[Kizzy]

Originally Posted by Shaun

I'm not sure if, because my mum doesn't drink, this is just down to my family being far below average in alcohol consumption but almost every TV show my family watch seems to feature extensive drinking.

Take the soaps: Eastenders, Coronation Street and Hollyoaks (all of them really) feature characters who regularly get drunk to drown their sorrows, and more corks are popped than cherries at Woody Allen's house. Plenty of serious dramas are famous for their characters' ability to knock back drinks (Mad Men, The Wire). In chat shows, celebrities are presented with glasses of wine (or in Alan Carr's case, tacky brands ). Even animated shows depict alcoholics quite freely (Brian Griffin, Roger Smith, Barney Gumble, Bender), and there're plenty of comedies too (Cheers, Will & Grace)

Do you think this has anything to do with the rise of binge drinking or do you believe the use of alcohol is merely the bye-product of social patterns?

Wow you are going back a bit there shaun
I agree, advertising has to be quite ethical in its approach to selling the stuff,however it seems that programming doesen't follow...
Its interesting how the worst culprits are the ones geared towards the 'inbetweeners' (simpsons, family guy, american dad...)
Cop shows usually depict the main characters as 'work hard play hard types' or desprately lonely workaholics who cuddle up to a bottle of famous grouse every night.
Chat shows and comedies do increasingly show wine being used as a way to socialise and to 'wind down' ...maybe it is a way to encourage the UK to behave like the rest of Europe? Have one glass and put the bottle in the fridge.....
Unfortunatly for Brits this is an alien concept haha.
Soaps are quite fair in their depiction recently, the peter barlow story has handled the alcoholism story well showing how it can and does destroy lives.
However the great british boozer is part of our culture so it wouldn't be true to life if the vic and the rovers disappeared.

Binge drinking has always gone on but alcohol creeps into all social occasions now more than ever. Even those on come dine with me end up steaming every night I'm surprised they even taste the food...

Whoever dreamed up 24hr drinking in city centres has a lot to answer for...We have not adopted the 'cafe culture' we just stagger from bar to bar for 24 hours till someone kindly takes us to A&E....
Either that or swig a quarter bottle of voddy from bargain booze and partake of the latest 'legal high'