The representation of scientists on screen is a terribly, terribly serious subject. Well, sometimes. But Chris Addison’s Lab Rats, coming soon to BBC television, isn’t serious in the slightest, at least if the episode I just saw is anything to go by. Oh, and actually I was the one that kissed Mike McShane’s glitter, but anyway…

I hadn’t intended to go to see Lab Rats getting filmed – it was serendipitous that my neighbour at work asked if I wanted his spare. And, as luck would have it, I was free on a Friday night, and further luck had me directed to a front row, aisle seat.

Lab Rats is a new sitcom for the BBC – originally planned, by the look of the press release for BBC3, but now apparently destined for BBC Two.

~Badge given out on the night – view larger ~

It’s set in the Arnolfini Research Laboratory of St. Dunstan’s College, and the ticket info and the leaflet we were given on the night described the Arnolfini as being “used by the University for flashy-looking projects, random research ideas and as a revenue-raising lab for hire.”

Co-written by and starring the suitably geeky Chris Addison (he ruefully said during one of the breaks that the wardrobe department practically gave him back his own clothes) it features a variety of cartoon science characters – the washed-up Nobel Prize winner with a massive ego and a drink problem to match, the ditzy lab assistant, the pony-tailed hopeless-in-love researcher, the mildly sadistic head of department – and places them in a suitably crazy storyline (which I won’t spoil for you). But suffice to say, the episode I saw involved guest star Mike McShane as an appropriately brash and loud American rival researcher, whose face get covered in glitter – which during one of the many moments of downtime, he got me to kiss. It smelt intriguing.

The attention to detail in the production design was impressive, with lots of cute (photo of the Nobel Prizewinner character shaking hands with the King of Sweden) and bizarre (a Gillian McKeith mask) touches. And there was even a copy of Nature or New Scientist being waved around at one point (alas I couldn’t quite tell which).

There were a few scientists and science students in the audience, which warm-up/audience cheerleader Rob Rouse identified through the course of the evening, in between takes. We even managed a few minutes of discussion of protein folding and the purpose of wasps.

Chris himself pointed out some scientific flaws in the plot, but I don’t think that matters. Nor do I think it matters that none of the characters, with the possible exception of Addison’s own, bear any relationship to the majority of “real” scientists. Much of comedy, and sitcoms in particular, rely on the inclusion of the extreme or the stereotype – why should a sitcom set in science be any different to one set in retail, a French town or politics?

What matters, is that it is funny. And it made me laugh lots.

Tickets are available for the recording of the rest of the series Perhaps we could arrange a Nature Network London jaunt along? Be warned though – I started queueing at 5.45pm, filming started at 7pm and finished at 11pm. So eat before you go.