The peacock network is announcing today that the eight-year-old soap Passions has been cancelled. This comes as a shock to some but the writing has been on the wall for awhile. Still, things may not be as grim as they may seem.
Passions debuted on July 5, 1999 and was created by Jim Reilly, a writer from Days of Our Lives. Reilly is the head writer on the soap and is an executive producer with Lisa de Cazotte. The supernatural sudser takes place in fictional New England town Harmony and replaced the long-running Another World. Now it looks like Passions will be replaced itself.
The soap has been in danger for quite some time. When NBC renewed the series in May 2006, the network renewed it only for one year and required significant budget cuts. As a result, $4-5 million was slashed from the yearly budget and caused several crewmembers and performers to be let go. Now, nearly a year later, NBC has cancelled the soap. Why?
NBC recently announced that they would be expanding the popular Today Show from three to four hours weekdays. The Today Show is a great cash-earner for NBC and has been around for 55 years. The cast, including Matt Lauer, Meredith Vieira, Ann Curry and Al Roker, is scheduled to hold a news conference today at the Television Critics Association (TCA) winter preview tour to announce the news show expansion.
That “super-sized” version of Today will leave NBC affiliates with one less hour in their mid-morning slot. To compensate, NBC is releasing the Passions timeslot to affiliates. As a result, Passions will be pulled — though not for awhile.
The present Passions contract runs out in June but the new expanded Today won’t debut until Fall 2007. To fill the summer months, NBC is expected to negotiate with the Passions cast and show creatives to extend the soap until August. That could be the end.
But, like Tabitha and any good soap fan knows, there are always possible ways to cheat death. How could Passions survive?
NBC is proud of the soap. As recent as last week, the network issued a press release touting the fact that Passions was fourth in the ratings for all soaps in the very desirable female 18-34 demographic. Passions even tied for first place (with Days of Our Lives) for that demographic for the first week in January. As well, NBC owns Passions completely, allowing the network to keep all profits.
Because of its strong popularity with young women, there are rumblings that NBC may try to keep the series alive elsewhere. Possibilities include producing the soap (perhaps in a shortened version) for Disney’s SoapNet cable station, the struggling MyNetwork TV or even on the Internet.
The soap won’t go off the air for several months so we probably won’t know what the future holds for Passions and the Harmony residents for quite some time.
What do you think? We know there are lots of Passions fans out there. Would you like to see the soap continue? If so, consider signing our petition (leave a comment) so NBC and Passions executive producers Jim Reilly and Lisa de Cazotte will know how you feel. We’ll keep you posted on any new developments. Stay tuned — and in the meantime, let’s save Passions! 
Please note, due to the overwhelming response, 4,500 petition comments have been archived (for bandwidth issues).
To NBC Daytime Programs
cc: Jim Reilly and Lisa de Cazotte
We, the undersigned have enjoyed much of your programming, particularly the ongoing Passions series. We have enjoyed the stories and the work of the cast each week and are dismayed about the announced cancellation.
We believe that the ratings have not accurately shown the show’s popularity and potential for future revenue.
We respectfully request that you reconsider your decision to cancel Passions and to find a way to keep it on NBC daytime. If that is not possible, we implore you to find another venue to continue telling the engaging stories of the people of Harmony.
Thank you in advance for your attention and consideration.
The Undersigned fans of Passions
Please do NOT cancel PASSIONS!!!!!!!!! I LOVE THAT SHOW AND WATCH IT EVERYDAY!
PLEASE SAVE PASSIONS ITS THE BEST SOAP OPERA EVER!!! AND NOBODY WANTS TO WATCH THE TODAY SHOW FOR 4 HOURS ANYWAYS!!!
I have been watching passions since the first day it aired and I have loved it since. Please dont let this show be taken off the air. If anything why not put it on later in the day when people are more likely to watch because they wont be working.
PLEASE! DO NOT CANCEL PASSIONS! I HAVE WATCHED IT SINCE THE BEGINNING AND RECORD IT ON MY DVR EVERY DAY SO THAT I DO NOT MISS AN EPISODE! THE TODAY SHOW HAS ENOUGH TIME AS IT IS! EVERY GIRL I KNOW IS ADDICTED AND WATCHES IT EVERY DAY! PLEASE SAVE MY FAVORITE SHOW!
Do we really need another hour of the Today show?! Please keep passions you can move it to a cable network, at night, something but don’t completely end the show.
Please don’t cancel Passions. I have been hooked for years! There is a show IVillage on at 12pm in New York, cancel that show to save Passions…anything, please!!!!!
Please don’t take passions off the air! I started waching it all mosst five years ago, with the idia that I hated soaps. now my boyfriend watches the time during the day so that we are sure not to miss it. on most occations We meet with my best-friend to watch passions if that doesnt happen we always meet up to talk about it. WHAT WILL WE DO IF PASSIONS IS NOT ON AND TO ADD ONE MORE HOUR OF THE TODAY IS JUST TO MUCH IF THE TODAY SHOW IS SUCH A MONEY MAKER THEN NBC MIGHT NOT WANT… Read more »
I have been watching Passions since the very first day it aired. I would greatly appreciate if you would LEAVE IT ALONE!!!
Please take off Atlanta & Co. It is soooooo boring!!!!!! Leave Passons. Can’t NBC tell how many people want it to stay on?????? If it must go to another station, then NBC will loose alot pf viewers.
please save passions. i really like this soap. it is so different than any other soap. i missed watching it from the beginning but i got hooked into it easily.
please don’t let passions go off air my mom and i watch every show we even got tvo so we could record the shows so we would not miss them we have watched passions since the first show in 1999 and have been dedicaded since even thought we hate the story line at the moment we still love the not stop action we would like to see ethan and theresa be happy for a change. if you guys can’t save the show hopefully, you will write the last month so that all harmony’s residents are great and happy, and those… Read more »
SAVE PASSIONS! THE BEST SOAP IN THE WORLD!
I love passions. I DVR it during the day and watch it before I go to bed. Why, when things are going good would you want to cancel it. I just read it today in readers digest. I am so dissapointed, it’s feels like
I am loosing something.
dont cancell passions, the show is one of the best i have been watching it since it has started. i do admit i have missed a few episodes but i love the show and dont want to see it go. my afternoons will be ruined.
I L-O-V-E Passions, and adding a 4th hour to the today show seems pointless. Most in the age rang that watch Passions don’t care to watch the Today Show, so NBC is just losing out.