Dr Victor Blenkinsop, a brilliant government scientist, unveils the first human clone. Intended to be a prototype super soldier, the experiment goes horribly wrong. In an attempt to redeem himself, the doctor escapes with his creation vowing to fix him before the government finds them and kills them.

BBC3's latest attempt at the holy grail of the 'science fiction comedy' gets off to a wet start with this first episode. It's a messy affair that doesn't know whether it wants to be a proper sitcom or a pantomime (there is lots of headslapping and a character that walks in and out of his own spotlight). The situation part of the sitcom is adequately taken care of with the premise of a supersoldier clone who turns out to be less what the doctor ordered than what the doctor threw into the clinical wastebasket. All of the killing machine memories and instincts are there, but they have to be brought out and in the meantime the man is a grown up man-child.

It's a promising set up, but the second part of the sitcom, ie the comedy, is sadly lacking. Belly laughs are completely absent, giggles are few to even less whilst there are a few smiles, mainly brought about by the skill of the cast rather than really decent lines. The Syrian torture scene is a highlight, but turns out to be a one joke moment about smoking indoors.

The characters are all exceedingly broad brush strokes (this is not aiming at the intellectual end of the market), which doesn't promise much for the future and the cast are a varied group with some playing it straight for comic effect (stand up Fiona Glascott and take a bow) with others going for the moustache twirling pantomime effect (erm, just about everyone else).

It would be harsh to judge the show on its first episode, but the signs are not good.