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Synopses

Episode one - Doo Di Dum Di Da

So, what was the theme tune to The Little House On The Prairie?

None of the smokers can remember and Robin, in particular, won't rest until he gets it.

Even Sally's been drawn in, despite her mammoth hangover, but she's in dire need of coffee and the drinks machine is out of order again - can Clint fix it?

The only one who doesn't care about the tune is Barry, who has an important interview.

He had thought promotion was guaranteed but now knows there's an external candidate too and is starting to panic.

The other smokers rally round (sort of) - but can they get him ready for his interview in time?

Episode two - RIP

The smokers are stunned when one of their colleagues drops dead only a day after retiring.

Annie takes it particularly badly as she has her own more personal bereavement to deal with as well.

As they discuss what the dead man meant to them - and try to work out if they'll get time off for the funeral - the smokers can't help but ponder on their own mortality.

They discuss their own theories on life after death, while Sharon valiantly struggles to get them to do some work.

But when Len starts to regale the group with a ghost story concerning events that took place in the same building after work one night (over by the photocopier), why is Robin suddenly so nervous?

Episode three - Pantball

The posters are up all over the building, although most of them have been defaced.

Sharon wants the smokers to join in with a company paintballing excursion, but the workforce have other concerns.

Annie is upset with Clint and as usual, Sally is forced to console her. Lilian is full of stories of her Friday night antics at The Nags Head, Len is livid that someone's signed him for the paintball as a joke and Barry just wants to do his crossword in peace.

Janet is trying to rally support for Sharon's latest scheme - if only to make her own life easier - but it doesn't help that she's spelt Paintball wrong on all the posters.

Robin meanwhile is only going to sign up if a certain someone else does…

Episode four - Light My Fire

Janet is distraught. She's brought an important Japanese client to the smoking room for a pre-meeting cigarette, but neither Clint nor Robin has been able to provide a light.

She storms out, determined to make the men suffer, but they're not bothered - someone will come in with a light soon. Won't they?

With Sally not speaking to Annie, Barry fretting about the forthcoming visit from his nieces, Len a recent victim of crime and Lilian determined to stay jolly come what may, this is no time for Robin to suffer nicotine withdrawal.

He's completely focused on the task at hand - that of tracking down his misplaced lighter. Nothing's going to keep him from his fags.

Episode five - Chocolate Box

Robin isn't happy. It's Valentine's Day and, yet again, he hasn't received anything. To add to his woes, Heidi is back from maternity leave and boring him senseless with tales of her happy home life.

More interestingly, someone has left a box of chocolates in the room with an ambiguous note. Are they for Clint or perhaps for Lilian?

The manly handwriting leads Robin to speculate that they might have been left there by a man for someone who is always in the smoking room…

Someone is set to find love on Valentine's Day while someone else is about to have their dearest hopes dashed…

Episode six - Feeding Time

It's a rainy lunch hour and the workforce are stuck indoors - even Janet who is meant to be at the shops buying Sharon's lunch.

Annie has been immobilised by overdoing it on the exercise front, Robin is battling with the drinks machine and Barry knows he should be doing something - he just can't remember what.

While Janet muses on where her life is going and whether she should rebel against being Sharon's dogsbody, the others struggle to kill time with games and magazine surveys - until their peace is disturbed by Gordon, an over-eager work colleague who happens to drop by.

Doing nothing (and trying to ignore the infuriating Gordon) proves just as eventful as making the most of free time …

Episode seven - Only Temporary

Lilian is back from her holidays and is already wishing she was still on the beach.

Robin hasn't been away - so why is he so tanned?

Meanwhile, a new female temp has made her presence felt. Barry is smitten. Sally is on the warpath. The new girl is useless and Sally won't stand for it.

While the others count down the days until their own holidays start, Miranda, the temp, pops by for a fag. It turns out she's met one of the smokers before - but by the time they've finished with her, she won't want to meet any of them again…

Episode eight - Happy Birthday

Its Lilian's birthday and celebratory after-work drinks are to be held in the smoking room.

As Yvonne and Lois, Lilian's overworked colleagues, dash round getting everything perfect, the smokers reluctantly gather.

Annie is determined to get herself a man, Sharon is determined to finally connect with her workforce and having recently taken up smoking again, Gordon is determined to at least stay off the drink.

Barry is lumbered with his new manager, Monique, Sally thinks work drinks are "tragic" anyway and when there's no sign of Ben from the post room, Robin begins to wonder if he's come to the wrong party.

One way or another, this isn't a birthday Lilian's likely to forget…