The Smoking Room
| The Smoking Room | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Genre | Sitcom |
| Created by | Brian Dooley |
| Starring | Robert Webb |
| Opening theme | "Close to Me" by The Cure |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of series | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 17 (inc. Christmas special) |
| Production | |
| Running time | 29 mins approx. |
| Release | |
| Original network | BBC Three |
| Original release | 29 June 2004 – 13 September 2005 |
| External links | |
| Website | |
The Smoking Room is a British television sitcom written by Brian Dooley, who won a BAFTA for the series in 2005. The first series, consisting of eight episodes, was originally transmitted on BBC Three between 29 June and 17 August 2004. The Christmas Special was first transmitted on 20 December 2004. A second series of eight episodes began airing on 26 July 2005.
The first series, including the Christmas Special, was released on DVD by the BBC on 6 February 2006 and on CD in a four-disc set on 4 April 2005 (without the Christmas Special). The second series was released on 16 October 2006; a boxed set containing both series was released on the same date.
There will not be a third series; in an interview for the BBC News website on 30 November 2006, the actor Robert Webb who plays Robin, said in passing, "...there is no more Smoking Room". England's smoking ban, which prohibits indoor smoking in workplaces, came into force on 1 July 2007, as a result of which internal smoking rooms, like the one in which the series is set, became illegal.
At the time the series was made smoking was prohibited in the offices of most British companies, but there was often a room in the building that smokers could use during work hours.
The series is entirely set in the smoking room (Room B209, although, in the second season, the sign on one door says B211) in the basement of the offices of a fictitious company. Most of the people seen in the smoking room are workers in the building.
Room B209 is L-shaped and contains office-style tables and chairs, and a hot drinks machine which often malfunctions. It has two doors that lead to the same corridor and is drably decorated in a dull yellow with signs of water damage on one wall. Company related notices adorn the walls and old furniture and office equipment is stacked in the corner. Only occasional glimpses of the outside world are seen through the room's misted glass.
Although each episode contains a distinct storyline, the series is fundamentally character and dialogue driven. Each episode's story is generally self-contained although there are some ongoing story threads, such as the gradual revelation of Robin's sexuality to the other characters and his unrequited infatuation with Ben from the post room.
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