Murder Drones
| Company type | Independent studio production |
|---|---|
| Industry | Animation, Web series |
| Founded | October 29, 2021 |
| Founder | Liam Vickers |
| Headquarters | Australia |
Key people | Liam Vickers (creator, writer, director) |
| Products | Animated web series |
| Parent | Glitch Productions |
Murder Drones is an Australian independent animated web series for adults, created, scripted, and directed by Liam Vickers, with production handled by Glitch Productions. The narrative revolves around two groups of autonomous robots—worker drones and disassembly drones—set after humanity's extinction, highlighting the story of a defiant worker drone who forms a bond with a disassembly drone.
The pilot episode was initially released on Glitch’s YouTube channel on October 29, 2021. The subsequent seven episodes were made available between November 18, 2022, and August 23, 2024. The series later premiered on Amazon Prime Video on May 16, 2025. While the animation quality and storyline received widespread acclaim, some critiques targeted its pacing and comedic elements. The show garnered three nominations at the Webby Awards in the Best Animated Video category, securing two wins.
Synopsis
Set in the year 3071 on Copper 9, an Earth analog planet owned by the megacorporation JC Jenson—a satirical reference to SC Johnson—the plot follows Worker Drones, autonomous robots responsible for resource extraction. After a devastating core collapse eradicates all organic life, Worker Drones remain as the sole inhabitants of the now-frozen world. They live in constant dread of the Disassembly Drones—aggressive "Murder Drones" dispatched to eliminate them—compelling the Worker Drones to seek refuge behind fortified blast doors.
The central character, Uzi Doorman, is a rebellious teenage Worker Drone intent on overcoming the Murder Drones to protect her species. She unexpectedly allies with two Disassembly Drones: N, a congenial drone intrigued by Worker Drones, and V, a cruel drone harboring a mysterious history connected to N. Together, they delve into their origins and roles within Copper 9’s unforgiving environment.
Cast
- Uzi Doorman (Elsie Lovelock), a defiant teenage Worker Drone challenged by possession from the reality-altering Absolute Solver.[1]
- Serial Designation "N" (Michael Kovach), an amicable Disassembly Drone who provides emotional support to Uzi.[1]
- Serial Designation "V" (Nola Klop), a ruthless Disassembly Drone and teammate of N who secretly shows protective instincts toward him.[1]
- Serial Designation "J" (Shara Kirby), commanding officer of N and V's Disassembly Drone unit.[1]
- Khan Doorman (David J. Dixon), Uzi’s father; engineer of the colony’s hydraulic doors and leader of its defense forces.
- Thad (Sean Chiplock), Uzi’s encouraging school friend.
- Lizzy (Katie Hood in episode 1; Caitlin Dizon subsequently), a popular classmate who bullies Uzi and forms an alliance with V.
- Doll (Emma Breezy), a Russian-speaking peer seeking vengeance against V; possesses superior control over the Absolute Solver compared to Uzi.[1]
- Cyn (Allanah Fitzgerald), a Worker Drone serving as system administrator for the Disassembly Drones and host to the malevolent Absolute Solver program.[1]
- Tessa Elliot (Steph Crothers), a human girl who rescues N, V, J, and Cyn prior to their transformation into Disassembly Drones. An adult version of Tessa appears as a JC Jenson technician but was actually killed as a child by Cyn impersonating her.[1]
- Nori Doorman (Darcy Maguire), Uzi’s mother and former host of the Absolute Solver; presumed dead after an attack by a Disassembly Drone but survived by transferring her consciousness into a mutated core.
Episodes
Each installment is both scripted and directed by Liam Vickers.
Production
Liam Vickers, who previously worked on the unfinished 2D animated projects CliffSide and Internecion Cube, originally proposed Murder Drones to Glitch Productions through initial concept visuals and storyline drafts. He subsequently took on the roles of writer and director for the series.
The animation for Murder Drones is created using Autodesk Maya alongside Unreal Engine. The series, including its pilot episode, consists of eight parts and features a darker atmosphere with a more photorealistic aesthetic compared to earlier Glitch productions. Together with Meta Runner, it represents a departure from the Machinima style traditionally associated with Glitch, whose co-founder Luke Lerdwichagul is recognized for his Super Mario parody videos on the SMG4 channel.
On August 6, 2021, Liam released "Disassembly Required," the track used in the teaser, which introduced the character known as "V," one of the titular Murder Drones. At the time of the series' announcement, it had been in development for approximately one year. Glitch Productions confirmed on February 18, 2022, that full-series production was underway with a target release in 2022. The concluding episode debuted on August 23, 2024.
All eight episodes were later made available on Amazon Prime Video starting May 16, 2025, broadening the series’ reach to a prominent streaming service.
Critical reception
Before the pilot aired, Lauren Rouse from Gizmodo Australia complimented the show's character design and visual presentation. Conversely, writer GiovanH found the series challenging to follow for newcomers due to its rapid pacing, overabundance of humor, and ambiguous visual cues. He attributed these difficulties to Glitch Productions’ indie nature and budget constraints that necessitated condensing the narrative into just eight episodes. Nevertheless, he praised elements such as the storyline, CGI quality, voice performances, and soundtrack. He also noted the show’s deliberate adoption of an edgy mid-2000s teen aesthetic as well as its nods to fan culture.
Awards and nominations
The series received nominations for the Webby Award in the Best Animated Video category during both 2023 and 2024, securing a win in 2024. Additionally, it earned victory in the Scripted (Series & Channels) category in 2025. Voice actress Elsie Lovelock was honored with the 2023 One Voice Awards UK for Animation - Best Character Performance - Female for her portrayal of Uzi.
| Year | Award | Category | Recipient | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Webby Award | Animation (Series & Channels) Video | Murder Drones | Nominated |
| 2023 | One Voice Awards UK | Animation - Best Character Performance - Female | Elsie Lovelock – Uzi - Murder Drones | Won |
| 2024 | Webby Award | Animation (Series & Channels) Video | Murder Drones (Episode 6 – "Dead End") | Won |
| 2025 | Webby Award | Scripted (Series & Channels) | Murder Drones (Episodes 7 & 8 – "Mass Destruction" & "Absolute End") | Won |
See also
Primary sources
Within the article, these citations are indicated by a double dagger symbol (‡):
External links
- Animated TV series featuring robots
- Glitch Productions
- YouTube series from the 2020s
- Web series premieres in 2021
- Web series conclusions in 2024
- Australian TV series debuts in 2021
- Australian TV series finales in 2024
- Animated sci-fi web series
- American animated web content
- Australian animated web content
- Australian English-language programming
- Comedy horror web content
- Dystopian narratives
- Fiction exploring father–daughter dynamics
- Independent animation projects
- Post-apocalyptic animated shows
- TV series centered on artificial intelligence
- Television set in the 31st century
- Series located on fictional worlds
- Futuristic television series
- Robot-themed web series
- Fictional worlds settings
- Webby Award recipients