Lab Rats (U.S. TV series)

Lab Rats
Genre Comedy
Created by Chris Peterson & Bryan Moore
Starring
Theme music composer
Composer(s) Bert Selen
Country of origin United States
Original language(s) English
No. of seasons 4
No. of episodes 89 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s)
Producer(s) Greg A. Hampson
Cinematography
  • Rick F. Gunter
  • Thomas Eckelberry
Camera setup Multi-camera
Running time 20–22 minutes
Production company(s) It's a Laugh Productions
Release
Original network Disney XD
Picture format 720p (HDTV)
Audio format 5.1 surround sound
Original release February 27, 2012 (2012-02-27) – February 3, 2016 (2016-02-03)
Chronology
Related shows Lab Rats: Elite Force (2016)
External links
Website

Lab Rats, also known as Lab Rats: Bionic Island for the fourth season, is an American comedy television series created by Chris Peterson and Bryan Moore that aired on Disney XD from February 27, 2012 to February 3, 2016. The series stars Billy Unger, Spencer Boldman, Kelli Berglund, Tyrel Jackson Williams, and Hal Sparks.

Plot

A young teenager named Leo Dooley lives a normal life until the day his mother Tasha gets married to billionaire inventor Donald Davenport, with whom they move in. While trying to find his bedroom, Leo accidentally discovers teenage siblings with bionic superpowers living in his new basement. The series follows the bionic teens as they unravel in adventurous situations in an attempt to live life like a normal family in the fictional town of Mission Creek, California.

As the series progresses, the series gets darker with the introduction of Douglas, Davenport's younger brother, who later joins the team, Marcus, Douglas' android son, Krane, Taylor, formerly known as S-1, who joins the team during the fourth season, Sebastian, formerly known as S-3, Krane's bionic soldiers, Giselle, who is planning on rebuilding Marcus, and Troy West, Giselle's android creation. At the end of the third season, Davenport opens up a bionic academy on a bionic island to train Krane's bionic soldiers to be the world's new bionic heroes.

Episodes

SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
119February 27, 2012 (2012-02-27)November 5, 2012 (2012-11-05)
225February 25, 2013 (2013-02-25)January 13, 2014 (2014-01-13)
323February 17, 2014 (2014-02-17)February 5, 2015 (2015-02-05)
422March 18, 2015 (2015-03-18)February 3, 2016 (2016-02-03)

Cast

Main

Recurring

Production

On July 13, 2011, Disney XD ordered Lab Rats, with production to begin in September 2011 in Hollywood for a 2012 premiere. The series was created by Chris Peterson and Bryan Moore, who serve as executive producers alongside Mark Brazill. Starring in the series are Tyrel Jackson Williams as Leo, Billy Unger as Chase, Spencer Boldman as Adam, Kelli Berglund as Bree, and Hal Sparks as Davenport.[1] The series was originally shot in the summer of 2010 under the title of Billion Dollar Freshman.[2][3]

On May 18, 2012, Disney XD renewed the series for a second season.[4] On July 26, 2013, Disney XD renewed the series for a third season.[5] On May 9, 2014, Disney XD renewed the series for a fourth season.[6] On June 25, 2015, Kelli Berglund stated in an interview that the fourth season would be the final season.[7]

Broadcast

The series originally premiered on Disney XD on February 27, 2012,[8] and on Disney Channel on March 2, 2012.[9] In Canada, it first aired on Disney XD on February 24, 2012. It later stopped airing on Disney XD in Canada and moved to Disney Channel due to DHX Media losing Disney rights. In the United Kingdom and Ireland, it first aired as a preview on March 29, 2012, and officially premiered on April 19, 2012. In South Africa, it premiered on Disney XD on June 10, 2012. In Australia and New Zeland, it first aired on Disney Channel on December 31, 2012, and officially premiered on January 10, 2013. In Malaysia, it premiered on Disney XD on March 11, 2013. In the rest of Southeast Asia, it premiered on Disney Channel (Southeast Asia) on August 5, 2012, on Disney XD on March 16, 2013, and on CITV on September 4, 2015.

Reception

Critical

Variety television critic Brian Lowry knocked the series' one-hour premiere for failing "to exhibit basic elements of coherence" and for featuring "too many lapses in logic".[10]

Ratings

The series launch of Lab Rats in February 2012 was the most-watched series premiere in Disney XD history,[11] drawing 1.3 million viewers and performing well in key demographics.[12] The followup encore of the premiere that aired on Disney Channel on March 2, 2012, ranked as the number-one telecast in kids 2–11 for the week of February 27–Match 4, 2012, drawing 2.3 million viewers in the demographic.[9]

