Waffles + Mochi Explained

Director:Jeremy Konner
Num Seasons:1
Num Episodes:10 + 1 special
Network:Netflix
Country:United States
Language:English

Waffles + Mochi (pronounced Waffles and Mochi) is an American children's cooking puppet television series. Produced by Higher Ground Productions with Michelle Obama as executive producer,[1] it was released on Netflix on March 16, 2021.

Three companion books were also released in 2021: Follow That Food! by Christy Webster and Sarah Rebar,[2] Pickle Party by Frank Berrio and Sarah Rebar,[3] and Waffles + Mochi: Get Cooking! by Yewande Komolafe.[4] [5]

On November 23, 2021, Netflix released a special holiday episode titled "Waffles + Mochi's Holiday Feast".[6] On October 17, 2022, Netflix released a spinoff series titled Waffles + Mochi's Restaurant.[7]

Premise

Waffles (whose dad is a frozen waffle and mother is a yeti) and Mochi (a mochi ball)[8] are two friends that wish they could become chefs but live in the land of frozen food where everything is made of ice. They're hired as employees of a grocery store owned by Michelle Obama. Through the series they encounter tasks they need to accomplish and travel around the world on Magicart where they meet chefs, other food experts, and learn to eat and make different kinds of foods in each episode.

Cast

Episodes

Waffles + Mochi's Restaurant (2022)

Production and release

Waffles + Mochi was produced by Higher Ground Productions, the production company founded by former President and First Lady of the United States Barack Obama and Michelle Obama.[11] [12] It is one of the first programs to be made by the company for Netflix.[13] Executive produced by Erika Thormahlen, Jeremy Konner, Tonia Davis, Priya Swaminathan, Alex Braverman, and the Obamas,[14] it was announced on February 9, 2021,[15] and its trailer was released on February 11.[16] All episodes were made available to stream on Netflix on March 16, 2021.[17]

Puppets

The puppets were created by Viva La Puppet and had the unusual feature of being able to eat food on camera for multiple takes. Waffles had a "hidden pocket" that's cleanable along with a specifically designed glove to let Waffles eat hot food safely, according to Waffle's puppeteer Michelle Zamora. To improve Zamora's real-time reactions to Waffles eating food, they rigged the sets so Zamora could eat at the same time as Waffles and she said she was "getting spoon-fed tortellini from Massimo Bottura — world-renowned chefs!" They had "three or four puppets" on set for the eating scenes in case the puppets got too messy and were unable to be cleaned.[18] The original plans for the puppets had them "as detailed as possible with animatronics" but decided to keep them simpler and Sesame Street-like with "puppetry rods clearly visible".

Critical reception

On the review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, Waffles + Mochi holds an approval rating of 95% with an average rating 8.40/10, based on 21 reviews. The website's critics consensus reads, "A deliciously silly serving of edutainment, Waffles + Mochi is a delightful treat."[19] On Metacritic, it has a score of 82 out of 100 based on 12 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[20]

The Guardian critic Adrian Horton, giving the series a rating of 4 out of 5 stars, wrote that it is "hard to fault" and that it "strikes the difficult balance between didacticism, age-appropriate messaging and zany fun".[21] The Los Angeles Times' Robert Lloyd described the series as "a well-balanced mix of familiar ingredients: a fanciful set, documentary visits to far-flung places, real kids being real, comical or calming adults, and puppets",[22] while Sonia Saraiya of Vanity Fair wrote that Waffles + Mochi "feels wholesomely entertaining" as a show.[23] Time's Judy Berman penned that the series is the "Sesame Street of food TV", describing it as "engaging, illuminating, curious and effortlessly inclusive".[24]

On November 1, 2022, the series was nominated for five Children's and Family Emmy Awards including Outstanding Preschool Series at the 1st Children's and Family Emmy Awards.[25]

