Empire Square (abbreviated Empire Sq.) is a British animated TV series created by Matt Morgan made with pixel graphics. It originated in the UK, where it was broadcast on Channel 4 late at night on Fridays. From 18 April to 23 May 2006, the United States music network Fuse aired full length half-hour episodes as opposed to the 2-4 minute ones in the UK.[3][4] Those half-hour episodes were later broadcast on Channel 4 from 27 October 2007[5] to 1 December 2007.[6]
| Empire Square | |
|---|---|
 From left to right: Hooks, Ritchie, and Rabbit | |
| Created by | Matt Morgan |
| Written by | Matt Morgan |
| Directed by | Ant Cauchi Dave Rowntree Lloyd Salmons |
| Starring | Daisy Haggard Alex Parry Matthew Wilkinson |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| No. of episodes | 12 (Channel 4) 6 (Fuse) |
| Production | |
| Running time | 2-4 minutes (Channel 4) 30 minutes (Fuse) |
| Production company | Coolie |
| Original release | |
| Network | Channel 4 (UK) Fuse (US) |
| Release | February 19, 2005[1] – May 23, 2006[2] |
The series as a whole was considered to be lost media until 2022, when all of the 2-4 minute episodes (which were broadcast on Channel 4 and available on a DVD) were uploaded to YouTube.[7] However, as of 2024, all but one of the full length half-hour episodes that were broadcast by Fuse still remain lost, with only one episode (Sleep Study) having been found.
Plot
editEmpire Square is about three foul-mouthed kids named Ritchie, Rabbit and Hooks. They are usually after "get-rich" schemes and get into a lot of trouble with crack whores, pedophiles, and many other crazy characters. In various episodes, they start bands. Empire Square is an apartment building in London where, they all live in the same room. Episode plots in the US vary from Richie and Rabbit's quest for pornography and computer systems to internet dating sites gone horribly wrong. Celebrity parodies also abound, such as Richie's trip to rehab (Courtney Love most notably), "the sweat shop", and Clay Aiken.
Characters
edit- Ritchie is the main focus of the show. He has purple hair and dwarfism. On various occasions, it is thought that he can sing well. He has a temper and is very foul.
- Hooks is a streetwise girl always looking for a career. She has the most common sense of the three and would have a real life if it weren't for the other two.
- Rabbit is computer literate and wears a rabbit head. His morals are questionable and are still being developed with Hooks' help. He usually goes along with Ritchie's plans.
References
edit- ^ "4 Music Empire Square · British Universities Film & Video Council".
- ^ "Empire Square (US) Season 1 Air Dates & Countdown". 18 April 2006.
- ^ "Empire Square Review | The Digital Fix". www.thedigitalfix.com.
- ^ Billboard Staff (10 April 2006). "Blur Drummer Has Designs On 'Empire Square'". Billboard.
- ^ "4 Music Empire Square · British Universities Film & Video Council".
- ^ "4 Music Empire Square · British Universities Film & Video Council".
- ^ "Empire Square (found animated series; 2004-2006) - The Lost Media Wiki".