Season Episodes First aired Last airedAvg. viewers
(millions)
Date Viewers
(millions)
Date Viewers
(millions)
1 15 February 27, 2012 (2012-02-27) 1.27[13] November 5, 2012 (2012-11-05) 0.85[14]0.89
2 25 February 25, 2013 (2013-02-25) 1.01[15] January 13, 2014 (2014-01-13) 0.74[16]0.73
3 20 February 17, 2014 (2014-02-17) 1.05[17] February 5, 2015 (2015-02-05) 0.81[18]0.71
4 22 March 18, 2015 (2015-03-18) 0.86[19] February 3, 2016 (2016-02-03) 0.71[20]0.62

Awards and nominations

Year Awards Category Result Ref
2016 Kids' Choice Awards Favorite TV Show – Kids Show Nominated

Lab Rats: Elite Force spinoff series

On September 3, 2015, it was announced that Lab Rats would have a joint spinoff series with Mighty Med under the title of Lab Rats: Elite Force. Only Billy Unger and Kelli Berglund from Lab Rats were reported to be returning for the new series, alongside Bradley Steven Perry, Jake Short, and Paris Berelc from Mighty Med.[21] It was subsequently announced that Lab Rats: Elite Force would premiere on Disney XD on March 2, 2016.[22]

References

  1. "Disney XD Orders New Live-Action Comedy Series Lab Rats" (Press release). Disney XD. July 13, 2011. Retrieved August 16, 2018 via The Futon Critic.
  2. "Billion Dollar Freshmen". billy-unger.com. November 1, 2010. Archived from the original on July 21, 2011. Retrieved August 16, 2018.
  3. "Lab Rats". billy-unger.com. February 16, 2011. Archived from the original on July 21, 2011. Retrieved August 16, 2018.
  4. Nellie Andreeva (May 18, 2012). "Disney XD's Top-Rated Series Lab Rats Renewed for Second Season". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 16, 2018.
  5. "Disney XD Orders Third Season of Lab Rats". Deadline Hollywood. July 26, 2013. Retrieved August 16, 2018.
  6. "Disney XD Orders Fourth Season Of Lab Rats". Deadline Hollywood. May 9, 2014. Retrieved August 16, 2018.
  7. Stephanie Osmanski (June 25, 2015). "Kelli Berglund Confirms Disney XD's Lab Rats: Bionic Island Is Ending". M Magazine. Archived from the original on July 2, 2015. Retrieved July 1, 2015.
  8. "Disney XD Set to Premiere Lab Rats, a Comedy About a Teenager and His Three Super-Human Siblings, on Monday, February 27" (Press release). Disney XD. January 9, 2012. Retrieved May 8, 2018 via The Futon Critic.
  9. 1 2 "Disney Channel is TV's #1 Network in Total Day for Record-Setting 38 Consecutive Weeks in Kids 6-11 and Tweens 9-14" (Press release). Disney Channel. March 6, 2012. Retrieved May 8, 2018 via The Futon Critic.
  10. Brian Lowry (February 23, 2012). "Lab Rats". Variety. Retrieved May 8, 2018.
  11. Rick Kissell (April 6, 2015). "Disney XD Sets Animated Ratings High with Premiere of Star vs. the Forces of Evil". Variety. Retrieved May 8, 2018. Among all series on the network, it ranks second to date behind only the live-action original series "Lab Rats" in February 2012.
  12. "Disney XD Original Series Lab Rats Is Network's #1 Launch Ever" (Press release). Disney XD. February 29, 2012. Retrieved May 8, 2018 via The Futon Critic.
  13. Travis Yanan (February 28, 2012). "Monday's Cable Ratings". The Futon Critic. Retrieved August 8, 2018.
  14. Travis Yanan (November 6, 2012). "Monday's Cable Ratings". The Futon Critic. Retrieved August 8, 2018.
  15. Travis Yanan (February 26, 2013). "Monday's Cable Ratings". The Futon Critic. Retrieved August 8, 2018.
  16. Son of the Bronx (January 24, 2014). "Disney Channel, Disney Junior and Disney XD Ratings (January 13–19, 2014)". Son of the Bronx. Retrieved August 8, 2018.
  17. Son of the Bronx (February 28, 2014). "Disney Channel, Disney Junior and Disney XD Ratings (February 17–23, 2014)". Son of the Bronx. Retrieved August 8, 2018.
  18. Douglas Pucci (February 6, 2015). "Thursday Final Nationals". TV Media Insights. Archived from the original on February 10, 2015. Retrieved August 8, 2018. Note: The viewers are in the comments section.
  19. Mitch Metcalf (March 19, 2015). "Top 25 Wednesday Cable Originals & Network Update: 3.18.2015". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved August 8, 2018.
  20. Mitch Metcalf (February 4, 2016). "Top 150 Wednesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 2.3.2016". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved August 12, 2018.
  21. Elizabeth Wagmeister (September 3, 2015). "Disney XD Greenlights Lab Rats and Mighty Med Spinoff Series". Variety. Retrieved September 4, 2015.
  22. "Disney XD's New Spinoff Series Lab Rats: Elite Force Premieres Wednesday, March 2" (Press release). Disney XD. February 2, 2016. Retrieved February 2, 2016 via The Futon Critic.
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