Notes and References

  1. News: Benveniste . Alexis . Michelle Obama is launching a cooking show on Netflix . 22 August 2021 . CNN . February 9, 2021.
  2. Book: Webster, Christy. Follow that food!. 2021. Sarah Rebar, Michelle Obama, Erika Thormahlen, Jeremy Konner. 978-0-593-42552-7. New York. 1240729552.
  3. Book: Berrios, Frank. Pickle party!. 2021. Sarah Rebar, Erika Thormahlen, Jeremy Konner. 978-0-593-38244-8. New York. 1237807357.
  4. Book: Komolafe, Yewande. Waffles + Mochi: Get Cooking!. 2021. CLARKSON POTTER. 978-0-593-23409-9. [S.l.]. 1236092028.
  5. Web site: Raugust. Karen. February 18, 2021. Random House Cooks Up Tie-Ins for Michelle Obama-Backed 'Waffles'. 2021-08-21. PublishersWeekly.com. en.
  6. Web site: Exclusive Look At 'Waffles + Mochi' Holiday Special . Kenney . Jamie . Romper . 15 November 2021 . 3 December 2021 .
  7. Web site: Netflix Shares 'Waffles + Mochi's Restaurant' Trailer . Debbie Diamond Sarto . Animation World Network . 6 October 2022 . 14 October 2022 .
  8. Web site: How Do You Feed a Puppet? Behind the Tasty Edutainment of Waffles + Mochi. Clint. Worthington. March 17, 2021. Vulture. September 25, 2021.
  9. News: Meet Michelle Obama's Gay BFF from Her New Kids' Show. The Daily Beast. March 23, 2021. Fallon. Kevin.
  10. News: Kira Hagi, despre proiectul cu Netflix și Michelle Obama: "Am fost acolo la prima oră". Mia. Lungu. Antena 3. 25 May 2021. ro.
  11. Web site: Waffles + Mochi: Michelle Obama's Netflix kids show is adorable and inspirational. 2021-03-16. BT TV.
  12. Web site: Hadero. Haleluya. March 16, 2021. Michelle Obama aims to give a million meals in new campaign. March 16, 2021. Associated Press.
  13. Web site: 2021-03-16. 'Waffles + Mochi' proves that Michelle Obama is a kids' TV natural. 2021-03-16. Los Angeles Times. Lloyd. Robert.
  14. Web site: D'Addario. Daniel. March 14, 2021. 'Waffles + Mochi' Brings Michelle Obama to Kids' TV: Review. March 16, 2021. Variety.
  15. Web site: How to watch Waffles + Mochi in the UK: Guide to Michelle Obama's new educational Netflix series. 2021-03-16. Radio Times.
  16. Web site: Martin. Annie. 11 February 2021. Michelle Obama introduces 'Waffles + Mochi' in trailer for cooking show. 16 March 2021. United Press International.
  17. Web site: Michallon. Clémence. March 16, 2021. Everything you need to know about Michelle Obama's new cooking show, Waffles + Mochi. March 16, 2021. The Independent.
  18. Web site: How the 'Waffles + Mochi' Puppets Were Built to Eat. Danielle. Turchiano. March 16, 2021. September 25, 2021.
  19. Web site: Waffles + Mochi: Season 1. January 3, 2024. Rotten Tomatoes.
  20. Web site: Waffles + Mochi: Season 1. July 20, 2022. Metacritic.
  21. Web site: Horton. Adrian. March 16, 2021. Waffles + Mochi review – Michelle Obama's charming puppet series. March 16, 2021. The Guardian.
  22. Web site: Lloyd. Robert. March 16, 2021. 'Waffles + Mochi' proves that Michelle Obama is a kids' TV natural. March 19, 2021. Los Angeles Times.
  23. Web site: Saraiya. Sonia. March 15, 2021. Review: The Obamas' 'Waffles + Mochi,' Starring Michelle, Enters the Culture Wars. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20210315145451/https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2021/03/waffles-and-mochi-michelle-obama-netflix. March 15, 2021. March 19, 2021. Vanity Fair.
  24. Berman. Judy. March 16, 2021. 'Waffles + Mochi' Is the 'Sesame Street' of Food TV. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20210319155403/https://time.com/5947005/waffles-mochi-review-netflix/. March 19, 2021. March 19, 2021. Time.
  25. Web site: Hailu . Selome . December 10, 2022 . 2022 Children's & Family Creative Arts Emmy Winners (Full List, Night 1) . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20221215082016/https://variety.com/2022/tv/news/childrens-and-family-emmys-2022-winners-list-creative-arts-1235453412/ . December 15, 2022 . January 26, 2022 . Variety.

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