stefan dobnnelly I missed this program when it first appeared on BBC 3 around two years ago. The BBC, and the UK in general have produced some dreadful "sit-coms" of late, so when I seen advertised what looked like a hybrid of The Office and The Royle Family I gave it a miss. That's not particularly true though. It's like The Office only in the fact it's set in an office and like the Royle family only because it's set entirely in real time. Few will agree but I think it's much better than both.If I were to compare it to other sit-coms I'd say Friends crossed with Daria( MTV cartoon, very cynical.) I think you have to watch quite a few episodes to get the feel of it. Initially they all seem quite ordinary and not especially likable characters. Over the course of the series though you realise the cause of all their irritating habits. Annie is irritating and irritable because she is massively self-deluded about her life being a success. Lilan initially seems desperate but you later realise it's because she's starved of attention. Janet appears prissy and stern but she's seems to be trying to shed that image by socializing with the smokers( even though she doesn't smoke) in nearly every episode. I could go on with the other characters but they'd definitely be spoilers.It's now half way through the second series and we now have a very well developed set of characters, excellent writing( just look at some of the quotes on this site) and brilliant actors and actresses. The sort-of-main character( he's on screen from beginning to end of every episode unlike any other character) is played excellently by Robert Webb. He seems to get bleaker every episode. Robin is clearly more intelligent than everyone else around him, but prefers to make snide( and hilarious) comments about others stupidity than do anything with his own life. It's an excellent character as it's one which is common in real life. This is true of the rest of the cast and show in general. It's strange but not a contrived way. It's the genuine oddness and humour you can find in the real world, though obviously compacted into a shorter space of time. It doesn't get bogged down in the dull realness of The Royle Family either though. Nor is it as ridiculous and pained as The Office or Friends often were.It's probably fair to say that The Smoking Room has stolen ideas and inspiration from other sit-coms. But unlike many others it stole the best parts. A good example is the sit-com device. How many sit-coms have never seen characters, love triangles or a will they, won't they relationship? A lot, and they all have the same outcome. The Smoking Room uses a much better, though already used one,; The never directly mentioned, long running storyline. It actually makes people think a bit more about what their watching and makes people notice jokes they may otherwise have missed. The only other example I can think of was in Daria. It's a difficult thing to do correctly, it can just look blatant and stupid. The strength of the writing and acting though hold it together excellently, like the show itself. Forget Little Britain or anything Peter Kay's in: This is the best British comedy around by some distance.

PhilS The guidelines for posting comments suggest not giving away plot points. Oops, the title gives away ALL the plot points.I wanted to like this, believe me. I thought it was very courageous of the BBC's story/comedy/script commissioners to try to create another success along the lines of "The Office" or "The Royle Family". It was good to see a new writer's work being used. Ultimately, they haven't succeeded.What a waste of such excellent acting talent, particularly, Siobhan Redmond, Paula Wilcox and Robert Webb - they try their best with the material, as does the director - but watching this series is like watching a single joke from an American observational stand-up comedian repeated throughout each and every half-hour episode. I actually started watching as I was hooked by the theme tune during a trailer and I thought it might compare favourably with "The Office". It doesn't even begin to.There are good points, the set for one and the lighting, definitely leave me wheezing! But the situation and, as I have already mentioned, the actors, deserve so much better from the script. It all seems so anal, with an eighties focus in the observations and puerile usage of sexual swear words.This *is* funnier than some recent sitcoms on the BBC, but that is mainly down to the well-drawn, if stereotypical characters; there seems to be very little development of them; as I said, they are well drawn, but it all appears in the first episode. There is a lost opportunity with Robin, the gay character, which I suspect is down to the director rather than the writer: too many of his earlier comments and answers to questions are revealing, by a knowing "look" or reaction close-up; I definitely think the script was attempting some development here. In summary: it's worth a look - choose any episode you like, you'll pick it up in seconds, like, say "Only Fools And Horses", "'Allo 'Allo" or "Are You Being Served?", because it relies on formulaic repetition of conversations, topics and well-worn character prejudices. Script editors and commissioners have a lot to answer for these days.

bestsitcoms-1 Located somewhere between The Royle Family and The Office, The Smoking Room has it all. Although many of the characters are stereotyped the jokes come thick and fast. As in The Royle Family the episode usually starts with a joke and ends in the punchline. For example in the first episode the characters were trying to remember the theme from Little House on the Prarie and in the end someone remembered it and in the most recent one everyone was looking for a light and in the end they found one. Robert Webb seems to be proving himself as a breakout sitcom star after starring in the underrated Peep Show. While veteran actors such as Paula Wilcox and Leslie Schofield are joined by lesser known actors who are just as funny. In the end this isn't as good as The Royle Family or The Office but better than most of the sitcom dirge that is churned out at the moment.Well done BBC!!!

garokev *contains a tiny spoiler on my favourite gag so far*another BBC comedy set in a workplace, but unlike 'the office' this is an actual sitcom rather than a mockumentary.all the action takes place in the smoking room, where the employees in an office block come to smoke cigarettes.only watched the first couple episodes so far, but is already hilarious and will catch on when it eventually airs on BBC2 later this year.best gag so far would be when the black female character talks about her trip to canada and describes it as a winter wonderland. she then asks robin, 'whats that book where they're all behind a wardrobe?' to which robin replies 'Anne Frank?' (this had me in absolute stitches, and will be a lot funier when you see it!!)well done bbc! cant wait for the rest of the series.10 out of 10