Far be it from me to knock someone for enjoying a cocktail every now and then (especially since I’m drunk right now) but lately we’ve noticed that a few of our favorite TV characters have turned every hour into happy hour. From liquor to wine to beer, these men and women are in high spirits as long as there’s a long pour.
So it’s without prejudice we present the five people whose bar tabs could pay off the gross national debt of a third world country.
NeNe & Kim on “Real Housewives of Atlanta”
The first rule of reality TV fight club is you do talk about reality TV fight club. The second rule is you gotta be liquored up to be a member. And as the most combative “Housewives” it’s no surprise that both Kim & NeNe frequently begin scenes by asking, “do you want some wine?” Although they both tend to pronounce it “wiiiiiiiine,” which lets you know they’ve already imbibed.
The cast of “How I Met Your Mother”
It’s not unrealistic that a group of twenty-somethings would make a bar their hangout — but it is a little worrysome that at one point or another, four out of the five have lived above MacLaren’s Pub.
Tami Taylor on “Friday Night Lights”
Tami is an amazing educator, a loyal wife and a devoted mother. But mama likes herself a cocktail — preferrably a Texas sized glass of wine. The frequency with which she drinks became so pervasive, actor Kyle Chandler actually admitted that it became a giant joke on the set.
Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb on the “Today” show
The cast of “Cougar Town”
Unlike many other shows “Cougar Town” bathes in its booze, wearing their wine stains like badges of honor — even at 10am. If the show actually wanted to swap titles, Courteney Cox’s oft uttered “Wine Up!” would have made for a very fitting moniker.
EDITOR’S NOTE: I’ve been getting lots of emails about the lack of Don Draper & “Mad Men” in this list. Obvioulsy they are among TV’s top teetotalers, but including them is like rigging a boxing match. Simply not a fair fight.
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