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 am so glad Passions found a new home, but I have dish network and can’t afford to have Direct TV too. I hope it will be available to watch online!!!!
yall need to keep passions on nbc because i really love passions and yall but now im gonna hate it and yall because yall are making passions switch to directv.please keep passions on nbc please.im gonna pray and hope.
I HAVE BEEN WATCHING PASSION FOR 8 YEARS .SO PLEASE DO NOT MOVE IT TO DIRECT TV .JUST LEAVE IT THE WAY IT IS KNOW ON CH 4ON THE DISH.I CAN NOT AFFORD DIRECT TV.I SURE WILL MISS PASSION ALOT IF IT MOVES.
Please dont take passions from us! Passions is still going on, on nbc…. i try not to watch just so i won’t miss it once it goes to direct tv. BUT I CANT TEAR MYSELF AWAYS FROM IT! IM A MOTHER OF TWO… I NEED A BIT OF WITCH CRAFT IN MY LIFE! AT LEAST PUT A ENDING SO WE WON’T HAVE TO GUESS WHAT HAPPEN TO EVERYBODY IN HARMONY!!!!!!!!!! I DONT HAVE DIRECT TV!!!! PLEASE …. PLEASE…. PLEASE DONT TAKE IT AWAY!
I really hate that Passions is being moved!!! I have a cable TV bundle package and switching to DirectTV would ruin the savings break that my family is currently getting through the bundle. Furthermore my fiance’ would have a fit if we moved from cable because there are certain channels we get through cable that he can’t live without. I really, seriously hope that NBC reconsiders their decision or at least offering it through cable somehow or the Soap Network channel (the one that shows re-runs of episodes on cable). At least then those who have regular TV could probably… Read more »
I am very sad about passions leaving NBC it is my favorite show. Myself like other people do not have direct tv to me it is a luxury I would appreciate if I can still watch passion online like I am doing right now while on my lunch break at work. Thanks
please dont cancel passions, i have wated it from day one, i work in a hospital, and my pt’s talk about it, male and female, how much they love the soap. i get home at 1, a.m. and shower and watch it,
this is a huge show in louisiana,
This is unfair and wrong, Direct tv isn’t all its hopped up to be if its anything like satelite good luck seeing the show. They should keep it on cable instead of replacing it with a dumb show. cliff hangers? come ON!
I am so disapointed that I wont be able to watch passions. I have Dish network and I am not able to change. This is one of my most favorite soaps. I wish they would rethink their decision of taking it off regular tv. I have been watching passions since it started airing.
Hi ther just wanted to say that I love watching passions when my baby is asleep and I get to relax then I wont be able to watch it if you move to direct tv I already have dishnet work been with them from the begining and am not going to change so I think that it is unfair. So needless to I have enjoyed the eight years you have been on nbc so good luck.
I been watching Passions since 1999 and i love my comcast cable so can you please leave it on nbc 10 that show is my favorite i can’t wait to get home from work to watch it now what am i supposed to watch.
I love the show, but I am an online watcher. I am at work at 2PM so I have to watch on the web. Please keep the show on the web so people without Direct TV can keep watching it.
i like passions cause it is so nice i really think vincent should pay for wat he have done…..and eve did the rite thing
Im only 14 years old and i am really upset because this show is the only show that i watch on tv i’ve been crying everyday just because its going to be moving to direct tv and my parents dont have enough money to switch over and i wish that u could be able to watch it online for free or i think that direct tv should try to contact comcast so we could watch it even if its on a different channel im trying to do everything i can just to watch the show.
ha passions let me know what’s happening on all episodes of 9th season. of passions. Because I love watching passions and finding out what happens