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Based on the 1973 novel by Elsie McCutcheon, Smokescreen took place during the formative years of the British film industry. Set in 1907, the story focused on starry-eyed Sara Beau (Paula Wilcox), who was determined to become an actress, even if it meant demeaning herself by appearing in those new-fangled "flickers." Sara's ambitions brought her into all-too-close contact with a would-be movie producer and a rapacious nickelodeon owner. Co-produced by Red Rooster Films and BBC1, the six 25-minute installments of Smokescreen originally aired in Britain in 1993.