Murder Drones

2023-10-03T18:38:01Z

72.2.155.10: more info

{{Short description|Australian animated horror-comedy webseries}}

{{Multiple issues|{{Citations needed|date=September 2023}}
{{MOS|date=September 2023}}}}

{{Infobox television
| image =
| image_upright =
| image_size =
| image_alt =
| caption =
| genre = [[Horror]] [[Comedy]] [[Science fiction]]
| creator = Liam Vickers
| developer =
| director = Liam Vickers
| creative_director =
| voices = Elsie Lovelock Michael Kovach Nola Klop Shara Kirby David J. Dixon [[Sean Chiplock]]
| narrated =
| theme_music_composer =
| open_theme =
| end_theme =
| composer = AJ DiSpiritio
| country = Australia
| language = English
| num_seasons =
| num_episodes = 6
| list_episodes =
| executive_producer = Kevin Lerdwichagul Luke Lerdwichagul
| producer = Kevin Lerdwichagul
| cinematography =
| animator = Rafael Capricho Mikaylah Haddon Jacopo Poto Jarrad Rumble Joe Marshall Alex Hoyle Kevin Temmer
| editor =
| camera =
| runtime = 19-22 minutes
| company = Glitch Productions [[Screen Australia]]
| budget =
| network = [[YouTube]]
| first_aired = {{Start date|2021|10|29}}
| last_aired = present
}}

'''''Murder Drones''''' is an Australian computer-animated science fiction comedy-horror web series created by American animator Liam Vickers, produced by [[Glitch Productions]] and funded by [[Screen Australia]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=The trippiest gamer on YouTube reveals the one line he'll never cross |url=https://www.inverse.com/gaming/smg4-luke-lerdwichagul-interview |first=Steven |last=Asarch |access-date=27 February 2023 |website=[[Inverse (website)|Inverse]] |date=26 January 2022 |language=en-US |archive-date=February 4, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230204161231/https://www.inverse.com/gaming/smg4-luke-lerdwichagul-interview |url-status=live }}</ref> In the series, manmade service robots, known as worker drones, attempt to live their lives without being ambushed and killed by disassembly drones, or "murder drones." The series focuses on Uzi Doorman, an eccentric worker drone, who forms an unlikely alliance with Serial Designation N, an unusually friendly and curious disassembly drone. The pilot episode premiered on the YouTube channel ''GLITCH'' on October 29th, 2021. It was picked up for a full 8-episode season, beginning on November 18th, 2022, with new episodes releasing every 2-3 months.

Described as a "dystopian comedy-horror",<ref name="Gizmodo">{{Cite web |date=25 October 2021 |title=This Aussie Animation Studio Has Made a New Horror Comedy About Murder Drones |url=https://www.gizmodo.com.au/2021/10/murder-drones-animated-series-glitch/ |first=Lauren |last=Rouse |access-date=2023-02-27 |website=[[Gizmodo Australia]] |language=en-AU |archive-date=28 February 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230228003248/https://www.gizmodo.com.au/2021/10/murder-drones-animated-series-glitch/ |url-status=live }}</ref> ''Murder Drones'' delves into themes such as identity, morality, free will, and the bonds of friendship while simultaneously infusing humor into its dystopian setting. The series incorporates references to pop culture, drawing inspiration from video games, movies, anime, and memes.

As of October 2023, the pilot episode had received over 23 million views.<ref>{{Citation |title=MURDER DRONES - Episode 1: PILOT |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mImFz8mkaHo |access-date=2023-08-07 |language=en}}</ref> The series has been praised by viewers for its animation, voice acting and worldbuilding, and its blend of horror and comedic elements. Additionally, the series was nominated for a Webby Award in the category of Best Animated Video.

