Variety Article

The Peacock has pulled the plug on "Passions." Net today will announce the cancellation of the nearly eight-year-old soap, which was known for its young-skewing supernatural storylines. Death had been anticipated in the wake of NBC's decision to expand "Today" to four hours (Daily Variety, Jan. 15).

NBC's contract for "Passions" runs until June, but since the extra hour of "Today" won't begin until the fall, it's expected the Peacock will try to extend the show through August. Net still needs to negotiate those deals with talent and producers.

Peacock was proud of "Passions," often touting its young femme numbers. Just last week, net issued a ratings release noting the sudser's No. 4 ranking among all serials among women 18-49 and its first-place tie with "Days of Our Lives" as the top sudser among women 18-34 for the first week of January.

NBC also pointed to the fact that it owns "Passions" outright, allowing it to keep any profits from the skein.

Cancellation of the skein points to the increasingly harsh economic climate for sudsers. Daytime insiders say it's likely one or two more daytime dramas could be killed by the end of the decade.

Because "Passions" is such a strong brand among young femmes, it's believed NBC will try to find a way to keep the show alive somewhere other than the network. An Internet platform is a possibility, while NBC might also talk to Disney to see if the conglom would be interested in producing a shortened version of the sudser for its successful SoapNet cabler.

Another potential home might be News Corp.'s barely breathing MyNetwork TV, which has had no luck drawing auds with its cheaply produced telenovelas.

Launched in July 1999, "Passions" was created by former "Days of Our Lives" scribe Jim Reilly, who remains exec producer and head writer. Lisa de Cazotte also serves as exec producer.

Skein was set in the town of Harmony, and at various times featured characters such as Timmy the doll-turned-human and Tabitha, the 300-year-old witch.

Edited January 17, 200718 yr by Kenny

This does upset me a little bit, though.

Not that I want Passions to go. I'm just upset that NBC never gave an option to "Another World." There was no SoapNet then, no MyNetworkTV, and it wasn't marketable over the internet.

That was eight years ago, what a different time that was back then.

NBC, you struck again.

Actually, now that I think about it, I'm sure the cast isn't surprised. I bet some people on the cast and crew were surprised when they were renewed time after time.

I'm really sorry for all of you Passions fans. I never really watched Passions, but I know how what it feels like to lose a show that you like. It isn't easy losing something that you've invested in, and enjoyed 5 hours a week, for years.

It's too bad that people actually take pleasure in a show's cancellation. I remember when Another World went off the air, and people were happy about it, saying almost the same things that people have/will say about Passions being cancelled now.

Say what you will about Passions, but even if it wasn't your type of show it's cancellation will have a huge effect on the rest of daytime. Like other posters have said, with the state that the genre is in right now, this cancellation will begin a domino effect that will forever change Daytime TV as we know it.

We shouldn't be calling for the cancellation of a show because we don't like it, or it isn't what it used to be. We should be working on finding ways to see these shows (and the genre itself) improve before it's too late.

WALL STREET JOURNAL

http://online.wsj.com/google_login.html?ur...Dgooglenews_wsj

I'm really sorry for all of you Passions fans. I never really watched Passions, but I know how what it feels like to lose a show that you like. It isn't easy losing something that you've invested in, and enjoyed 5 hours a week, for years.

It's too bad that people actually take pleasure in a show's cancellation. I remember when Another World went off the air, and people were happy about it, saying almost the same things that people have/will say about Passions being cancelled now.

Say what you will about Passions, but even if it wasn't your type of show it's cancellation will have a huge effect on the rest of daytime. Like other posters have said, with the state that the genre is in right now, this cancellation will begin a domino effect that will forever change Daytime TV as we know it.

We shouldn't be calling for the cancellation of a show because we don't like it, or it isn't what it used to be. We should be working on finding ways to see these shows (and the genre itself) improve before it's too late.

Well said Shakur!

One of the most intelligent posts tonight

I couldn't have said it better myself Shakur. I love your post. It is one of the most intelligent posts of the night.

Preach it Shakur!!! The cancelation of Passions has now sparked ABC to think about their morning lineup and GMA going another hour...this is of course going to have huge effects on this genre as a whole!!!! Daytime is a unfortunately a dying breed. And I'm sad!

I don't want PASSIONS on MyNetworkTV fulltime at the expense of my telenovelas. Sorry. As much as I hate it for PASSIONS fans, the last thing I want is for a new type of programming to get shelved for something that HAD its chance in daytime.

I say just let PASSIONS go, if it can't stay on network daytime TV. I don't want to see it end, but it's already not going out with much dignity. Putting it on MyNetworkTV or SoapNet or wherever would only prolong its misery.

As for the show going to another network, I honestly don't see that happening. In all my years of watching soaps, only two shows have changed networks (EON and SFT) and where are they now? Of course I realize that now we have more networks, the internet and all that, but none of them offered to pick up PC, SuBe, etc. and I don't think they will be willing to pick up Passions either. I also think that NBC can hardly wait to rid itself of JER.

As for the show going to another network, I honestly don't see that happening. In all my years of watching soaps, only two shows have changed networks (EON and SFT) and where are they now? Of course I realize that now we have more networks, the internet and all that, but none of them offered to pick up PC, SuBe, etc. and I don't think they will be willing to pick up Passions either. I also think that NBC can hardly wait to rid itself of JER.

I certainly hope that's true. I shudder at the thought of JERk EVER returning to DAYS again.

Looking around the 'net, it's incredible how many people still refuse to believe that Passions has been cancelled, even after it was confirmed by Variety. Denial really ain't just a river in Egypt! They want to hear it from NBC or they won't believe it. It's nuts. Many of us have been there and done that as far as seeing our favorite soap cancelled but were we ever this bad?

JER is done in daytime forever. No one will even touch him in their most desperate hour now. He won't except anything other than a HW position and no one is gonna be offering. He did this to himself and has in the end screwed the fans royally. I didn't watch passions, but I know how this feels. I went through this with AW and it gets hard to know your show isn't gonna be there anymore.

What an awful day for daytime. Passions certainly wasn't the genre's crown jewel, but its death will cause a ripple effect.

With his DAYS sabotage and his awful work on Passions, Reilly really is a daytime serial killer. What a difference a decade can make...

Edited January 17, 200718 yr by Gray Bunny

Passions is sold on Itunes right? With how huge tv viewing online has become, i'm wondering if NBC might just try to keep Passions available online for a while...Would people watch???? i wonder what their Itunes sales are?