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 Passions, its the only soap that keeps you guessing, its a real thrill, daytime tv would’nt be the same without it, so keep Passions on the air pleaseeee!!!!Please keep it on cable!!!!!!!!!!!Who really wants to watch satelitte?????? NO ONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have watched PASSIONS for about 5 years and have enjoyed every bit. I missed the first few years and I was able to catch it on the Sci-fi network for a few months from the begining and then it stopped running I was upset that I could not see it all. There was not even a warning. I thought my tivo was not recording. I understand that you are trying to make room but just offering PASSIONS to direct tv is not your best idea. Please reconsider another option.
please do not cancell passions it is best there is and if its removed nbc’s ratings will go down u know people rarely watch nbc anyway
PLEASE, PLEASE DON’T GO OFF THE AIR! I LOVE PASSIONS SO MUCH, PLEASE DON’T GO! YOU CAN’T TAKE OFF…YOU CAN’T PLEASE!! IT’S MY REASON FOR WATCHING TV.
i AM A SENIOR, I AM LIMITED, TO JUST A FEW HOURS A DAY T V I CANNOT AFFORD DIRECT TV, I FOR ONE AM VERY DISSAPOINTED, YOU HAVE DECIDED, TO REMOVE MY ULTIMATE FAVORITE SOAP FROM N B C AS FOR THE TODAY SHOW PLEASE NO SHOW!!!!!!!! YOURS SINCERLY BERNICE
i have been watching passions since it started and i am EXTREMELY UPSET (!!!!!!) that its moving. its not right for people who have watched it for all this time!!! now what are people supposed to do, like me, who feel like they know these people? now the story will end for us? thats not right!!! i am not changing my cable network. i have had direct tv and was not thrilled with it. this sucks!
I have watched Passions since 2000. It is the only soap I have ever watched, and should NBC cancel it, it will be the last thing I’ll ever watch on that network. I can give up my Law & Order addiction, but Passions, never! I will be living in Malawi, Africa for the next couple of months, and one of the only things making it easier was the fact that I could keep up with Passions online. DirectTV is not an option for me, but neither is giving up Passions. PLEASE reconsider! If the 18-34 female demographic is so coveted,… Read more »
YOU CANNOT CANCEL PASSIONS!! IVE BEEN WATCHING IT FOR YEARS AND IT JUST CANT BE OVERR!!
Passions is a great soap – good escape from all the daily bad news – keep it going.
E.Ashley CA.
Please do not cancel passions, I started watching passions a year ago and have really started enjoying the soap. I would rather watch Passions than Today’s show. Help save a good show.
PLEASE don’t take Passions away from us!!! I cannot even GET Direct.TV where I live!!!!
Please don’t take passions off of NBC.I watch 2 soaps Days and passions. There’s more left unsaid to the show and characters.To run the Today show longer is to much for me, I don’t even watch. do AL,Catie and the others really need more $? Days should be cancelled first,It’s getting to boring with the same old “keep comming back to life” characters and dialog. I was raised on ABC, General hospital,All my childern,and One life to live. I love NBC cuz you all changed the soap stuff and made it fun to watch.I was bummed when you took Sunset… Read more »
please don’t cancell passions , ypu have already taken another world off the air and i thought that you would never be able to replace it with another soap but i was wrong. why take off a good show and replace it with nothing. at least you could end it for the veiwers who can’t afford direct t.v., or in the least keep it on line.
this is so sad that they are taking passions off public tv and going with sattelite! not every one can afford dish or digital,so it is really unfair! my mother who is 56 years old loves this show. she has been watching since day one, and she is on a fixed income and cannot afford dish or even digital. im not understanding why you are doing this? do you understand how many viewers you are dissapointing and loosing?you have tried so hard to keep it interesting and keep people watching…now your cancelling? whats the deal? america is very hurt by… Read more »
please don’t cancell passions , ypu have already taken another world off the air and i thought that you would never be able to replace it with another soap but i was wrong. why take off a good show and replace it with nothing. at least you could end it for the veiwers who can’t afford direct t.v., or in the least keep it on line.