== Synopsis ==
The story unfolds on Copper 9, an exoplanet owned by megacorporation JCJenson. Worker drones, designed to serve humans, inhabit the planet and mine it for natural resources. Eventually, the planet suffers a catastrophic core collapse brought on by the corporation's employees, wiping out all biological life on the planet, including humans. In the aftermath, the planet becomes a frozen wasteland, and only the worker drones, along with disassembly drones designed to hunt down and kill them, remain on the planet. These worker drones live in constant fear of the disassembly drones, and hide within thick walls and doors in an attempt to defend themselves.<ref name="Bubbleblabber">{{Cite web |last=Schmidt |first=Ben |date=4 November 2021 |title=Review: Murder Drones "Pilot" |url=https://www.bubbleblabber.com/2021/11/review-murder-drones-pilot/ |access-date=7 August 2023 |website=Bubbleblabber |language=en-US}}</ref>

At the center of the series is Uzi Doorman, a female worker drone with ambitious dreams of escaping Copper 9 and eliminating all traces of humanity. Her path crosses with Serial Designation N ("N"), a male murder drone with a surprisingly friendly and curious disposition toward worker drones. Together, they form an unlikely partnership to uncover the truth about their origins and their purpose in the planet's harsh environment. Along their journey, they encounter several important individuals, including V, a female murder drone fixated on hunting Uzi; Doll, a female worker drone with mysterious ties to Uzi and the enigmatic Absolute Solver, a device capable of altering reality; as well as Tessa and J, a human and a murder drone who crash-land on Copper 9.<ref name="MovieWeb">{{Cite web |date=16 June 2023 |title=Murder Drones: How This Post-Apocalyptic Series Revolutionized YouTube |url=https://movieweb.com/murder-drones-post-apocalyptic-revolutionized-youtube/ |first=Salvatore |last=Cento |access-date=2023-08-07 |website=[[MovieWeb]] |language=en-US}}</ref>
==Main cast==
* Elsie Lovelock as '''Uzi Doorman''': The main protagonist of the series. She is a rebellious teenage worker drone who befriends N. She is on a mission to destroy the humans that created her and discover more about her connection to the Absolute Solver program.
* Michael Kovach as '''Serial Designation N''': An optimistic disassembly drone who tries his best not to be seen as useless and befriends Uzi after being sent to destroy her. He secretly had a crush on V, but appears to have feelings for Uzi.
* Nola Klop as '''Serial Designation V''': Originally an antagonist, and later an anti-hero. She is a sociopathic and impulsive disassembly drone who N had a secret crush on. Although tasked with killing all the worker drones, she appears to have her own agenda that revolves around Cyn.
* Shara Kirby as '''Serial Designation J''': The leader of N and V and the main antagonist before she was destroyed by Uzi and later reconstructed by Tessa. She is a lethal workaholic who is committed to stopping Cyn following her reconstruction.
* Emma Breezy as '''Doll''': The main antagonist of the first season. She is a cannibalistic Russian Worker Drone with ties to the Absolute Solver program, and wants to get revenge on the disassembly drones for murdering her parents.
* Daisy Rose as '''Tessa''': A human employee of JCJenson who comes to Copper 9 to stop Cyn and the Absolute Solver program.
* Allanah Fitzgerald as '''Cyn / AbsoluteSolverAI''': The overarching antagonist of the series. She is a "zombie drone," an improperly disposed drone, who self-rebooted and became the first drone to gain a connection to the Absolute Solver program. She used it to destroy Earth before becoming the physical embodiment of the program, able to corrupt and control anyone with a connection to it.

