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
i love passion–my screen name is after fancy crane thats how much i love the show .i work hard all day an i come home to watch passion NOT ” DAYS OF OUR LIVES.I NEED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPEN TO TARESA-AN ETHAN, WILL THEY EVER GET MARRIED .i have watched passion since it started 1999. you can’t take this away from the passion lovers. take martha, that ray show ( loud mouth cook)jerry springer thats a wast too!!!!-judge joe brown just leave passions.why! why!i breath in an out an leave my troubles behind an i go to PASSIONS!!!!!
PLEASE DONT CANCLE PASSIONS.I HAVE BEEN WATCHING THIS SOAP SINCE DAY ONE,IF IM NOT HOME I RECORD IT ON TIVO.I HAVENT MISSED 1 DAY YET..AS FAR AS THE TODAY SHOW I WATCH SOME IN THE MORNING THEN MY SOAP IN THE AFTERNOON.I LOOK FORWARD TO WATCHING IT.ITS NOT FAIR TO EVERYONE ELES WHO CANT JUST SWITCH TO DIRECT TV.YOU HAVE THE POWER TO STOP THIS !!!!!! SO PLEASE STOP THIS
Dont take away Passions
Dont take Passions off the air.
If NBC takes PASSIONS off the air and replaces it with the Today Show, that is 4 more hours I will watch ABC. At least PASSIONS is entertaining, who wants to play “Where’s Matt Lowre”. DUMB Move.
I need passions, dont move it, keep it on NBC!!!!
PLEASE DONT CANCELLE PASSIONS I REALLY REALLY LOVE THAT SHOW FROM LUIS AND THERESA TO GWEN AND ETHEN AND KAY AND MIGUEL EVEN ALASTER CRANE PLEASE DONT CANCELLE IT.
PLEASE DO NOT CANCEL PASSIONS. IT IS ONE OF THE FEW SOAPS I CAN ACTUALLLY WATCH. NBC IS MAKING A HUGE MISTAKE. I HAVE PLENTY OF FRIENDS WHO CURRENTLY HAVE DIRECTV AND THEY HATE IT! I WOULDN’T EVEN CONSIDER GETTING IT
I can’t believe you would cancel this soap. Change the writing…maybe. You have great talent and they have presented storylines with such wonderful humor. What a shame! I stopped watching the Today Show when it became less intelligent and less humorous, now NBC is going to prolong the agony…WHY? I wonder who is in charge of the decision-making at the network; their have been a few questionable decisions of late. I feel sorry for you NBC you are about to learn a hard lesson in ratings.
What in the devil is NBC doing every time you get a good show on, all of a sudden it gets canceled. You draw use in, and we finally get used to a love the charecters, and BAM it’s cancelled. I have watched NBC all my life. Day’s of our lives, i love. We had “Another World” you cancelled it. Then there was “Santa Barbara” you cancelled it. Then we got “Passions”, now we have all learned to love Passions and all of the people on the show. So there only 4th in the ratings Passions is moving to DIRECT… Read more »
I HAVE been watching Passions since its first episode. this is total and complete BS thats its moving to a cable network that you have to PAY FOR..its the most ridiculous thing i have ever heard of!!! THIS IS THE ONLY SHOW ON TV I WATCH! MY ONLY ENTERTAINMENT MONDAY-FRIDAYS!! my ONLY thing i lookforward to watching !! WTF why would they do this? I have never heard of such a thing to do to a show that has so many fans ..! people have contracts that they cant just BREAK or get out of or let alone have any… Read more »
I love passions!!!!!!!!!!!!! I watch it every day. Please don’t take my passions away.
I’ve been watching this show since I was in high school. I’m a little upset I cant have Direct T.V. I have too many trees blocking their signal. I’ll find a way to see the show! Long live PASSIONS!!!!
Passions, is the best part of my day. I look so forward to every show. I record it and find time to watch it. WE live in an AREA that is full of trees and DirectTV won’t work here. I would love it on a PAY Channel. How about HBO?? This is the Passion in my life. Please don’t take it from me!!
pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee switch passions to direct tv dont take it away forever i have been watching it for years and years and years there is no other soaps like it please keep passions on the air !!!!!!!!!!!!