirty and needs to be washed, but Malik accidentally spills soap on the instructions. "A Super Recipe": 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?": Mr. E, Ellie, and Zeke sing about how they view art differently. Written by Sofia Geck.
5
"Summerweenie Halloweenie""Make It Snow"
Jeff Barker
Deanna OliverMichael Olmo
February 9, 2023 (2023-02-09)
110
"Summerweenie Halloweenie": The wombats go trick-or-treating in summer, and learn how to organize their treats by size and color. Mr. E doesn't like Halloween at first, but he grows to love it when he joins the wombats. "Make It Snow": Zeke wants to play in snow, but it's not winter. 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": JunJun and Malik try to guess what's inside Louisa's mystery box. Written by Andrea Leon-Ramos.
6
"Crab Quakes""Hopping Helpers"
Jeff Barker
Deanna OliverCrescent Imani Novell
February 13, 2023 (2023-02-13)
106
"Crab Quakes": The crabs are scared by something scary 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 came from a wind-up dragon toy. "Hopping Helpers": 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?": The wombats find out what's making a scary shadow in their room. Written by Glen Berger.
7
"Brother Day""Cafe Chaos"
Jeff Barker
Darnell Lamont WalkerCooper Sweeney
February 14, 2023 (2023-02-14)
107
"Brother Day": Malik learns the key to a successful brother day; ask the brother in question, Zeke, what he wants to do. "Cafe Chaos": 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 screwing up the orders. Quique helps them memorize the steps to being a waiter. With Zeke and Louisa's help and newfound waiter skills, Mr. E's luncheon with Ellie goes great.
Song: "Collaborate": The wombats work together to get a box to the top of the hill. Written by Stacey Greenberger.
8
"The Sleepover""Secret Tunnels"
Jeff Barker
Glen Berger & Peter FerlandChuck Tately
February 15, 2023 (2023-02-15)
109
"The Sleepover": Zeke attends a sleepover at the Creation Station with Louisa and the crab kids, but the activities at the sleepover are nothing like his usual bedtime routine. "Secret Tunnels": When the wombats want to deliver books to the crab kids, 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": Ellie teaches Malik the steps to a dance. Written by Sofia Geck.
9
"The Mighty Zeke""Gift For a Fish"
Jeff Barker
Michael OlmoKathy Waugh
February 16, 2023 (2023-02-16)
105
"The Mighty Zeke": Malik and Zadie help Zeke overcome his fear of riding a two-wheeler. "Gift For a Fish": The Fishmans had their babies, and the wombats were invited to their baby shower. The wombats come up with the perfect gift for the fish babies.
Song: "Sandcastle Song": The crab kids try different ways to get their sandcastle to stay up. Written by Pierce Freelon.
10
"Me Time""Zadie and the Really Big, Really Loud Noisy Thing"
Jeff Barker
Cusi Cram & Peter HirschSherri Stoner
February 20, 2023 (2023-02-20)
108
"Me Time": 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 and the Really Big, Really Loud Noisy Thing": Zadie needs a place where she can make lots of noise.
Song" "Pattern Song": Super sings about patterns. Written by Randy Rogel.
11
"Talent Turmoil""Zeke's Collection Selection"
Jeff Barker
Cooper SweeneyDarnell Lamont Walker
February 21, 2023 (2023-02-21)
114
"Talent Turmoil": The Treeborhood holds a talent show, and Zeke is in charge of everyone's props. Trouble arises when the props are put in the wrong order. "Zeke's Collection Selection": The Treeborhood is holding a collection bonanza, so Zeke tries to create his own collection.
Song: "Same But Different": Zadie and Malik sing about similarities and differences. Written by Randy Rogel.
12
"Helper For the Day""Racecar Wombats"
Jeff Barker
Deanna OliverJessica Tsou
February 22, 2023 (2023-02-22)
113
"Helper For the Day": Zeke helps Mr. E sort things at the Everything Emporium. "Racecar Wombats": The wombats want to participate in the Treeborhood Derby, but struggle to get their homemade box race car out in time for the race.
Song: "The Clean-Up Song": The wombats clean their room. Song by Ron Holsey.
13
"Sparklepants""Game Changer"
Jeff Barker
Glen Berger & Peter FerlandSherri Stoner
February 27, 2023 (2023-02-27)
111
"Sparklepants": While preparing for Ellie's welcome home party, Mr. E accidentally orders 200 pairs of Sparklepants. It's up to JunJun and Zadie to figure out what to do with the pants before Ellie gets home from her vacation. "Game Changer": No one has time 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": The wombats learn to set the table before they eat. Song by Ron Holsey.
14
"Bake It Til You Make It""Zoom In Zadie"
Jeff Barker
Rachel ReubenAtul N. Rao
February 28, 2023 (2023-02-28)
112
"Bake It Til You Make It": Zeke and Louisa sell mud pies in exchange for stickers, but they need to figure out how to bake the perfect pie. "Zoom In Zadie": 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": The wombats go over the steps they need to get ready for the beach. Song by Ron Holsey.
"JunJun's Wake Up Call": Zadie comes up with a plan to make sure sleepy-head, JunJun makes it to Ice Cream for breakfast. "Stack 'em Up": Zeke tackles cleaning Super's closet.
Song: "It's Pancake Day": The wombats choose pancake toppings. Song by Ron Holsey.
"Amazing Adventure": The wombats go on a treasure hunt. "Kayatastic Split": Kaya has to get creative for her Kaya-tastic Banana-tastic Halo-Halo Split cooking class.
Song: "Don't Cry Little Fishes" Ellie babysits the Fishman's children. Song by Pierce Freelon
"The Treeborhood Harvest Day": Harvest Day might be canceled due to fog, so Zadie and Malik help Mr. E find some fog googles. "The Treeborhood Thankfulness Stew": Zeke and Louisa make a stew while the other kids play the game.
Song (repeat from episode 7): "Collaborate" The wombats work together to get a box to the top of the hill. Written by Stacey Greenberger.
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.[26] The series was greenlit in October 2020, under the working title of Wombats![27] Wombats were chosen as the species of the main characters because they are underused in media.[28] Early-career writers were granted fellowships so they could bring diverse viewpoints and BIPOC representation to the series.[29] 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.[30]
Casting
The producers deliberately sought out voice actors that match the ethnicity of the characters to ensure authenticity.[31] 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 five years old.[32]
Animation
The series is animated in 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.[33]
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.[34]
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."[35]
Controversy
The lesbian characters of Leiko and Duffy caused the series to be controversial among anti-LGBT 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.[36]
^"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...
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