Bill & Fitzgerald

Bill & Fitzgerald is a long-running animated cartoon series produced by Empyre Media, the largest television and streaming studio in the Empire of Australia. The series centers on Bill, a quick-talking, self-deluding duck, and Fitzgerald, a cynical, loafing tabby cat. Together, they operate the Red Feather Bar, a seedy, dimly-lit establishment in the lower quarters of New Parramatta, and are minor figures in the city’s lopsided underworld. The show is celebrated for its satirical wit, bold storylines, and voice talent.

Pilot Episode: “A Seat at the Table”

The pilot introduces Bill (voiced by Jasper Venn), a duck who wears a perpetually soiled bow-tie, and Fitzgerald (voiced by Madeline Chao), a slouching cat with a penchant for philosophy and indifference. The episode opens with the duo chasing a rumor of a meeting of the “Grand Syndicate”—the true powerbrokers of New Parramatta’s underbelly. Craving respect, Bill is desperate to score them an invitation. Together, they try to impress Big Martha, the enigmatic and heavily-armored head of the local council of fixers, by foiling a minor candy racket run out of their own bar’s bathroom by the ambitious platypus twins, Rick and Nick. Fitz mostly naps as Bill’s plan inevitably spins out of control, resulting in the bar being temporarily shut down by a city health inspector who is, unfortunately, also Big Martha’s niece. Bill and Fitzgerald, far from impressing the Syndicate, end up with a bill for repairs and a temporary prohibition on serving drinks containing actual fruit pulp. The pilot concludes with the pair, sitting on the curb outside the closed Red Feather, plotting their next step—hopeful as ever, in their delightfully deluded way.

Season One Overview

“The Pigeon Job”: Bill and Fitz try to assert dominance over a local gang of courier pigeons, only to end up unwittingly running afoul of the Postal Authority.
“Cold Duck Soup”: Fitzgerald attempts to impress a visiting crime boss by cooking an elaborate soup, but chaos ensues when Bill invites the rival Soup Sippers Club.
“The Egg Caper”: An egg goes missing from the bar’s fridge, and Bill launches a noir-style investigation that turns everyone against each other.
“Martha’s Mixer”: To get back in favor, Bill and Fitz host a mixer for low-level crooks, but the event is crashed by Inspector Leech, looking for illegal eel export licenses.
“Cat’s Out of the Bag”: Fitzgerald’s secret past as a jazz pianist is exposed when an old flame, Silver Sally, comes to town seeking help with her own criminal entanglements.
“Bar None”: Local authorities ban bars from serving drinks on Wednesdays, forcing Bill and Fitz to turn the Red Feather into a pop-up bakery for a day—with disastrous results.
“Duck, Duck, Goose Chase”: Bill becomes infatuated with Lady Gans, a flamboyant goose with mysterious motives, leading the duo to stumble into a turf war between rival waterfowl factions.
“Tipsy Tides”: When a shipment of illegal kelp-based spirits is delivered by mistake, the Red Feather becomes the hottest place in town—attracting the wrong kind of interest from the Seaweed Syndicate.
“Curtain Call”: The season finale sees Big Martha close in; Bill and Fitzgerald stage an elaborate (and ill-planned) theatrical production to distract her, accidentally sparking a new trend in immersive underworld dinner theater.

Main Characters

Bill: Voiced by Jasper Venn. A duck motivated by delusions of grandeur and a yearning for respect. Plans tend to go awry due to his impulsivity.
Fitzgerald: Voiced by Madeline Chao. A lazier, jaded feline with a deadpan wit and a mysterious history in jazz.

Production

Empyre Media began production of Bill & Fitzgerald in 2012, with public debut in 2013. The series is created and showrun by Cherise Melmott, noted for her subversive animated comedies. Since Empyre’s 2015 partial divestment on the Cascadia Exchange, the series has seen broader international release.

Cultural Impact

The show’s blend of noir, absurdist crime, and social parody has garnered praise from critics and audiences alike, admired for its inventive worldbuilding and vivid supporting cast drawn from the peculiar fauna and institutions of the Empire of Australia.