THE SUMMER STARS OF CABLE: DRUGS, DRINK, DYSFUNCTION (WSJ)

By Nancy Vialatte

Cable TV is looking a wasteland this summer�littered as it is with a surprising number of drug users and problem drinkers. �The growing cast of addled characters comes as cable networks look for an edge during their most competitive summer yet,� notes the Wall Street Journal. Of the 17 new scripted series on TV this season, at least six of the new shows have characters who do more than dabble in the hard stuff. And for creators who need to hook viewers quickly substance abuse can help establish a show's edgy bona fides.

The "happy drunk" has been a TV staple since the "Honeymooners" era, but outright dependency is a newer trend, says Tim Brooks, a TV historian. "It's certainly ramped up this summer season," he says.

For example, on TNT�s "Saving Grace," Holly Hunter plays a hard-drinking cop who meets an angel after running someone down while driving drunk. HBO�s �John from Cincinnati� boasts a heroin-addicted surfer and a lieutenant colonel suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder self-medicates with booze on Lifetime's "Army Wives."

An additional three shows weave drugs and alcohol into story lines more generally, notes the Journal. In AMC's "Mad Men," characters often have cocktails in hand: "Should we drink before the meeting or after -- or both?" asks a character in the first episode, which aired last night. Brown-Forman Corp., maker of Jack Daniels whiskey, made a deal for its products to appear in at least three episodes.

No longer content to run repeats until fall, the big network broadcasters have tried to hold their ground in the hot months with new reality programs and glitzy game shows. But in recent years, cable networks have stolen the show by introducing more original offerings. Broadcast networks attracted about one million fewer viewers in prime time in June than a year earlier, while ad-supported cable gained about 300,000 viewers, according to Nielsen Media Research. For creators who need to hook viewers quickly -- some summer series get only eight episodes, compared with the typical 13 -- substance abuse can help establish a show's edgy bona fides.

There are signs, though, that characters with that kind of baggage may be hard to maintain long term. FX's popular "Rescue Me" broke ground four years ago with its portrayal of firefighters who drink too much (among other antisocial behavior). But the outlook for its fourth season is sobering: So far this summer, the series has lost about a third of its viewers from the same period last season, according to Nielsen.

Some behind the scenes are also quite protective of their dysfunctional creations. Nancy Miller, who invented the self-destructive detective that Ms. Hunter plays on "Saving Grace," says the titular character isn't an alcoholic, though she concedes "there are times when she drinks too much." Miller says Grace's bad behavior amps up the drama for viewers (the pilot opens with the character naked and having sex with a married man). But she says she is counting on Grace's redeeming traits to balance things out.

Ms. Miller's approach reflects the shift in how drugs and alcohol are depicted now that cable networks have gained credibility and ratings. Characters are now more likely to grapple with a drinking or drug problem over the life of a series, not just in an episode or two. The more limited approach -- typically associated with previews promising "a very special episode" -- often marked the influence of advocacy groups working with writers to send public-health messages.

While some watchdog groups say they are uncomfortable with the spread of drugs and alcohol on cable, advocacy groups are still active behind the scenes. Meredith Wagner, executive vice president of public affairs for Lifetime, says the network has worked with "several hundred nonprofit groups" to not only shape scripts but also to promote Lifetime's offerings to potential viewers. Recent partners have included a group called Operation Homefront for "Army Wives" and Mothers Against Drunk Driving for a movie called "The Party Never Stops," which aired in March, said the Journal.