Lab Rats
- TV sitcom
- BBC Two
- 2008
- 6 episodes (1 series)
Sitcom set in a university research laboratory. Stars Chris Addison, Geoffrey McGivern, Jo Enright, Dan Tetsell, Selina Cadell and more.
Episode menu
Series 1, Episode 3 - A Protest
In the meantime, Joan Armatrading is taking part in an anti-Arnolfini Live Aid-style event in the college grounds. Can Alex manage to stop accidentally offending the hordes before they storm the place?
Broadcast details
- Date
- Thursday 24th July 2008
- Time
- 9:30pm
- Channel
- BBC Two
- Length
- 30 minutes
Cast & crew
| Chris Addison | Dr Alex Beenyman |
| Geoffrey McGivern (as Geoff McGivern) | Professor John Mycroft |
| Jo Enright | Cara McIlvenny |
| Dan Tetsell | Brian Lalumaca |
| Selina Cadell | Dean Mieke Miedema |
| Helen Moon | Minty Clapper |
| Margaret Cabourn-Smith | Secretary |
| Andrew Brooke | Protestor |
| Sue Vincent | Protestor |
| Chris Addison | Writer |
| Carl Cooper | Writer |
| Adam Tandy | Director |
| Simon Nicholls | Producer |
| Armando Iannucci | Executive Producer |
| Ali Bryer Carron | Executive Producer |
| Anthony Boys (as Ant 'Pants' Boys) | Editor |
| Dennis De Groot | Production Designer |
| John Gresswell | Composer |
| Christopher Taylor | Composer |
Videos
The New Security System
The group discuss ideas for the new security system.
Brian's Plans for the Protestors
Brian explains about how he would deal with the protestors.
Featuring: Chris Addison (Dr Alex Beenyman) & Dan Tetsell (Brian Lalumaca).
Press
Dispensing with character and plot must be tempting for writers trying to create a zany sitcom. Anything can happen when you're not tied to a story, and if your protagonists aren't believable people, you can make them say anything that comes to mind.
Lab Rats hops gaily from one idea to the next and a lot of the broad visual jokes are funny. Co-writer Chris Addison does well in the Father Ted role of the only person who isn't eccentric to the point of mental illness (It's like being in a room full of my Gran!
)
But the free-form silliness stops comic momentum building. If a gag fails, the audience have nothing else to hang onto - the loosely defined supporting characters can't even be relied on to do their funny thing, because you're not sure what that thing is.
Comedy like this is almost impossible to get right. Lab Rats valiantly fails.
Jack Seale, Radio Times, 24th July 2008