Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Entertainment
Rachael Sigee

You booze you lose! The rise of sober-curious TV

The Flight Attendant
Not drinking in LA … season 2 of The Flight Attendant sees Cassie replace alcohol with something equally secretive and dangerous. Photograph: HBO

“No one wants to hang out with the designated driver,” says functioning alcoholic Cassie in HBO’s The Flight Attendant. “You wanna know why? Because it’s boring.”

In the past, pop culture has not always been keen to tell sobriety stories. And perhaps that assumption is why. There is plenty of drama in blackouts, hangovers and bad behaviour, but the strict rules of recovery? In Cassie’s words … boring. Or even worse, preachy.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.