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!
well it’s so sad that we won’t be watching passions any more
hi everyone, ihave been loking to see the movie online. but i can not find it. does anyone can help me?
Just grea…I was wondering whay happened?? So, Passions is cancelled…Scrubs (my/my hubbys)FAVORITE show…last ‘season’ as well…I have cable! I’m not changing either. Not much incentive to even watch TV…it;s got so much thrash and junk now!!! We stopped watching ‘Earl’ because the content has brcome sooo raunchy! Seems astho every show on TV (main networks) has to have a ‘token’ homosexualand no I don’t ‘hate’ anybody…whay ever happened to ???
This is crap. You have to have a credit card to have Direct TV. If you don’t believe in credit cards you don’t watch your show. I feel that this is one more way of taking away any thing for free, and making us pay for it. And we think Russia, Iraq, Iran,etc. are the ones with the problems and we’re free? We are more conrolled than you think.
WILL WE BE ABLE TO VIEW THE SOAP ON THE WEB? I LOVED THIS SHOW AND WHEN I WAS A STAY A HOME MOM NOW THAT I’M WORKING I’M NOT HOME AT THE TIME IT IS ON ANYWAY, BUT IT WOULD BE NICE IF I COULD VIEW THE EPISODES I MISS ON THE WEBSITE.
You all are wrong for taking Passion off regular tv that was the best show to me and I can’t even watch no more I use to watch on the soapnet but I can’t even do that no more either PLEASE bring it back to regular TV THANK YOU
Passion is my show and now that you all have took it off air i can’t watch it anymore.i’am a stay at home mom and i do it all by myself and direct tv is too much money. i wonder if you can put it back on air and also having it on direct tv. passions have all the drama and i need to find out what’s going on i just know harmony got’s something goin on.
you know as if it wasnt bad enough having to wait in suspence and waiting for Terisa and Eathan to get back together, we then have to freak out on Gwean walking in with the baby who she sys belongs to her an Eathan. Now we cant even watch what is that? So what now we all have to go and order DirecTV to continue to watch a soap that we have all come to love. Why is it we always have to fork out more then we reseave this is such a pain.
Pls bring passions back on regular TV. I can not afford Direct TV, and im not willing to get it just for 1 channel.
I have to read whats going on with the show on their website, but im not always on the computer. BRING PASSIONS BACK ON REGULAR TV!!!
Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
I think it was a big mistake moving Passions to Direct TV. I don’t have it and I certanily WON’T get it. It cost way to much and it is not even worth it.
BRING BACK PASSIONS that should be all I have to say. I am from Canada and it is the most comedic, and only soap that appeals to me (and meny others), this has taken away my 1 hour of tv that I actually watch.
I am so disappointed in the fact that passions sold out to direct tv, ive been a life long fan and now i have to go out and pay out abunch of money just to keep watching. (by the way thats not going to happen) this is stupid. Your loosing alot of fans this way. We would host passion partys with a bunch of friends to watch and this is just stupid. Congradulations on the loss in your numbers for selling out. Look me up when you decide this wasnt such a good idea and you come back to nbc.
I was very upset to hear “Passions” was going to direct tv. My sister and I just purchased a new home and can only afford cable. I have been watching Passions since it started, now what? I would love to see a sight for those who can’t get direct tv to be able to watch the show online. I miss it!
I been watchin Passions sence 1999 8 years..Passions is my number one show so why cant u leave it on nbc i can not aford direc tv so how am i gonna stay watching passions on my tv and not on the computer pleaze pleaze pleaze pleaze put passions back on cable tv
They could at least put it on soapnet since it is a soap. I am going to miss passions. I have dish tv I pay 60.00 a month and for me to get the same channels I would have to pay 99.99 to direct tv. there is no way. why can’t they just put it back on NBC or put it on SoapNet. I am really upset. I am really starting to think it is all for the money not the fans…… Please put it on dish tv, Soap net PLEASEEEEEEE…. You will get a whole lot more viewers. instead… Read more »