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 been whatching Passions since the first day.. Please dont take it away… It is my favorite show, I have see other shows and let me tell you they are not as good as Passions. please come back…
I love passions.I watch it everyday.It can’t be over just like that it’s not fair.The good shows always get cancelled,that’s why there is never anything on anymore.
Please don’t cancel Passions!!!! I’m a stay at home mom who lives for that show. Some of us can’t afford or are just not able to get direct tv. So forget the boring today show and keep Passions, or at least move it to something like the soap channel. Please help us keep our sanity keep Passions!!!
along with many of the fans here, i have been watching Passions since its very first debut episode in july 1999. i automatically became attached and couldn’t stop watching, not even to this day. it upsets me so much that passions has moved to direct tv..some people just cant afford it, or conditions or situations dont allow them to purchase or have direct tv. please, put passions back on nbc..wherei t belongs
I hope we can all save this wonderful show with an amazing cast. I watch other soaps like Y&R but Passions story lines bring so much life into the characters and makes it different from the rest. The main things that I love are Tabitha, and Beth with her crazy mom and that arangatang or whatever that thing was acting as a medical professional. In life we live our own reality and in comparison to Y&R yes it touches upon real life issues but even in life we have distractions come our way so why can’t we have the silly… Read more »
well.. i tell ya one thing, i looked forward to watching passions everyday, and i have been watching faithfully for 8 years, and well.. since the show has been foolishly cancelled, i can now say one thing again faithfully, NBC has lost a viewer! and i can bet that i will not be the only one! that was the worst move that a tv company could do.. and it doesnt matter what we say, the foolish people at NBC cancelled it anyway.. they dont care if they lose a few million viewers, just as long as they can keep their… Read more »
Passions is a show that myself and my neice watch and bond together is opens up the door for many conversations and allows us to speak freely about thing like sex, Love. It is a door opener. It may not always seem like reality or what is normal But who defines normal anyway?
We have lost for now but do not give up stop watching the channel and watch the ratngs drop.
There is no way a lot of us can afford direct tv.Whenever the wether is bad the whole thing gets knocked out anyway.I believe that if Passions leaves NBC the ratings for the show will drop dramaticly.The best move you can make is to keep it on NBC and air the show at twelve pm.
please don.t cancel passions,this is the only show my daughters and i wath together.i tape it everyday so we can watch it together.we have all watched it from the beginning.you have already taken crossing jordan,don’t take passions to!
PLEASE DONT CANCELL PASSIONS!!!! I love that show so much, I watch it everyday and I need to know whats going on in Harmony, its like Ethan just found out he has a son, Vincen isnt dead and your just going to stop it there. Thats not fair to us people who cant afford Direct tv and its all being done because The today show needs another hour I mean who watches that show that long come on so PLEASE PUT PASSIONS BACK ON so us people can still get the joy of seeing our favorite show everyday.. thank you
Please save Passions. I refuse to watch hear or see any of the Today show.
Don’t cancelle passions. What if some of us cant affored d.tv,what are we going to do? We were so upset went passions went off the air on nbc.we don’t need hours and hours of the today show.We all got rid of nbc on our tv’s we dont have anything to do with nbc anymore.Bring passions back.
~We are all very angry and disappointed in you~
Plane and simple don’t shut it off! Keep Passions going
I been watching passion for about 3 years now. I really got it to. I to wish to have it back. I cant afford to have direct tv along with cable here. Besides I live in an area where I would need permissiom from housing to get it. They frown on that alot please save it. I would miss so much.