Emu is a puppet

emu The emu () (''Dromaius novaehollandiae'') is the second-tallest living bird after its ratite relative the ostrich. It is endemic to Australia where it is the largest native bird and the only extant member of the genus '' Dromaius''. The emu ...

which was given to British entertainer

Rod Hull Rod, Ror, Ród, Rőd, Rød, Röd, ROD, or R.O.D. may refer to: Devices * Birch rod, made out of twigs from birch or other trees for corporal punishment * Ceremonial rod, used to indicate a position of authority * Connecting rod, main, coupling ...

in the 1960s while he was presenting a children's breakfast

television Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of television transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertisin ...

programme in Australia. Hull adopted the mute puppet for his

cabaret Cabaret is a form of theatrical entertainment featuring music, song, dance, recitation, or drama. The performance venue might be a pub, a casino, a hotel, a restaurant, or a nightclub with a stage for performances. The audience, often dining o ...

act, and took it with him to the United Kingdom when he returned in 1970. The character was given a mischievous and sometimes aggressive onstage persona, attacking celebrity guests (and Hull himself) for comic effect. Hull and Emu also appeared on several episodes of The

Hudson Brothers The Hudson Brothers were an American musical group formed in Portland, Oregon, consisting of brothers Bill Hudson, Brett Hudson and Mark Hudson. They were discovered by a record producer while recording music at a local studio, and offered a rec ...

' comedy show in the United States.

Emu's new series

The first episode of Emu's new series, simply called ''Emu'', was broadcast on 8 October 2007. The first series was filmed in

Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdom ...

with shots at Queens Street Flats. The main characters are Emu and his owner, Toby (Toby Hull), a computer games designer. Toby has to keep Emu a secret from Ken Cole, a grumpy security guard. Toby's neighbours, children Charlie and Dani, help him to keep Emu a secret. Toby's other neighbour, Sophie, is the villainess of the show: an air hostess who becomes obsessed with making money off of Emu, but her plans always backfire on her. At the end of the first series, Emu and Toby moved back to Australia. In June 2009, it was announced that a second series of the show with 26 episodes would be produced by the Gibson Group, a

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

film and broadcast company. Most of the cast were New Zealand actors. The plot in the second series revolves around Toby's job in a kids' cafe. He meets Kelly ( Bryony Skillington), the cafe manager, who is allergic to birds (especially Emu), although she still adores Emu. Cafe kids Sam and Georgia live upstairs above the cafe. They are good friends with Emu. They all must watch out for Leo Leach ( Toby Leach), the town inspector who is strict with pest control; he will close the cafe down if an animal is found. The first episode of the second series was broadcast on 13 September 2009 on ITV1 at 9.45am. The second series puppeteer was Nick Blake and the director was

Danny Mulheron Danny Mulheron is a New Zealand actor, writer, and director who has worked in theatre, television and film. Mulheron graduated from Toi Whakaari: New Zealand Drama School in 1983 with a Diploma in Acting. In 2012, he directed '' Fresh Meat'', ...

the same director of Paradise Café made by the same company. The second episode was also broadcast on the same day. It was shown on CITV with repeats until April 2014. List of episodes Series 1 2007-2008 Series 2 2009

UK television career 1975-1989

During the 1970s, Hull and Emu achieved national fame in the UK with their BBC series ''Emu's Broadcasting Company''. The duo moved to ITV in the 1980s, where a succession of shows were produced concerning their ongoing war with Grotbags, a witch played by Carol Lee Scott.

References

{{Authority control Fictional characters introduced in 1960 Fictional flightless birds British comedy puppets Fictional mute characters Television sidekicks