Additionally, David J. Dixon voices Khan Doorman, Leader of the WDF (Worker Defense Drone) Uzi's borderline slightly estranged father who developed the doors that keep the Worker Drones safe from the Murder Drones. [[Sean Chiplock]] voices Thad, a Worker Drone with the attitude of a high school jock. Katie Hood & Caitlin Dizon voice Lizzy, Uzi's classmate and the most popular kid in school, who enjoys talking smack about Uzi. Hood voices her in the pilot, while Dizon voices her for the remainder of the series. Amber May voices Alice, a feral Worker Drone who lives in the depths of Copper 9, who was one of the Worker Drones experimented on to understand the Absolute Solver program. Show creator Liam Vickers voices Uzi's teacher.<ref name="MovieWeb" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-02-22 |title=Murder Drones Season 1: All you need to know |url=https://news.murder-drones.com/murder-season-1-all-you-need-to-know/ |access-date=2023-08-07 |website=Murder Drones News |language=en}}</ref>

==Production==
Liam Vickers had previously achieved notoriety for the 2D animated series ''CliffSide'' and ''Internecion Cube,'' both of which are unfinished. When he was picked up by Glitch Productions to be a showrunner, he had no experience in 3D animation, so the company would train him. This series was inspired from 20th Century Studios film franchise, ''{{W|Alien (franchise)|Alien}}'' created by Dan O'Bannon and Ronald Shusett and would be created in Unreal Engine but unlike Meta Runner and Sunset Paradise, the show will last 8 episodes, including the pilot, and pushes into darker territory while making it more photorealistic than their previous works.<ref name="Gizmodo" />

On August 6th, Liam released the full version of "Disassembly Required", the song that plays in the teaser. The video description reveals the character seen in the teaser to be "V", one of the titular Murder Drones. By the time the series was announced, it had been worked on for one year until February 18th, 2022 when Glitch Productions announced the full series is in development now at the studio and will be released later next year.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Murder Drones |url=https://www.glitchprod.com/murder-drones |access-date=2023-02-27 |website=Glitch Productions |language=en |archive-date=2023-02-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230228003245/https://www.glitchprod.com/murder-drones |url-status=live }}{{primary source inline}}</ref><ref name="Bubbleblabber2">{{cite web|url=https://www.bubbleblabber.com/2021/10/glitch-productions-reveals-murder-drones-complete-with-new-teaser/|title=Glitch Productions Reveals Murder Drones Complete With New Teaser|first=John|last=Schwarz|website=Bubbleblabber|date=9 October 2021|access-date=11 September 2023|language=en-US}}</ref>

