PBS KIDS Slates Work It Out Wombats! Premiere

Work It Out Wombats!, a new animated series from GBH Kids and Pipeline Studios, is set to debut on PBS KIDS on February 6, 2023.

For kids ages 3 to 6, the show centers on Malik, Zadie and Zeke, a playful trio of marsupial siblings. It introduces computational thinking concepts that will help children solve meaningful problems and learn flexible thinking and how to express themselves.

The siblings’ aspirations sometimes exceed their abilities, but every time they encounter a problem, they stop, take a breath, put their heads together and come up with a workable solution. Each episode includes two 11-minute stories accompanied by a 90-second music video.

Work It Out Wombats! games will launch in tandem with the series on the PBS KIDS website and app. Parent and caregiver resources to extend the learning will be available via PBS KIDS for Parents, and classroom-ready materials for educators will be on PBS LearningMedia.

The series is part of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and PBS Ready to Learn Initiative, with funding from the U.S. Department of Education. The initiative is a federal program that supports the development of innovative educational television and digital media targeted at preschool and early elementary school children and their families.

Executive producers are Marcy Gunther and Marisa Wolsky for GBH Kids and Luis Lopez and Juan Lopez for Pipeline Studios.

“The Wombats are all about exploring the world around them, and much like preschoolers, their curiosity and love of adventure know no bounds,” said Sara DeWitt, senior VP and general manager at PBS KIDS. “Computational thinking is a way of approaching problems in strategic ways, helping young children respond and adapt to the world around them. We’re excited for viewers to explore these foundational skills and mindsets while having fun with their new marsupial friends.”

“Malik, Zadie and Zeke are passionate about their goals, but they don’t always know the best way to go about meeting them,” Gunther and Wolsky said. “But in every story, we see the Wombats using computational thinking, a powerful toolkit, to work it out.”

“Work It Out Wombats! strikes a perfect balance of telling stories for preschoolers that are educational, fun and engaging,” added Luis Lopez. “Bringing an exciting world filled with diverse characters to life has been incredibly empowering for our artists and technical talent.”

“Work It Out Wombats! introduces problem-solving, critical thinking and collaboration to young learners in a fun and age-appropriate way, helping children get excited about learning and laying important groundwork for success in school and life,” said Debra Tica Sanchez, senior VP of educational media and learning experiences at the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.