BBC’s murder drama The Serpent slammed for ‘promoting chain-smoking’ to viewers

Chain-smoking characters in BBC1’s The Serpent are selling the behavior, campaigners declare.

The drama, primarily based on a real story, tells of French serial killer Charles Sobhraj and girlfriend Marie-Andree Leclerc, and the Dutch diplomat who investigates the murders of a number of Western vacationers in 1970s Bangkok.

All three characters are recurrently seen chain smoking within the eight-part collection.

Deborah Arnott of anti-smoking charity ASH stated: “There’s a confirmed causal hyperlink between watching folks smoke on display screen and taking on smoking your self. Whether or not the people who smoke are heroes or villains, cool or not, doesn’t make any distinction.

“Publicity to photographs of individuals smoking makes it tougher for people who smoke to stop, and extra possible that ex-smokers will begin smoking once more. Watching The Serpent received’t flip somebody right into a serial killer – however it’ll encourage them to smoke.”

The present stars Tahar Rahim, 39, because the killer, Physician Who star Jenna Coleman, 34, as his French-Canadian lover, and Vera’s Billy Howle, 31, as diplomat Herman Knippenberg.

Director Tom Shankland stated earlier than the collection was broadcast that his first draft of Jenna’s character was “a cool, enigmatic determine who simply did numerous smoking on the balcony”, earlier than the actress added extra depth to the function.

One viewer stated: “For anybody watching The Serpent and attempting to surrender smoking – good luck!”

One other stated: “I’m gasping for air watching them chainsmoke.” A 3rd praised the present, however warned: “It might trigger smoking and purple wine consumption.”

The BBC wouldn’t remark.

Jenna’s French-Canadian accent has additionally been criticised after the actress admitted studying it was “powerful”.

She stated: “It’s been a vocal journey. I can now say ‘tres bien’ accurately, which truly took me months.

“It grew to become a little bit of an intense French boot camp of coaching my mouth to make the noise ‘tre’. I felt like I used to be in My Honest Girl, having vocal coaching to alter the motion of my mouth.”

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