Award-winning Newshub National Correspondent Patrick (Paddy) Gower is back with a new documentary Patrick Gower: On Booze, premiering on Tuesday 14 June at 8.30pm on Three and ThreeNow. And for the first time, Patrick will continue the conversation with a live panel discussion Newshub Talks: Booze on Wednesday 15 June at 8.30pm.
Following his deep-dive documentaries into the worlds of ‘Weed’ and ‘P’, Paddy faces his most confronting investigation yet as he examines why New Zealanders drink the way they do. He also faces up to the complications of his own relationship with alcohol.
“Booze is at the centre of much of Kiwi culture, it is at the centre of many of our lives. But that does not mean it is good,” says Paddy. “Anybody who has a relationship with alcohol probably has a complicated relationship with it. I know I do. Booze is fun. But it is also bloody ugly. This documentary looks at why we booze the way we do.”
Warner Bros. Discovery Executive Producer Angela Mann says, “Paddy’s latest documentary is powerful, confronting and disarmingly raw. He takes the audience on an intimate journey as he explores the drinking culture in Aotearoa and it’s one that will resonate with many New Zealanders.”
“Until this documentary, I had never really examined the way that I drink or the even bigger questions: why I drink the way I do.” said Gower. As he unpicks a lifetime of inherent booze messaging in our culture, Paddy undergoes physical and psychological evaluations, gains exclusive access to an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting and speaks to a range of experts and everyday New Zealanders. He examines the tremendous hold alcohol can have, over Kiwis from all walks of life.
The following night, Paddy will be joined by high-profile Kiwis and experts for a live event Newshub Talks: Booze. The programme will dig into the hot-button issues around our relationship with our favourite drug.
In case you missed it, fellow award-winning journalist and podcast-maker Guyon Espiner also produced a documentary about New Zealand’s drinking culture and the alcohol industry late last year “PROOF” can be viewed here or by clicking on the picture (right).
