In January, NBC announced that the network would be canceling the eight-year-old soap Passions in the Fall. Millions of viewers were understandably upset. After weeks of uncertainty, it looks like fans of the residents of Harmony will be able to rest easy — at least those who have satellite television.
The soap will end its eighth season on NBC on September 7th with a series of cliffhangers. DirecTV will begin airing the ninth season of Passions starting on September 17th. Passions will remain in its usual 2pm timeslot and DirecTV will also air encore marathons on weekends. This will be the first scripted drama series for the satellite TV provider who has been offering other original programming to its subscribers.
Executive vice president of Entertainment for DirectTV Eric Shanks said, “Passions fans no longer need to mourn the demise of their beloved program as it has found new life on DirectTV. We care about this show and are extremely proud to give it an exclusive home here at DirectTV.”
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Marc Graboff (president of NBC Universal Television, West Coast) added, “This new arrangement with DirectTV is truly a landmark development that allows NBC Universal to extend the Passions brand in a fresh and entirely new way, to DirectTV’s 16 million homes. It will reward the dedicated fans of the daytime drama who can continue to enjoy it on DirectTV and also opens up a great new model for other television programs to find new life on other non-traditional platforms.”
It is unclear how much DirecTV will be paying NBC Universal for the soap. Passions will be cut back from five to four episodes a week and will probably endure additional budget cuts. How these cost reductions would affect the soap cast and crew is unclear. The ninth season will begin filming in August.
The satellite provider is encouraging Passions fans to subscribe to the DirecTV service and is offering several incentives. Episodes of Passions are currently made available for free online at NBC.com and via iTunes. It’s unknown if online distribution will continue in some form but it’s looking doubtful thus far. Stay tuned!
I don’t have Direct TV and I have watched Passions almost from the first episode. Please, if it can’t be on network tv, put it on cable! I would watch it online, but its really not the same. Don’t take away my soap!
You can’t end passions!!!! Who on there right mind wants to watch the news for 4 hours are you nuts! I have watched passions since it first came on and I will be so disapointed if it ends!!!
how do you expect people to just switch to directv just like dat. i have dish and its not fair to yhe others who dont have directv. im really going to miss passions and hope i could watch on the internet
it’s been a very long time those of us in Ghana watched passions, all the same, I hope it will be free on line so that we can catch up.
I AM DEVISTATED THAT PASSIONS
IS BEING REMOVED FROM THE AIR
IT IS THE BEST SOAP OF ALL
TIME PLEASE DO NOT REMOVE IT
FROM NBC 10 I CAN NOT AFFORD
DIRECT TV SO ON A PERSONAL
NOTE I REALY ENJOY THE SHOW
IT.S AN ADDICTION I DO NOT
WANT TO MISS IT.
FRANCES AND EARL THANK YOU
I dont see the point. You have your viewers now you move it and lose the viewers because ALOT OF PEOPLE CANT AFFORD DIRECT TV then you wont have enough viewers to keep it alive anyway LEAVE OUR CHANNELS ALONE AND STOP TRYING TO LINE SOME ONES POCKETS OVERNITE BY MAKING OR TRYING TO MAKE US PAY MORE MONEY FOR OUR SHOWS.
ok direct tv isnt expensive. Seeing as i love passions i am getting direct tv and everything is free right now plus you can get 185 channels for like 50 bucks and considering that my cable bill is 130 a month that is a lot cheaper so bye bye cable and hello direct tv.
If was on comcast,as on Soap net, then could see it. But no way can afford or switch from cable to direct tv. In hud apt. cable ok not sat dish at many apt. allowed. Be recaps on line or in soap opera digest? So sad to see go. Edna
I LIVE IN CANADA AND DON’T KNOW IF WE HAVE DIRECT . I PROBABLY CAN’T AFFORD IT .
I REALLY LIKE THE SHOW AND WILL MISS IT.
I want Keep on T.V. not Directv.
I cant aford to get Directv.
Pleave try undersand that.
I am not about that Directv. I am so sad.
Why leave alone about on t.v.
I think it’s sad for the people who don’t have direct tv who won’t be able to watch it.my friend was so excited when she found out that the show as not canceled but will be now that she won’t be able to watch it.
This really sucks. I live in Canada and watch Passions on a daily basis and we don’t have direct tv here. How am I supposed to watch the show?
I am SO excited to see they are keeping Passions alive! I recently got DirectTV and because I am stuck in contract with it for 2 years, I am so glad that it was the place Passions is going! I am also glad to see the actors signing on one by one to stay!!
And another point! For those negative people leaving postings…if you don’t like it, then go somewhere else! We are focusing on the positive here and for those of us that want to watch it, we have that choice whether you like it or not!
i honestly hope they cancel this rediculous show for good…this is the worst soap opera ever to be made…there is no storyline whatsoever…no hook…there is nothing…ABSOLUTE WORST…dont make sense at all with anything..and plus they drag the storylines to long…it SUCKS..im glad it is off cabel…NO ONE watches DIRECT TV so of course nly the worst belongs there….
please put passion back online please because it is not right that some with get to see and other have to wonder about what’s going on .please dont take that away from us, we deped on on line fro those of us who work alday and dont own a dvr/hd.