''Lab Rats'', also known as ''Lab Rats: Bionic Island'' for the fourth season, is an American

comedy Comedy is a genre of fiction that consists of discourses or works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. The term o ...

television series created by Chris Peterson and Bryan Moore that aired on

Disney XD Disney XD is an American pay television channel owned by the Disney Branded Television and Disney Media and Entertainment Distribution units of The Walt Disney Company. The channel is aimed primarily at older children ages six to eleven yea ...

from February 27, 2012 to February 3, 2016. The series stars

Billy Unger William Brent Unger (born October 15, 1995) is an American actor. He is known for playing Chase on the Disney XD series ''Lab Rats'' and '' Lab Rats: Elite Force''. Credited as Billy Unger before 2016, starting with ''Lab Rats: Elite Force'', h ...

Spencer Boldman Spencer Boldman (born July 28, 1992) is an American actor. He is known for his role as Adam Davenport on Disney XD's ''Lab Rats'', and for playing Gio in the film '' Cruise''. Personal life Spencer was born in Dallas, Texas, and graduated from P ...

Kelli Berglund Kelli Berglund (born February 9, 1996) is an American actress. She is known for portraying Bree Davenport in the Disney XD series '' Lab Rats'', and its spinoff '' Lab Rats: Elite Force''. In 2014 she starred in the Disney Channel Original Movie ...

Tyrel Jackson Williams Tyrel Jackson Williams (born March 16, 1997) is an American actor. He starred as Leo Dooley in the Disney XD series '' Lab Rats''. Williams also co-starred in the 2014 Disney XD television film '' Pants on Fire''. From 2017 to 2020 he co-starred ...

, 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 introduces various new characters, including Davenport's younger brother Douglas and Douglas' android son Marcus; Krane and his bionic soldiers Taylor, formerly known as S-1, and Sebastian, formerly known as S-3; and scientist Giselle and her android Troy West. In the third season, Davenport opens up a bionic academy on a bionic island to train Krane's soldiers to be the world's new bionic heroes.

Episodes

Cast

Main

as Chase *

as Adam *

as Bree *

as Leo * Hal Sparks as Davenport

Recurring

Angel Parker Angel Parker is an American actress. Since 2000 she has appeared in numerous films, TV series and has done voice acting on video games. Her most notable credits include ''Criminal Minds'' (2008), '' ER'' (2008-2009), Marvel’s ''Runaways'' (2017 ...

as Tasha *

Maile Flanagan Maile Flanagan () is an American television, film, and voice actress known for her work in cartoons, anime and video games. Some of her prominent roles include Naruto Uzumaki in the English dub of ''Naruto'', Piggley Winks in ''Jakers! The Adve ...

as Principal Perry * Jeremy Kent Jackson as Douglas Davenport

Production

On May 10, 2010,

green-lit To green-light is to give permission to proceed with a project. The term is a reference to the green traffic signal, indicating "go ahead". Film industry In the context of the film and television industries, to green-light something is to ...

a pilot under the title of ''Billion Dollar Freshmen'', created by Chris Peterson and Bryan Moore, as executive producers alongside

Mark Brazill Mark Brazill is a television creator. Conflict with Judd Apatow In late 2001, Judd Apatow sought to have Topher Grace of ''That '70s Show'' appear in an episode of his series ''Undeclared''. This initiated a string of heated emails between the tw ...

. The pilot was filmed in the summer of 2010. On July 13, 2011,

officially ordered ''Lab Rats'', with production to begin in September 2011 in Hollywood for a 2012 premiere. Starring in the series are

as Leo,

as Chase,

as Adam,

as Bree, and Hal Sparks as Davenport. On May 18, 2012, Disney XD renewed the series for a second season. On July 26, 2013, Disney XD renewed the series for a third season. On May 9, 2014, Disney XD renewed the series for a fourth season. On June 25, 2015, Kelli Berglund stated in an interview that the fourth season would be the final season.

Broadcast

The series originally premiered on

on February 27, 2012, and on Disney Channel on March 2, 2012. In Canada, it first aired on

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

on June 10, 2012. In Australia and New Zealand, it first aired on Disney Channel on December 31, 2012, and officially premiered on January 10, 2013.

Reception

Critical

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' 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".

Ratings

The series launch of ''Lab Rats'' in February 2012 was the most-watched series premiere in

history, drawing 1.27 million viewers and performing well in key demographics. 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–March 4, 2012, drawing 2.3 million viewers in the demographic.

Awards and nominations

''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 ''Mighty Med'' is an American television series created by Jim Bernstein and Andy Schwartz and produced by It's a Laugh Productions for Disney XD. It stars Bradley Steven Perry, Jake Short, Paris Berelc, Devan Leos, and Augie Isaac. The series ai ...

'' under the title of '' Lab Rats: Elite Force''. Only

and

from ''Lab Rats'' were reported to be returning for the new series, alongside Bradley Steven Perry,

Jake Short Jacob Patrick Short (born May 30, 1997 in Indianapolis, Indiana), known professionally as Jake Short, is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as Fletcher Quimby in the Disney Channel comedy series ''A.N.T. Farm'' (2011–2014), Oli ...

, and Paris Berelc from ''Mighty Med''. It was subsequently announced that ''Lab Rats: Elite Force'' would premiere on Disney XD on March 2, 2016.

References

External links

* {{It's a Laugh Productions 2010s American children's comedy television series 2012 American television series debuts 2016 American television series endings Disney XD original programming English-language television shows Television series about families Television series about siblings Television series by It's a Laugh Productions