Lab Rats (U.S. TV series)
| Lab Rats | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre |
Comic science fiction Sitcom |
| Created by |
Chris Peterson Bryan Moore |
| Starring | |
| Theme music composer |
Niclas Molinder Joacim Persson Johan Alkenäs |
| Opening theme | "Lab Rats Theme" by DJ Lunar and BIA |
| Composer(s) | Bert Selen |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 4 |
| No. of episodes | 90 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) |
Chris Peterson Bryan Moore Mark Brazill |
| Location(s) |
Hollywood Center Studios Los Angeles Center Studios |
| Camera setup | Multi-camera |
| Running time | 21–24 minutes |
| Production company(s) | It's a Laugh Productions |
| Release | |
| Original network | Disney XD |
| Picture format |
HDTV SDTV 16:9 |
| Original release | February 27, 2012 – February 3, 2016 |
| Chronology | |
| Followed by | Lab Rats: Elite Force |
| External links | |
| Official website | |
Lab Rats, also known as Lab Rats: Bionic Island for the fourth season, is an American television sitcom that premiered on February 27, 2012, on Disney XD, and aired through February 3, 2016. The series was created by Chris Peterson and Bryan Moore and produced by It's a Laugh Productions for Disney XD. It focuses on the life of Leo Dooley, whose mother, Tasha, marries billionaire genius Donald Davenport. Leo then finds Adam, Bree, and Chase, three bionic superhumans with whom he develops a close friendship.
Plot
A young teenager named Leo Dooley lived a normal life until the day his mother Tasha gets remarried to billionaire inventor Donald Davenport, whom they move in with. While trying to find his bedroom, Leo accidentally discovers teenage siblings with bionic powers living in his new basement. The show 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 show progresses in the second, third, and fourth seasons, it gets darker with the introduction of Donald's younger brother Douglas Davenport who later joins the Lab Rats' side, Douglas' android son, Marcus Davenport, Victor Krane, Taylor (formerly known as S-1), who joins the Lab Rats during the fourth season, Sebastian (formerly known as S-3), Krane's bionic soldiers, Giselle, who's planning on rebuilding Marcus, and Troy West, Giselle's android creation. At the end of the third season, Donald opens up a bionic academy on a bionic island to train Krane's bionic soldiers to be the world's new bionic heroes.
Cast and characters
- Billy Unger as Chase Davenport
- Spencer Boldman as Adam Davenport
- Kelli Berglund as Bree Davenport
- Tyrel Jackson Williams as Leo Dooley
- Hal Sparks as Donald Davenport
Episodes
| Season | Episodes | Originally aired | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First aired | Last aired | ||||
| 1 | 20 | February 27, 2012 | November 5, 2012 | ||
| 2 | 25 | February 25, 2013 | January 13, 2014 | ||
| 3 | 23 | February 17, 2014 | February 5, 2015 | ||
| 4 | 22 | March 18, 2015 | February 3, 2016 | ||
Production
The series was created by Chris Peterson and Bryan Moore. On January 15, 2011, Billy Unger, who plays Chase, stated that the series was originally called Billion Dollar Freshman. However, the pilot was re-shot, with the changing of the name to Lab Rats and the addition of Bree, who is the only girl of the group, and Adam, who is the oldest of the three.[1] Disney XD ordered Lab Rats to series in July 2011, with a scheduled 2012 premiere.[2]
On May 18, 2012, Lab Rats was renewed for a second season.[3] On July 26, 2013, Disney XD renewed Lab Rats for a third season.[4] In May 2014, Disney XD renewed Lab Rats for a fourth season, which makes it the second original series of Disney XD to go past three seasons, after Kickin' It. The fourth season premiered on March 18, 2015. On July 1, 2015, Kelli Berglund stated in an interview that the fourth season would be the final season.[5] The final episode of Lab Rats: Bionic Island aired on Disney XD on February 3, 2016.[6]
Reception
In 2012, Lab Rats became the most watched show on Disney XD. IMDb rated the series 6.5/10, making it the among the highest rated Disney XD series.
Broadcast
The series originally premiered on February 27, 2012, on Disney XD and on March 2, 2012, on Disney Channel. It first aired on February 24, 2012, on Disney XD Canada. It stopped airing on Disney XD in Canada and moved to Disney Channel due to DHX Media losing Disney rights. It aired as a preview on March 29, 2012, and premiered on April 19, 2012, on Disney XD UK and Ireland. It premiered on June 10, 2012, on Disney XD South Africa. It first aired on Disney Channel Australia and New Zealand on December 31, 2012, and officially premiered on January 10, 2013. It premiered on March 11, 2013, on Disney XD Malaysia and on August 5, 2012, in the rest of Southeast Asia on Disney Channel Asia and on March 16, 2013, on Disney XD.
Sequel series
On September 3, 2015, it was announced that Lab Rats will have a joint spinoff series with Mighty Med called Lab Rats: Elite Force. Only Billy Unger and Kelli Berglund from Lab Rats have been announced as returning for the new series alongside Bradley Steven Perry, Jake Short, and Paris Berelc from Mighty Med.[7] It was subsequently announced that Lab Rats: Elite Force would premiere on Disney XD on March 2, 2016.[8]
Awards & Nominations
| Year | Awards | Category | Nominee(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | Kids' Choice Awards | Favorite TV Show | Lab Rats: Bionic Island | Nominated |
| Favorite Male TV Star – Kids Show | Tyrel Jackson Williams | Nominated |
References
- ↑ "Disney Pilot Is Now Lab Rats". Billy-Unger.com. Archived from the original on December 31, 2015.
- ↑ Jon Weisman (July 12, 2011). "Disney XD experiments with 'Lab Rats'". Variety. Retrieved August 23, 2016.
- ↑ "Disney XD Orders Lab Rats Season 2". Disney Dreaming. May 18, 2012. Retrieved May 18, 2012.
- ↑ "Disney XD Orders Third Season of Lab Rats". Deadline Hollywood. July 26, 2013. Retrieved September 4, 2015.
- ↑ "Kelli Berglund Confirms Disney XD's Lab Rats: Bionic Island Is Ending". M Magazine. Retrieved July 1, 2015.
- ↑ Bryan Moore [MooreBryan] (February 3, 2016). "East Coast!! You are 15 minutes away from the series finale of #LabRatsBionicIsland!" (Tweet). Retrieved February 5, 2016 – via Twitter.
- ↑ Wagmeister, Elizabeth (September 3, 2015). "Disney XD Greenlights 'Lab Rats' and 'Mighty Med' Spinoff Series". Variety. Retrieved September 4, 2015.
- ↑ "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.