Most of the existing studies have been conducted in the United States. They have provided a comprehensive picture of the extent, scheduling, and kind of alcohol images in television programs, generally, and in popular television series and serials, in particular. Their main findings are that alcohol is the most prominent beverage on television, that drinking is generally associated with pleasant social interaction, and that negative consequences are rarely shown. Three studies using experimental design have not shown any clear correlations between exposure to television alcohol images and attitudes and behavior related to alcohol. However, these studies have focused on short-term effects resulting from limited exposure. Research needs to recognize that alcohol and drinking are parts of narrative and symbolic message structures and that different viewers have different levels of involvement with their favorite television content. The social context of television is also important. Thus, the most useful research would be that combining the quantitative methods used in 'cultivation analysis' and the qualitative methods used in 'reception analysis' to examine the long-term cultivation and reinforcement of beliefs and the viewers' actions based on these beliefs. 55 references.