Oh, I dunno. I don't really find it depressing. It's the nature of television especially to do that. Something about the fact that being on-screen, within a carefully-controlled frame, means that characters necessarily have to get into each others' personal space a lot more than is the norm for Western society, and that sends a signal of intimacy to most viewers, which can be interpreted as romantic/sexual attraction.

I myself happen to be a big fan of the whole familial love/undying loyalty thing (I love the motto of House Tully in George R. R. Martin's "Song of Ice and Fire": Family, Duty, Honor. It really resonates with me), so I tend to seek out stories which emphasize that.

FF.net does give me hope for my poor scribblings. ;)