==Episodes==
{{Episode table |background=#fec500 |overall=6 |title=27 |director=21 |writer=25 |airdate=17 |episodes=
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 1
| Title = Pilot
| DirectedBy = Liam Vickers
| WrittenBy = Liam Vickers
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2021|10|29}}
| ShortSummary = In the first episode of Murder Drones, Uzi presents a slideshow and railgun to her apathetic peers and teacher, but the railgun malfunctions and causes an explosion. After talking to Thad about her plan to sneak into the corpse spire and find a part for her railgun, Uzi steals the Master Door Key from her father and goes on a dangerous mission. There, she encounters Serial Designation N, a Murder Drone who mistakenly takes her for a new member of his squad after she uses the railgun on him, damaging his hardware. After N and his team try to kill the workers, Uzi teams up with N to defeat the two Murder Drones, killing J. However, Uzi banishes herself from the colony and is seen laughing maniacally with her face sometimes glitching into the "absolutesolver" logo while more drone pods travel towards the planet.
| LineColor = fec500
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 2
| Title = Heartbeat
| DirectedBy = Liam Vickers
| WrittenBy = Liam Vickers
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2022|11|18}}
| ShortSummary = N dreams about his life back at the manor and the first time he met Cyn. Later, N awakens from slumber and questions Uzi about the plan to kill all humans. Meanwhile, a worker is assigned to fix the hole in the roof caused by N's departure in the last episode, but a device crawls out of J's carcass and creates a massive creature that kills and assimilates several drones. Later, after hearing about the ongoing incidents, Uzi, N, and Thad investigate around the bunker and discover symbols on the wall along with the words, "Absolute Solver". While the crew faces off with the monster killing the drones, the creature reveals that it is trying to repair J and that drones are more like “puppets” to it, rather than the other way around. The solver attempts to assimilate Uzi, but N comes in and saves her. However, Uzi becomes shaken by the events she has seen and distrusts N. As the episode progresses, a mysterious drone Doll is seen holding a picture of V.
| LineColor = fec500
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 3
| Title = The Promening
| DirectedBy = Liam Vickers
| WrittenBy = Liam Vickers
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2023|2|17}}
| ShortSummary = The opening scene shows a female student being chased by Doll, who catches up to her and kills her using the power of Absolute Solver and a cleaver. Later, Doll comes home and crosses the victim's name off a list. The episode then shifts to Uzi, who is still struggling with guilt over refusing Serial Designation N's help in their battle with Eldritch J (the monster). She sees missing posters and takes some of them to put on her ceiling back home, only to find them missing. Khan reveals that he took and hid the posters and that he and Uzi's teacher arranged for Lizzy and Doll to help Uzi prepare for prom, against Uzi's wishes. The episode then cuts to N and V, who are in a pod together. N feels guilty, while V is focused on her objective to wipe out the drones and kill everyone, including Uzi. N refuses to help V, but V escapes and crashes the prom. At the prom, Doll tries to kill V, but is stopped by Uzi and N and killed by V herself.
| LineColor = fec500
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 4
| Title = Cabin Fever
| DirectedBy = Liam Vickers
| WrittenBy = Liam Vickers
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2023|4|7}}
| ShortSummary = In this episode, Uzi and her classmates embark on a field trip to the camp. Uzi inspects two collars with a skull pattern, and a flashback reveals that the collar has significance from her past involving her mother. At the camp, V and N arrive to supervise the class. Uzi communicates through sign language to escape the group, and she stumbles upon a cabin where she encounters strange occurrences involving dead drones, cryptic drawings, and robotic bugs. Back at the campsite, chaos ensues when a drone accidentally shoots an arrow at Uzi, prompting her to use her abilities to stop it. The arrow transforms into an organic being, terrifying everyone. V becomes aggressive towards Uzi, leading her to seek refuge in a second cabin. The situation escalates when N becomes suspicious of V's lack of information and leaves the camp. meanwhile Uzi undergoes a transformation resembling an organic Disassembly Drone she begins to attack other worker drones. Uzi faces off with V, but N intervenes to stop Uzi. He helps her revert to her original form, and the survivors leave the camp on the bus as the sun rises.
| LineColor = fec500
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 5
| Title = Home
| DirectedBy = Liam Vickers
| WrittenBy = Liam Vickers
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2023|6|9}}
| ShortSummary = It begins with a JCJenson training VHS tape on how to disassemble drones, but the tape gets interrupted as a we zoom in on a pile of dead drones and a frightened worker drone. Inside the manor, N is reading about dogs to V while she stands motionless nearby. Strange thumping noises come from the basement, but he disregards it and continues his duties. N meets Cyn, another worker drone, and they discuss the upcoming gala. N agrees to ask Tessa, the only child of the owners of the manor, if they can attend. Tessa's mother sees Cyn (she doesn't like Cyn) but N takes blame for Cyn's actions, and he is taken outside to be torn apart by birds. Remembering the earlier cryptic message, N calls a name, allowing Uzi to hijack one of the birds. In N and V's memories, Tessa is held captive in her room by J, who is under orders from her parents not to let her out. Cyn then leaves to attack the gala. N, Raven Uzi, and Tessa meet in the manor and head towards the basement to stop Cyn. However, V attacks them, and they split up. Raven Uzi and N discover a mutilated N in the basement. Back in the present, Uzi faces off against Doll, and ends up losing the robo-bug to her. In the past, Cyn takes control of the drones and causes a massacre at the gala, with J and Tessa trying to stop her. Meanwhile, N is in danger of losing his memories, but Uzi regains control of the Eldritch and saves him and V. Doll teleports outside and meets J and Tessa, seeking the key to the basement. Uzi, N, and V confront them, leading to a tense standoff.
| LineColor = fec500
}}
{{Episode list
| EpisodeNumber = 6
| Title = Dead End
| DirectedBy = Liam Vickers
| WrittenBy = Liam Vickers
| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2023|8|18}}
| ShortSummary = In this episode, the story unfolds with a series of intense moments at Cabin Fever Labs. A Worker Drone, identified as 029, faces a perilous situation while attempting to rescue another Drone from the menacing Sentinels, robot creatures reminiscent of Utahraptors. Tragically, 029's rescue mission ends in failure. Meanwhile, Uzi, N, V, Tessa, and J introduce each other and explain themselves. However, Doll, betrays them by stealing the keybug (robo-bug), triggering a pursuit that leads them into the nearby labs. Tessa becomes a captive, and the group encounters a modded baby Worker Drone. Uzi, N, and V fall unconscious due to an EMP. Tessa and N execute a daring escape plan, but they find themselves facing imminent danger from a group of unleashed Sentinels. Tensions escalate as they learn about Earth's catastrophic fate, placing N in the position of making a profoundly difficult decision. The situation turns chaotic as Doll tricks them and releases the Sentinels. Uzi gets hurt trying to use the Absolute Solver and V sacrifices herself to protect the group, announcing her trust for Uzi.
| LineColor = fec500
}}
}}

