The Smoking Room

The Smoking Room has coughed and spluttered its way to a second series, after wafting onto our screens in the summer 2004. Having graduated from the Beeb’s comedy crèche, BBC Three to BBC 2, good old Auntie is continuing to air new episodes on its digital channel, if only to encourage people to buy that little black box and get freeview. This is a show which bucks political correctness and portrays nicotine addicts in their element. ‘Hooray!’ all you smokers shout. ‘Don’t encourage them!’ cough the rest of us. The show is a producer’s dream – all the action takes place in a dingy smoking room in an anonymous office about which we know ...  Read the complete review

BBC3's attempt to cash in on the success of The Office. However, the restricted location and dull characters do nothing for this show. Although in parts funny, the jokes are generally predictable and often jsut not funny. Although harsh to call it a blatant cash-in, this is just an Office wannabe which does not have any of the originals dry wit or charm. The producers have obviously tried to pull off that emotionally-drained environment but have achieved it with no panache and has merely resulted in a rather dull comedy. I would steer well clear of this unless it is all that there is to watch, or you are in ...  Read the complete review