The Smoking Room
Created by Brian Dooley
On BBC Three
A warm, character-driven British workplace sitcom built around the social dynamics of a small group sharing a confined space, with gentle observational humour and underlying affection for its ensemble.
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. 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.
Clusters
Genres
Questions people ask
Is The Smoking Room violent? Barely. Less violent than 89% of series.
Is The Smoking Room easy watching? Yes. More comforting than 79% of series.
Is The Smoking Room scary? Not especially. Less frightening than 70% of series.
Is The Smoking Room sad? About average. Almost exactly mid-range.
Does The Smoking Room leave you hopeful? About average. Almost exactly mid-range.
These describe how the series comes across across its whole run, compared with other well-known series. They are not a content list — nothing here was counted or checked episode by episode, so for age-suitability or specific content use a classification board or a dedicated content-warning service.
Cinnamon Score
How much this series gives you that nothing else will, and whether it delivers.
You have seen this shape before.
How unlike any other series this one feels
How much more it delivers than it promises
How much audiences actually like it
Ensemble
Like The Smoking Room
Nearest across the full emotional profile.
Same Mood as The Smoking Room
Nearest on what's most distinctive about this one.
Like The Smoking Room, But Darker
Similar, pushed toward heavier and more intense.
Like The Smoking Room, But Lighter
Similar, pushed toward warmer and easier.
Like The Smoking Room, But Less Popular
Same territory, far fewer people have seen it.
