The U.S. Figure Skating Championships usually pack enough sizzle to rival a racy TV miniseries.

Big names and even bigger drama. Tears and sniffles. Glares that make the blood run cold. Makeup and costumes better suited for the circus. A hit man even showed up one year.

It’s quality entertainment, and it never fails to disappoint.

With Michelle Kwan juggling college and diplomacy, and Sasha Cohen testing her skates in Hollywood, though, next week’s national championships in Spokane, Wash., are in serious need of a buzz. Unless Johnny Weir does something outlandish, nationals are in danger of being, dare we say it, dull?

“I think skating is just going through a cycle, but we will find a way to get back to the top,” said Tanith Belbin, an overwhelming favorite to win a fourth straight ice dance title with partner Ben Agosto.

“When a star steps down, another can step up. It’s natural and it’s an evolution that needs to take place,” Belbin said. “I think that will happen, but it cannot happen instantly. I think we all need to be patient and keep working hard. And not be disappointed, but be excited about what the future might hold.”

For every Olympic sport, the year after a games is generally a quiet one. Some athletes retire, others take a break and the next generation is still a year or two from getting noticed. But figure skating always found a way to stand out.

Go back to the late 1960s, and the United States has had an unbroken line of international stars. Peggy Fleming gave way to Janet Lynn and Dorothy Hamill. After Hamill, it was Linda Fratianne and Debi Thomas. Throw Scott Hamilton and Brian Boitano in there, too.

Then came the blockbuster era. Kristi Yamaguchi, Nancy Kerrigan and Tonya Harding were the first wave. Kwan took it from there, and was a crossmarket superstar for a dozen years. Cohen’s addition to the scene in 2000 added some spice.

Their appeal stretched beyond skating fans to corporate America, and they were considered celebrities as much as athletes. Television couldn’t get enough of skating after Tonya-Nancy, and you couldn’t flip channels most weekends without coming across some made-for-TV special or another. Skaters made millions, and it wasn’t only the women raking in the bucks.

“It’s a glamour sport, and with Peggy and Dorothy and Kristi and Michelle, it was magical,” said Tom Collins, founder of the Champions on Ice tour. “People seemed to like them on a personal basis.”

But figure skating has lost some of its luster in recent years. Olympic champions Tara Lipinski and Sarah Hughes took their gold medals and skated off, leaving the sport little chance to capitalize on their star power.

TV ratings have been dropping — the women’s final in Turin, typically the showcase of an Olympics, got beat in the ratings by “American Idol.” U.S. Figure Skating’s contract with ABC expires this spring, and the governing body is still negotiating for a replacement.

“Interest is high in figure skating,” said David Raith, executive director of U.S. Figure Skating. “All sports are cyclical in nature. When some people leave or are maybe taking a year off, it gives opportunities for others to step up. In our mind, we have great depth in all of our disciplines.”

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But skating needs to find its next bona fide superstar. Fast.

Belbin and Agosto are a personable, attractive pair who finally ended the United States’ Olympic medal drought in ice dancing with a silver in Turin. But dance is only now starting to register in the public consciousness, ranking slightly higher than curling and rhythmic gymnastics.

Weir and Evan Lysacek are among the top male skaters in the world, and Weir is a walking drama. Between his unusual — some would call them hideous — outfits and equally off-the-wall comments, his name is at least familiar to some in the mainstream public.

But the women always have driven interest in figure skating. And right now, nobody’s creating much of a stir.

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