The view

THE conventional wisdom still applies: we do love a wedding. Last week, Australian TV's first family, the Rafters, celebrated the marriage of Ben (Hugh Sheridan) to Melissa (Zoe Ventoura) and 2.07 million people tuned in to see them tie the knot.

All worked up about nothing

In the murky realm of television commentary, overwrought headlines are par for the course. But few raise as many eyebrows as last week's media lather over the sudden smuttiness of the nation's most popular drama, Packed to the Rafters. The offending episode featured, among other things, a scene in which one of the characters is interrupted during a spell of self-pleasure. It has subsequently been the catalyst for much debate, some of it heated and €“ unsurprisingly €“ much of it by by people who have clearly never watched the show.

Rafters Pack In The Viewing Audience

NEW Aussie drama Packed to the Rafters has finished the year on a ratings high in Newcastle.

Packed To The Rafters: Final

3.5/5 PACKED TO THE RAFTERS: FINAL Tuesday 8.30pm, Channel Seven

Tuesday, November 25 - Critic's View

Packed to the Rafters

Rockin' The Rafters

ACTOR Craig McLachlan is the first to admit that playing an ageing rocker in Packed to the Rafters is not too much of a stretch.

Packed To The Rafters

3/5 PACKED TO THE RAFTERS Tuesday 8.30pm, Channel Seven

Circus Oz At 30 - On The Move And Kicking Up Its Heels

WHEN it comes to 30th birthday celebrations, Circus Oz knows how to party. Swinging from the rafters they were. Well, one of them, anyway.

Icebergs New Year's Day Party Bondi

hit New Year's Day is the new New Year's Eve. Icebergs was packed to the rafters with Sydney's beautiful people at Sydney's most beautiful venue. Many purposely had a low-key night so they could carve up the dance floor all day.

Fans Cheer Copeland To The Rafters

LANARD Copeland stood centre court with his arm around his great mate Andrew Gaze at the Cage last night as the Melbourne Tigers raised his singlet to the rafters to signal the retirement of his No. 21.

Opening Of Drift Cocktail Lounge Ravesi's, Bondi Beach

hit Single women of Sydney rejoice, your wishes have been granted! Drift, the groovy new cocktail lounge at Ravesi's was packed to the rafters with handsome straight men. That's right - straight men in the eastern suburbs. It's a Christmas miracle!

Storm's A-coming When Doug Anthony Leaves The Rafters

What with floods and frosts following days of sun, it doesn't take a reptile mind to know the global warming sceptics have got it wrong. Just ask the brush turkeys, writes Robert Drewe.

The Russia House

A Bondi deli filled to the rafters with unusual delicacies has more than the usual fare for a gourmet dinner.

Celtic-bound Mcdonald Ready For Life With The Hoops

AS SCOTT McDonald tells it, he's not sure who is more excited about his impending move to Scottish giant Celtic. The 23-year-old budding Socceroo is ecstatic about the move but his father John, a life-time Celtic supporter, is still swinging from the rafters of the family's Melbourne home.

Anita's Theatre On Track For Opening

THERE will be ringing in the rafters at Anita's Theatre this weekend after Wollongong City Council's decision to grant the venue an interim entertainment licence for the opening night of Wollongong Symphony Orchestra's concert series.

Hot Gear By Smart Alex Gets The Nod Style

ALEX Zabotto-Bentley's FashionAssassin show had Hugo's Lounge packed to the rafters on Wednesday night, and the man himself seemed thrilled with the showing that made up for his pulling out of Fashion Week at the 11th hour for personal reasons. Clearly his original idea for a "gentle, quiet little thing" was never going to happen. Instead, the show was a riotous party of colour and exuberance and the Lost Horizon range featured pieces that will undoubtedly become summer staples for Sydney's ...

Southern Exposure For League's Big Hit

THE collisions in tonight's decider should so shake the rafters of the Melbourne Telstra Dome that the southern heathens might well wonder what species of madmen play this game.

Bambini Wine Room, City

hit Chic venue, hyped-up and packed-to-the-rafters crowd, delicious cakes and the celebration of an impressive milestone in this sugary industry: this do had all the ingredients for a great Thursday night out.

Flair And Friendship Illuminate The Mcg

THIS was seemingly all Australian soccer could have asked. The night was made for playing. The new MCG was packed to its electronic door-jambs and lofty rafters.

. . . And Finally, Mauresmo Wears A Crown

THIS Australian Open women's final never really began, and never really ended. It started to the incongruous accompaniment of birds twittering loudly in the rafters of Rod Laver Arena's closed roof. It finished less than an hour later when Justine Henin-Hardenne - supporting herself on the netpost - told opponent Amelie Mauresmo that she was too ill and weak to continue. She was trailing 1-6 0-2.