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Drama’s a downer on cable

This winter has been frosty for several cable dramas.

New shows such as A&E’s “The Beast” and TNT’s “Trust Me,” along with returning fare such as HBO’s “Big Love” and FX’s “Damages,” have proved ratings disappointments, compared with other recent efforts or ratings in previous seasons.

Though overall TV viewership is up slightly, the shows face a tougher climate than last year, when a three-month writers’ strike left broadcasters with few scripted series.

“Once you move into that late September to May period, it’s just math,” says Michael Wright, programming chief at TNT, TBS and Turner Classic Movies. “The broadcast network share goes up, and only so many people watch television. We have to fight and scrap every step of the way.”

And with more cable networks trying original series, there’s simply more competition during the traditional TV season.

“There are a lot more original cable series than there used to be, and some of them are airing opposite one another,” says Steve Sternberg, analyst at ad firm Magna Global USA. “A new show will no longer succeed simply because it’s an original cable drama.”

Newcomer “The Beast,” which earned heaps of publicity because of its cancer-stricken star Patrick Swayze, started slow and is slipping. Ad dramedy “Trust Me,” despite a plum slot behind TNT hit “The Closer,” has fallen by nearly half since its premiere. And returnees “Damages” and “Big Love” are down sharply from last season, amid smaller declines for network series such as “Lost” and “24.”

Bucking the trend: USA’s “Burn Notice,” which is scoring more than 5 million viewers in its second season.

Uniformly, programmers point to the increasing influence of DVRs, now in 29 percent of homes. When delayed viewing — and several weekly repeats — are factored in, the total audience is less tiny than it seems. HBO claims 5 million weekly viewers for “Love,” and the audience of “Damages” grew 38 percent with DVR use included, a bigger jump than for any other FX series.