An actor who featured in Death in Paradise also starred in the BBC sitcom that aired two decades ago.
Robert Webb previously starred in Death in Paradise (Image: BBC)
A BBC series hailed as “criminally underrated” is now free to watch on iPlayer, 20 years after it first aired. The beloved show starred Robert Webb and first hit screens in 2004.
The Smoking Room, set in the basement of an office, starred Strictly Come Dancing star Robert as Robin, an employee in the building, who met with co-workers to discuss their lives away from work.
The series “explores the foibles and suppressed longings of an oddly assorted bunch of employees united by their shared love of nicotine,” the BBC teased when the comedy was first announced.
Alongside Robin, who was left distracted by his unrequited love for unseen character Ben, the cast included Debbie Chazen, Jeremy Swift, Paula Wilcox and Siobhan Redmond.
Decades after it first aired, The Smoking Room has been added to BBC iPlayer, with fans left over the moon. As the news that it was now free to watch spread on Reddit, one person called the series “Criminally underrated”. Someone else said: “Thanks for the heads up. It is a proper gem.”
Another wrote: “Thanks for this! I’ve never heard of it… now binge watching and love it!! Very funny…I love the deadpan delivery, no canned laughter or soundtrack. Just letting the humour work as intended. Perfect!”
Yet another echoed: “One of the best, massively underrated,” as someone else said: “I’d forgotten all about this, but I remember loving this in the 2000s. I’ll definitely be rewatching.”
One person called it “one of my favourite comedies”, as someone else said: “An underrated comedy gem. It was a great example of the mundane, low key comedy that we do so well.”
Years after The Smoking Room, Peep Show actor Robert held a role in Death in Paradise during its 12th season, which saw Ralf Little as DI Neville Parker before handing the reins to Don Gilet.
He guest-starred as Justin West, a member of a commune where a person is poisoned inside a locked bunker. The synopsis teased: “The team investigates a Preppers commune when one of its members is poisoned inside a locked bunker.
“However, with CCTV footage showing that no one went in or came out while he was in there, it seems likely that he has taken his own life – or has he?”
The Smoking Room is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