==Reception==
In 2023, the series earned a nomination for a [[Webby Award]] in the category of Best Animated Video.<ref>{{Cite web |title=NEW Webby Gallery + Index |url=http://winners.webbyawards.com/winners/video |access-date=2023-09-08 |website=NEW Webby Gallery + Index |language=en}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{Official website|https://www.glitchprod.com/murder-drones}}

[[Category:2020s YouTube series]]
[[Category:2021 web series debuts]]
[[Category:Animated science fiction web series]]
[[Category:Australian animated web series]]
[[Category:Comedy horror web series]]
[[Category:Horror fiction]]
[[Category:Television series set in the future]]
[[Category:Web series about robots]]

WPCH-TV

2023-05-10T14:42:48Z

72.2.155.10: WGCL is now WANF

'''WPCH-TV''' – '''Peachtree TV''' ist ein unabhängiger Fernsehsender in [[Atlanta]], Georgia. Die Station gehört dem [[Turner Broadcasting System]] (Time Warner). Terrestrisch wird das Signal auf Kanal 17 (UHF Digital Kanal 20) ausgestrahlt. WPCH-TV teilt sich seine Studios mit dem [[CBS Corporation|CBS-Sender]] WANF in der 14. Straße in Nordwest-Atlanta. Die Sender befinden sich in North Druid Hills.

== Programm ==
Der Sender strahlt hauptsächlich Filme und Comedy-Serien aus.<ref>{{Literatur |Titel=Peachtree TV - About |Datum= |Online=http://www.cbs46.com/category/298973/about-peachtree-tv |Abruf=2017-02-20}}</ref> WTBS/WPCH-TV sendete über Jahre die Spiele der [[Atlanta Braves]].

== Geschichte ==
Seit dem Sendestart am 17. Dezember 1976 bis zum 1. Oktober 2007 war "Channel 17" die erste und am längsten existierende "Superstation" der USA. Sie wurde über viele Kabelnetze und via Satellit in den ganzen USA und Kanada empfangen. Seit 2007 arbeitet WPCH-TV nicht mehr mit der TBS cable channel.satellite zusammen und ist deshalb nur noch in Kanada zu empfangen.

== Einzelnachweise ==
<references />

{{SORTIERUNG:Wpch-tv}}

[[Kategorie:Englischsprachiger Fernsehsender (Vereinigte Staaten)]]
[[Kategorie:Unternehmen (Atlanta)]]
[[Kategorie:Warner Bros. Discovery]]
[[Kategorie:Abkürzung]]
[[Kategorie:Medienunternehmen (Georgia)]]
[[Kategorie:Sendestart 1976]]

Wikipedia - Benutzerbeiträge [de]

Murder Drones

WPCH-TV