The series was contemporaneously set, and at the time smoking was prohibited in the offices of most British companies by policy, but there was often a room somewhere in the building that smokers could use during work hours. As of July 1, 2007, smoking is generally prohibited by law in enclosed work areas throughout the UK, so smoking rooms no longer exist.

The series takes situation comedy to its extreme, since it is entirely set in the smoking room (Room B209). The room is in the basement of the offices of a fictitious company that employs all of the main characters and nearly all of the others.

Room B209 is an unusual L-shape and contains office-style tables and chairs. It also has a large hot drinks machine, which constantly outwits the characters when attempting to use it and Clint when attempting to fix it. The room is drably decorated and suffers from a vaguely yellow discolouration undoubtedly caused by the thousands of cigarettes that have been smoked there over time. Various company-related notices (e.g. fire procedures) are placed on the notice board and throughout the room. The room also appears to be used as a storeroom, since miscellaneous objects occupy small labelled cubbyholes affixed to the walls.

Occasional glimpses of the outside world's activities are seen through the room's misted glass, but there are very few extras and they can be viewed almost as moving props, simply adding context.

An unusual feature of Room B209 is that there are two doors that both appear to lead to the same corridor outside. Both doors are used in the series, with characters rushing in and out at various points. This feature (deliberately or otherwise) is reminiscent of 'Stage Left' and 'Stage Right' of a typical theatrical stage. It helps to give the series a stage-like feel, where the characters appear, give their performance, and disappear. Since the series is entirely set in one room, the feature is probably also used as a substitute for the cuts that would otherwise occur between scenes, but providing a more continuous feel.

Although each episode contains a distinct storyline, the series is fundamentally character- and dialogue-driven. In this respect, it is similar in nature to Seinfeld, the archaetypal 'show about nothing'. Since it is set in an office environment, there are superficial resemblances to The Office in terms of situation and set, although the two series are very different otherwise: for example, The Smoking Room has no central character and the comedy is often surreal.

Like most sitcoms, the episodes are generally self-contained in terms of storyline, the main exception being the gradual revelation of Robin's sexuality to the other characters and his relationship (or lack of) with Ben.

• The Smoking Room at [ bbc.co.uk
• "Pantball" post-production script at BBC Writers Room
• Emma Kennedy's behind-the-scenes photos
• The Smoking Room at The British Sitcom Guide
• The Smoking Room at TV.com

You can edit this page to add links to blogs, sites, and other information... If this page has a "PageType" set above - that will determine where the page is listed on SideReel. You can add text, a picture, links or more by editing the page... Check out the links above if you need help.