Today is the Great American Smokeout, a day when the American Cancer Society encourages people to make a plan to stop smoking. So of course my mind turns to British TV and some of its characters who could probably use a little help kicking the habit. Granted some of them come from period dramas set in a time when the deleterious effects of smoking were not fully known.
Perhaps they can take a page out of Sherlock’s book and stock up on nicotine patches?
1.Thomas from Downton Abbey
Villain-ish Thomas Barrow (Rob James-Collier) with a ubiquitous fag hanging from his lips. You may recall he used to take smoking breaks with his partner in crime O’Brien (Siobhan Finneran) before she left Downton for warmer climes
image credit Carnival Film & Television and ITV
2. Jane Tennison from Prime Suspect
DCI Tennison’s (Helen Mirren) high pressure job surely takes a toll for which smoking (and drinking) provide some temporary relief
image credit Granada Television
3. Bernard Black from Black Books
Bernard Black (Dylan Moran) thinks he could be happy if he could just smoke…and drink and read.
image credit Assembly Film and Television and Channel 4
4. Eddie and Patsy from Absolutely Fabulous
Hedonistic Eddie (Jennifer Saunders) and Patsy (Joanna Lumley) are rarely seen without a ciggie and a drink. (Is a pattern emerging here?) Addiction is a way of life for these best friends.
Image credit French & Saunders Productions and BBC
5. Dr. Turner from Call the Midwife
Dr. Turner (Stephen McGann) and the former Sister Bernadette, now Shelagh Turner (Laura Main) share a smoke. Despite being set in the late 50’s/early 60’s, you’d think medical professionals would know better, especially our good doctor.
image credit Neal Street Productions, BBC
Wishing the best of luck to all those who are attempting to quit smoking today! It road is hard, but the benefits are undeniable.
Everything I Know about the UK... I Learned from the BBC 
I simply am grateful that the first and only time I tried a cigarette I got very nauseated and threw up. That was the end of that!
I want my daughter to stop smoking but only she can decide when to do it.
Now when I see people smoking in movies it’s usually movies set in the past.
It looks strange and I have to remind myself that everyone thought it was OK back then. But….yuck! What a world, anything for profit, right?
Black Books: Bernard Black’s way of smoking says everything about him – that, and the way he eats toast (one bite and then throw it up in the air so it sticks on the ceiling)