Writers: Chris Addison & Carl Cooper
Director: Adam Tandy
Cast: Chris Addison (Dr. Alex Beenyman), Geoffrey McGivern (Professor John Mycroft), Jo Enright (Cara McIlvenny), Daniel Tetsell (Brian Lalumaca), Selina Cadell (Dean Mieke Miedema), Helen Moon (Minty), Margaret Cabourn-Smith (Secretary) & John Quayle (Dr. Benjamin Beenyman)
Director: Adam Tandy
Cast: Chris Addison (Dr. Alex Beenyman), Geoffrey McGivern (Professor John Mycroft), Jo Enright (Cara McIlvenny), Daniel Tetsell (Brian Lalumaca), Selina Cadell (Dean Mieke Miedema), Helen Moon (Minty), Margaret Cabourn-Smith (Secretary) & John Quayle (Dr. Benjamin Beenyman)
The final episode marks another half hour of mildly engaging nonsense that doesn't hang together terribly well, but manages to throw up a few decent sight gags -- like a clichéd glowing container revealed to be a portable fridge storing cheese. The frustrating thing about Lab Rats is how its laboratory setting is perfect for science-related flights of fancy, but all the characterisations are two-dimensional, the plots only hit full-speed in the dying minutes, and the majority of jokes are rather feeble..."A Diary" heralds the arrival of Alex's zany father, historian Dr. Benjamin Beenyman (Monarch Of The Glen's John Quayle), clutching a diary belonging to Scott of the Antarctic. Alex (Chris Addison) is asked to prove the authenticity of the book supposedly belonging to his childhood hero, while Brian (Daniel Tetsell) grapples with the university's malfunctioning temperature control system and Professor Mycroft (Geoffrey McGivern) turns pigeon-fancier...
Again, the series wears its '80s influences on its sleeve: the temperature system is nicknamed "Metal Vicky", which I took as a nod to early-80s TV hit Metal Mickey -- a little joke that consequently only works if you're watching 25 years ago! If it wasn't for a later mention of e-mail, you'd sometimes swear Lab Rats was from that era, though. Ironically, setting Lab Rats in the '80s might actually improve things and give it another layer of comedy.
Guest star Quayle does a good job as Alex's grinning, bow-tie wearing dad, but because every character suffers from various states of dementia, he gets lost in the mix of just-as-crazy regulars. I'd actually like to see more from the (relative) sane characters on the show -- harassed Secretary (Margaret Cabourn-Smith) and cynical Minty (Helen Moon). The latter is particularly good at dropping into scenes and giving the audience a rest from the insane prattle of dullard Cara (Jo Enright), Brian and Mycroft. At the moment, Addison's the only straight man.
Anyway, you only really stick with Lab Rats for the handful of moments that land a funny punch: a basement covered in bloody feathers after a kamikaze attack by randy pigeons, Alex quoting Oates' fateful "I may be sometime" speech before walking into a snow flurry, and the aforementioned cheese fridge gag. But the hits never outweigh the misses, and despite the passion of the cast to milk laughs as best they can, the scripts aren't rich enough to keep you involved.
The horrendous scheduling is partly to blame, I feel. After the edgy political comedy of Mock The Week, who wants to watch a sitcom that opens with animated credits and a chirpy theme tune? If Lab Rats was shown at 7pm on a weekend, or 8pm during the week (i.e., it was more accessible to kids), it might find a natural home for its silly, breezy style.
14 August 2008
BBC2, 9.30 pm
