Is Passions being cancelled?

[KLN]

I watched Passions today. All of it.

I also watched an episode last week... not sure the exact episode. Tuesday or Wednesday.

Anyway, I noticed that in today's episode, it was still New Year's Eve.

Today is... what, the 9th? I'm betting that it's been NYE in Harmony since at least sometime in December.

That's all I needed to see. JER's story ideas might have improved, but he still has a MAJOR, MAJOR problem with execution and pacing. And that's something I just can't get past. Characters talk all through an episode, leading up to the final cliffhanger at the end. The cliffhanger comes, then right at the start of the next day's episode, something happens to totally negate yesterday's cliffhanger and make it not pan out. This is an every day occurance! By the time anything is revealed, it's anti-climatic and doesn't lead anywhere, anyway.

Take that JT character, for example. Granted, I don't watch Passions much anymore. But from the bit I did see, he knew alot of secrets about everyone in Harmony and his presence threatened to expose those secrets. Everyone was all chomping at the bit to get him to expose certain people while keeping their own secrets undercover, and when it all comes to a head... he turns up dead. Now, all of a sudden, the stuff about him knowing their secrets is backburnered while they focus on who killed him for three months in a boring murder mystery that will have no cause-and-effect outcome, anyway... in essence, making it a waste of time. The murder mystery is nothing more than a distraction to make viewers THINK stuff is happening when, in fact, the base of the story is still stuck in Phase 1. By the time the murder mystery is resolved (if it ever is), characters will have return right back to Square 1... trying to expose each other's secrets. Second verse, same as the first, and it's an endless cycle that NEVER ENDS. Basically, JER says "hey, lookie up here... I'm holding a shiny sparkly star... isn't it pretty?" And he grabs your attention with it and then by the time that distraction fades away, you come to realize that you've just been hypnotized for three months and in the meantime, you're right back where you left off. This show goes NOWHERE. It's as if JER believes he'll be stricken terminally ill if he gives fans a payoff.

[KLN]

..and no, that can't be blamed on heading two soaps. JER was that way before Days, and he's still that way six months AFTER Days.

It's not the stories so much as the pacing. It's not even a snail's pace, is it? It's a rock's pace. It just sits there. Like a rock in the backyard. Doesn't move. Goes noplace. Just sits there... stagnant... no place to go. Until finally, Mr. Gardener decides to pick up the rock and force it to move -- enter cancellation.

[DruRocks]

In short JER is just not a good writer. Bill Bell was headwriting both Y&R/B&B for what 7 years, until Bradley Bell succeeded him. He was even headwriting both Y&R/DAYS for about 2 years. Then again I shouldn't even compare JER with William J. Bell. Now, William J. Bell, Agnes Nixon, Douglas Marland, Claire Lebaine...those were real writers, and in a class of their own.

[King]

Rick, PSNS has not improved that much at all. You have to be objective!

[Mason]

If anything, PSNS has just gotten WORSE since JER's been away from DAYS. I will never buy that flimsy "writing two shows burnt him out" excuse.

[King]

The Kay, Theresa, and Chad messes have gotten worse.

I am not sure why anyone would think it's gotten better.

[daysfan]

Him writing two soaps had nothing to do with it. I agree, Passions has been much worse since JER left Days, even though there was a breif period where Passions was better, not nearly as good as it's early years, but good in the Summer. But it was short, and after that everything was pretty much horrible, especially at the end of October up to now.

[Mitchapalooza]

I also never bought the "writing two soaps burnt him out". PASSIONS turned to sh*t LONG before Reilly returned to write DAYS.

Reilly certainly struck gold during his first stint at DAYS and during his first 6 months to a year on PASSIONS, but ANYTHING after this time period (save for the Zach dying story and the SSK on DAYS) has for lack of a better word, been ABSOLUTE sh*t!!!

PASSIONS is still the same show it was 3-4-5 years ago...it hasn't made any real effort to improve and IMO they only have themselves to blame for being in the position they currently are in with NBC.

DAYS and PASSIONS both were headed straight for the chopping block, DAYS has managed to put the brakes on that by MASSIVELY retooling the show...PASSIONS has yet to really do anything..and thus we are in the situation we are in now.

I do not want PASSIONS cancelled, but I will NOT for ONE SECOND blame NBC for it...the blame falls ALL on the Executive Producer, the no talent casting department and ESPECIALLY Jim Reilly!

Considering NBC has given PASSIONS almost 8 years on the air, speaks VOLUMES considering their ratings. No one can say PASSIONS never had a fair shot, they did...NBC has supported it very well over the years (alot better than how they treated SUNSET BEACH and ANOTHER WORLD), despite horrible ratings.

How many 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th chances is this show going to get?

[King]

Preach it, Mitch.

[RionPassions]

This "Passions was bad before Days" line is bullsh!t. Passions has been consistently good, and actually improved starting in 2004, when JER was in the thick of the Salem Stalker story at Days. I don't even understand why the fans are upset when I am consistently happy. This whole argument is dumb.

[daysfan]

Passions did improve a bit in 2004 to early 2005 but that quickly ended. All after was torture and possibly the worst of Passions ever.

[Mason]

You're right it is dumb to argue about it, because the truth is that except for 2004-mid 2005, PASSIONS has been utter crap since late 2002, and has only gotten worse. Everyone, except, it seems, you Rion, knows that.

[JER Soaps Fan]

Who's to say he ISN'T being objective? What if we just have a bunch of negative Nellies on SON? Because I happen to agree. The show is rocking again. Don't get me wrong, I HATE that this "world-renown" doctor has entered the picture and because of his clout, Kay can't make the connection that Julian paid him off to confirm that Fox is dying, but I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Mean Sheridan. This is one of the show's best stories in its history, hands down. It's just so perverted and wrong that it's entertaining! I mean, WHY is this aunt turning against her own niece, and what will she do next?! It really is like the whole Marlena is the serial killer on "Days" thing. The suspense is palpable.

Kenny and I will agree on one thing about this show, though: the pace must be picked up several notches. JER just has to resolve his stories and stop making new ones to confuse the viewer, when we totally know what's going on. This show must have thousands of loose threads, lol.

[mateo22]

Speak JSF! Not much in the mood for the debate, but Passions HAS been good lately.

[JER Soaps Fan]

Hell yeah it has!

By the way, NBC, i you're reading this, and still thinking of canceling my "passion for life," read my lips:

YOU.

SUCK.

HARD.