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 don’t move passions to direct tv there are still some loyal cable customers, and lets not forget about those who dont have the luxury of cable/direct tv that tune in loyaly. PLEASE DONT FORGET ABOUT THE LITTLE PEOPLE!!!
Will the insanity never end, how can sooo many really bad tv shows can stay on the air but NBC wants to take one of life’s little pleasures away from us! Please dont cancel Passions. After all like 3 hours of the same tv show isnt enough already, Please NBC for once think about the viewer’s instead of counting your stacks of money!!!!
It would be a travesty if passions were to be canceled. I have been watching passions since the very beginning. It is the only soap i’ve ever watched. I can’t believe it would be canceled to be replaced with 4 hours of TODAY SHOW? I mean seriously, there is already 3 hours of the show. Why cancel a show many people already watch to extend another show? I will not purchase direct tv, nor any of the products NBC advertises if this show is dropped. Misty
I love Passions!!!! i’ve never missed an episode. so it needs to stay on the air. please don’t take it off.
we all get sucked into this soapy and they then take it of i watched when it was on in the afternoon then they took it of then i watched when it was on at 2am got back into it then they started playing repeates what was the use of this leave it on in the afternoon
I have found passions to have a different twist than other soaps. I think the plots in the story stretch out for a long period of time but otherwise I have enjoyed this story, Especially Endora. I like the hour shows as I usually don’t get to watch an entire show. Don’t cancel this soap. My Mom watches also. DO NOT CANCEL.
You Can’t take Passions off the cable channels some of us don’t have enough money to switch to Direct T.V.. Passions is the reason i look forward to coming home home from school eatin a snack and watchin Passions. Then doing my homework. i love drama but i really don’t have that much in my world so this show gives me imagination. So please NBC don’t move Passions. I would rather Watch passions then the Today show i get enough of that in the morning if i watch it which is never. please with all my heart i love this… Read more »
Please don’t take Passions off the air. I watch it every day and when I can’t I record it to watch later. I really love this show and who needs three hours of a news shows anyway. Now everyone has direct Tv. I have cable and I don’t think its right to do this to people.
I love Passions and i will refuse to watch NBC if they take it off the air. I can’t afford Direct TV and i believe it is utterly unfair they think The Today Show needs yet one more boring hour. We are housewives and teens who deserve something from our world of cooking cleaning and takeing care of our families!! If they decide to take it off the air i think we should all stop watching NBC and see where their rateings go then.
I’ve been watching Passions since the first day it aired. It’s the only soap opera that relates to real life problems/joys. If nbc takes our show, they will lose ALOT of ratings. Leave our show alone, it’s just fine where it is!
Please don’t cancel or move passions. I only watch 2 soaps now and program them on DVR to be able to see them. It is not fair that you are using one of the best soaps to FORCEEEEEEE people to subscribe to a particular tv connection or not get what they like. After all we are the ones who PAY THE BILLS. That is DISCRIMINATION and against the rights of PASSIONS WATCHERS everywhere.
please dont cancle passions it is almost the only time i really have to my self i pay extra every month so i can have the local channles and extra for a dvr so i can record it i am the mother of 3 kids and a stay at home mom. i record passions every day and watch it at night when i am putting the kids to bed my 6 year old daughter loves it and she is disappointed because it is comming to an end. so i ask please dont cancle it. ive even got my motherin law… Read more »
please dont change passions to dirct tv i dont understand why we all cant enjoy this soap and anyways nobody is home long enough to watch today please dont cancell it i cant have any satalites as well as many other fand and passions wont survive TRUST ME
Well me like other BIG fans want to be able to watch passions because not only is it so exciting and trilling but it’s soap opera for the new generation can say they know thought and thought and be able to say,I can remember how this all started and unlike days it’s not arepeat of what what happened to Marlana happenig again to her daughter by the same man all over again.So if you take it off the air youmight as well take off Days aswell or replace Days with Passions. For the new generation of watchers.Days rating were probably… Read more »
DONT LET PASSIONS SWITCH TO DTV..ITS A WORTHLESS NETWORK!! THEY ARENT ALLOWING ANY ONLINE VIEWING AND THEY ARE GREEDY JERKS. AT LEAST PUT IT ON THE SOAP NETWORK ON CABLE SO PPL DONT HAVE TO SWITCH TO THEIR WORTHLESS NETWORK…OR SELL TO ANOTHER LOCAL CHANNEL SO POOR PPL CAN STILL WATCH EVERYONES FAVORITE SHOW!! WHO CARES ABOUT THE TODAY SHOW?? AND WHO IN THE HELL WANTS TO WATCH 4 HRS OF NEWS OR TALK SHOW OR WHATEVER THE HELL IT IS (IVE NEVER WATCHED IT SO I REALLY COULDNT TELL YA), I MEAN COME ON SERIOUSLY U REALLY THINK THE… Read more »