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
As you know,we seniors,live on fixed incomes,and don;t have money for Direct t.v..And I live in a trailor park that will not allow the dish on a pole,as I have too many tress blocking the waves.When I retired I throught I would always have my soaps(days of our lives,passions.IT IS NOT FARE.
Keep passons on the air. It is more interesting than some of the other soaps.
Please don’t take passions off NBC not everybody can afford directv. Passions and Day’s of our lives are the best soaps on T.V.
If you take it off NBC I will be forced to watch CBS or ABC. I will no longer watch NBC.
Don’t cancel Passions
I am very disappointed that Passions is moving. I will not switch to Direct TV. My daughter and I have watched Passions for years together. I dont understand, if Passions had such bad ratings then why are all these people protesting this. I think NBC is making a big mistake. I know I dont want to watch another hour of the Today show! Oh wait I dont watch the today show at all!! I watch the early show on ABC. I will miss you Passions. Your the greatest!
Please NBC don’t cancel Passions!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Direct TV is something that alot of people including myself cannot afford. Punish the poor? Make the rich more spoiled? Shame on you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Joanna
Please do not cancel passions. I love that soap. It’s the best one that I like. I guess I will have to get satellite T.V. Thank you Lori Rickett
Please don’t cancel passions it is the only soap i watch and i watch it every day.
Are you CRAZY??? HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND???? It’s bad enough that Ellen DEGENERATE and no I did not misspell her name. I had rather look at a blank screen than have to look at that LESBION, but to have her take Passions time spot is unbelievable. This is the first time I have ever written a protest on programming, but you have lost your MARBLES. If it wasn’t for Days, I would not watch NBC at all. In fact, I have quit watching NBC, except for Days. At least all the other networks are loyal to their soaps. You… Read more »
please don’t take passions off tv.this is a great show !!!!!
It’s really a shame to see Passions leave NBC and go to Directv. For many of us, we do not have this subscriber, and we feel it is unfair to suggest that if we want to watch “our” show that we must subscribe to a provider that we might not otherwise have chosen. I have commitments with Dish Network. Though I enjoy Passions, I simply cannot change my entire home wiring from Dish to Directv just to watch 1 show. If NBC needs the 2pm timeslot, maybe they should move Passions to another slot, so at least it gives those… Read more »
PLEASE SAVE PASSIONS!!!!!!! Don’t take Passions away from us. Passions was the only soap opera I could find that I could relate to. Even my grandma loves this show. We will be brokenhearted if it will be cancelled. Please leave Passions on NBC. Not everyone in this world can afford directtv. So please do us a favor and leave it on NBC. It gives me something to look forward to whenever my son is taking naps. Thank you and we would greatly appreciate it if you left Passions along.
Dear NBC,
I am a passions fan and i’m sad that it’s moving to direct tv. Where i live at i can’t receive direct tv and i was wondering that since passions is on-line can you guys keep it on-line so fans like myself can keep watching it on-line.I Really hope you guys think about keeping passions on-line,but if not i don’t know how i’m going to keep up with passions. Thank-you for taking the time to read this
I think this is a huge mistake to move this to Direct TV. That is not a user friendly cable network. Many people will not be able to enjoy the show. What a shame.
Dear NBC, I am a Passions fan and i am very sad that it’s going to direct tv,why you might ask. Because i don’t have direct tv i have cablevision and where i live at i can’t get direct tv.So i think that nbc should keep passions on-line going so fans like myself can keep watching it. I hope you really think about keeping passions on nbc.com. But if not then i’ll just have to fine another way to watch it when it goes off the air. And yes i know September 7th is the last day for passions to… Read more »