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

That's why I'm celebrating. I no longer have a favorite soap thanks to these lame writers and their constantly playing favorites, propping, piss poor writing, lack of originality, regurgitation of tired stories, mistreatment of well-proven veterans, etc.. I'm celebrating because one by one these soaps are going down.

This is the dawn of a new beginning! One by one, DOWN. Whatever's left of soaps will be moving to MyNetwork TV. Once NBC phases out Days as well, other networks will soon follow suit. They won't be able to help themselves, or explain the overhead cost.

Please don't rob me of my joy. I've patiently waited two years for this. Please don't. I am bursting with excitement.

Edited January 18, 200718 yr by Foucault

Wishing for the cancellation of all soaps is not going to solve the fundamental problem. But at least someone is happy.

Don't know if this has been posted...the board is running slow...so here is this from the Yahoo homepage:

PASADENA, Calif. - NBC's "Today" show will add a fourth hour in September, stretching television's most popular and lucrative morning show nearly into lunchtime.

The fourth hour will likely resemble the current third hour, light on hard news and heavy on lifestyle segments, NBC executives said Wednesday. Al Roker and Ann Curry are currently hosts of the third hour, but NBC News President Steve Capus said it hasn't been determined who will do the fourth hour.

"The key here is the quality," said executive producer Jim Bell. "It will connect with the `Today' brand."

At the same time, NBC is canceling the soap opera "Passions." Both moves reflect a trend that advertisers have less interest in traditional daytime TV while morning news and entertainment is considered a growth area. Fox is introducing a new network morning show on Monday.

Roughly half of NBC affiliates are expected to take the fourth hour when it begins, Capus said. Some may air it at a different time of day.

"Today" host Matt Lauer, who will likely have little to do with the fourth hour, acknowledged that he was wary about the idea at first.

"You go into something like this with slightly mixed emotions," he said. "The one thing you don't want it to do is dilute the brand."

But he said he understood the business reasons behind it and was confident it will work.

Lauer's co-host Meredith Vieira will have nothing to do with the fourth hour for contractual reasons. Since she is host of the game show "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire," her contract forbids her from being a part of another show past 9 a.m. each day.

Capus also said he expected better results from the fourth hour than the short-run "Later Today" program, which aired earlier this decade with Florence Henderson as a host.

That show didn't work because it felt like something different from the "Today" show, he said.

This is so sad...but 'Later Today' didn't work...so why do they think it is going to work again and at the sake of Passions. I think what makes Today work is the combo that Al, Meredith, Matt and Ann have...so with no Matt and no Meredith what is going to make them what to tuune iin. Blah! On you NBC....SAVE PASSIONS!!

Among other things that is upsetting me with the cancelationo of Passions

hmmm, FOX is launching a new morning program? interesting.

I'd love to see Passions spun off into a half-hour animated series starring Tabitha and Endora, and centring around the supernatural elements. I think in the series finale, the "real" Harmony world should turn into a cartoon. I'd love to see Tabby, Endora, Hecuba, Grace, Faith, Charity, Miguel, Jessica, Kay, Miguel, Fox, Reese, Sam, Norma, Edna, and others appear on this show.

Maybe Passions will continue in a series of novels, like sequels to Hidden Passions. I certainly hope so. Or maybe we will see Passions the video game?

Hasn't Passions been a cartoon since day one?

I'd love to see Passions spun off into a half-hour animated series starring Tabitha and Endora, and centring around the supernatural elements. I think in the series finale, the "real" Harmony world should turn into a cartoon. I'd love to see Tabby, Endora, Hecuba, Grace, Faith, Charity, Miguel, Jessica, Kay, Miguel, Fox, Reese, Sam, Norma, Edna, and others appear on this show.

Maybe Passions will continue in a series of novels, like sequels to Hidden Passions. I certainly hope so. Or maybe we will see Passions the video game?

OMG<!>@!! I, like, totally agree. They should totally pump more resources into this failed show. Why not a Passions Monopoly Game? That would rock.

That would be cool, Andre!

Ohh, a Passions Monopoly game would be great!

Oh... wait. It's bankrupt. Oh well!

I actually thought the animated segment of Passions was pretty funny. Ivy as a dragon was too good to miss. If anyone has clips, please post them!

I was a loyal AW fan and I'm not happy about this. Any AW fan that blames Passions for it's cancellation needs a reality check. AW was on the way out, and had been on the verge of cancellation for years. If SB was cancelled instead of AW in June of 1999, AW would have simply been cancelled 6 months later.

Anyway, AW ruined itself years before it's cancellation, when they killed Ryan and split Paulina and Jake up for good. It just got worse and worse from there.

As an old AW fan at that time I have to embrace the schadenfruede and point out that at the time that it was cancelled, AW had better ratings than Passions EVER achieved.

Edited January 18, 200718 yr by shipperx

LOL A new day is born! The odor of Passions will soon leave the NBC lot. Sometimes, there really is a rainbow at the end of a long rainy two years.

I hear it.. Do y'all? I hear it.. Sing with me

Ce-le-brate good times

Come on!

It's a celebration.

There's a party goin on right here.

It's a celebration

That'll last throughout the year.

So bring your goodtimes (Eric's Ethan, TC, Whitney, Rebecca, Ivy and Sam)

And your laughter too (Early Tabitha, Timmy, and Precious)

And we're goin celebrate a party with you

COME ON NOW!

Celebrate goodtimes

Come on!

I have not been a fan of Passions but wishing cancelation on any of the remaining soaps and celebrating when it does happen is awful! If you are a true daytime fan you will realize this is going to hurt the genre as we have known it for years!! Within the FEW days of Passions news ABC began developing their additional hour and that is horrible, because one of our beloved soaps are going down. Yes as viewers, we bitch and moan all the time, but to wish cancelation on it is awful.

I'm sorry but I am not celebrating this, I think I'm going to pull out my widow weave and mourn!!

Are people seriously holding on a GRUDGE over Another World's cancellation? Honestly.

Next I'm going to hear CAPITOL fans jumping for joy when The Bold & the Beautiful is cancelled.

I thought most of us were a mature bunch here but I'm not sure anymore...

HAHAHAHAHA! WOW! I mean....he's really not a great actor at all so I found that funny.

But you have to agree...

WAY better than Travis Schuldt. Right?!

I put Martsolf on my list of favorite PASSIONS actors, and not those to make fun of.

Grudge? No. Couldn't work up that much caring one way or the other. However, I've never respected the show. I could give my opinion about the quality of the show but there's really no reason to go there. I can't , however, cry crocodile tears over its passing. I've witnessed better soaps with higher ratings bite the dust before it, so I see no shock or tragedy here. Frankly, considering the ratings, I've always been surprised when it was renewed.

Edited January 18, 200718 yr by shipperx