BEEB’S SERPENT IS AN AD FOR SMOKING
Killer drama ‘glamorises habit’
CHAIN-SMOKING characters in BBC1’s The Serpent are promoting the habit, campaigners claim.
The drama, based on a true story, tells of French serial killer Charles Sobhraj and girlfriend Marie-Andree Leclerc, and the Dutch diplomat who investigates the murders of several Western tourists in 1970s Bangkok.
All three characters are regularly seen chain smoking in the eight-part series.
Deborah Arnott of anti- smoking charity ASH said: “There’s a proven causal link between watching people smoke on screen and taking up smoking yourself. Whether the smokers heroes or villains, cool or not, doesn’t make any difference.
“Exposure to images of people smoking makes it harder for smokers to quit, and more likely that ex-smokers will start smoking again. Watching The Serpent won’t turn someone into a serial killer – but it will encourage them to smoke.”
The show stars Tahar Rahim, 39, as the killer, Doctor Who star Jenna are
Coleman, 34, as his French-Canadian lover, and Vera’s Billy Howle, 31, as diplomat Herman Knippenberg.
Director Tom Shankland said before the series was broadcast that his first draft of Jenna’s character was “a cool, enigmatic figure who just did a lot of smoking on the balcony”, before the actress added more depth to the role.
One viewer said: “For anyone watching The Serpent and trying to give up smoking – good luck!” Another said: “I’m gasping for air watching them chain smoke.” A third praised the show, but warned: “It may cause smoking and red wine consumption.”
The BBC would not comment. Jenna’s French-Canadian accent has also been criticised after the actress admitted learning it was “tough”.
She said: “It’s been a vocal journey. I can now say ‘tres bien’ correctly, which actually took me months.
“It became a bit of an intense French boot camp of training my mouth to make the noise ‘tre’. I felt like I was in My Fair Lady, having vocal training to change the movement of my mouth.”
Watching it won’t turn you into a killer but it will encourage you to smoke
DEBORAH ARNOTT FROM ANTI-SMOKING CHARITY ASH