Passions: CANCELLED by DirecTV

[nassaunew]

According to the webmaster at Evian Dreams, Tracey Ross (Eve) said that Passions has been canceled by DirecTV. The show will stop filming at the end of March 2008 and will stop airing during Summer 2008.

http://z9.invisionfree.com/edmb/index.php?showtopic=4293

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UPDATED

DirecTV to cut ties with 'Passions'

NBC soap may find another suitor in '08

By JOSEF ADALIAN

DirecTV has lost its passion for "Passions" -- but the NBC U-produced sudser isn't quite dead yet.

Satcaster has told NBC it won't be ordering a second season of the soap, which moved to DirecTV in September as part of a $40 million deal designed to bring more original programming to the service (Daily Variety, Apr. 25). NBC canceled the show earlier this year.

In order to keep "Passions" on DirecTV through August, satcaster has ordered 52 additional episodes of the show from the Peacock's Universal Media Studios. However, starting in early to mid-January, skein will begin airing just three times a week (compared with four weekly airings now).

"Passions" will go on an extended holiday hiatus next week, then return in February for another month of filming. Show will wrap production in March, and as of now, there are no firm plans for it to continue.

However, with UMS having reduced the budget on the show significantly, there's talk that "Passions" might yet find another life elsewhere. Newly acquired cabler Oxygen might make a good fit. Peacock also could turn the skein into an Internet-based sudser.

DirecTV and UMS declined comment.

Read the full article at:

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117977472.html

[Ryan]

I'm not joining a board just to read a post, lol.

Passions has been getting ratings equal to that of when they were on NBC. If they are canceled then too bad. However, I don't know how much I believe this....is that even an "official" board? Or is it a fan board?

[jcar03]

Wasn't It Just announced they were picking it up? It it is getting the equilivant of what it got on NBC on DirecTV then that is pretty good for them.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

I'm hearing Tracey Ross told the webmaster of a board to say this. I don't know how true it is, but why would an actress on the show do something like this?

DirectTV would be stupid to cancel Passions now, especially since its doing almost as well for them as it did for NBC. However, nothing surprises me in this day and age. With the strike on, DirectTV maybe doesn't want to help pay for scabs, even though some of the Passions writers have gone FiCore.

[Soapsuds]

Hmm...all the fans who got DirectTV for it to get cancelled. I didnt see it lasting long on DirectTV. Sorry, but the show was pure trash.

[David_Vickers]

Ron, I agree with you. The few good actors on the show, like Andrea Evans, Liza Huber, Lindsay Hartley, John Reilly & Tracey Ross , hopefully will get good jobs on other soaps. I hope Andrea will now return to ONE LIFE as Tina. Lindsay probably would make a good Adriana on ONE LIFE. John Reilly could return to GH as Sean Donely, but I doubt it. Liza Huber would be good on ATWT, or maybe on ONE LIFE as Kelly or AMC as Greenlee.

[nassaunew]

Tracey is a member of Evian Dreams, which is an Eve & Julian fan board. It's a legit board, and Tracey and Ben have posted there in the past.

[Chris B]

I just posted the link to an article that said PSNS is the highest rated show in DirecTV's 101 Channel history. WTF?! It was even confirmed by a DirecTV spokesperson.

[Kylie]

LOL, this is so funny. My mom was telling me today, that the teacher she works for husband worked did lighting on a soap. She said he lost his job not to long ago when the soap got cancelled and that he got it back when DirectTV picked it up. And then she said last week, the woman was complaining becuase her husband lost his job again. Of course my mom didn't know the name of the show, but what other soap got canclled and picked up by DirectTV this year? LOL

So, if my mom is write about what her boss told her, I'd say this is true and that DirectTV cancelled Passions. I'll have her ask the teacher on Monday.

[Vee]

Oh, the hilarity!

[juppiter]

This is really sad :-( I really wanted Passions to outlast the naysayers and be the little show that could.

[KLN]

Passions might have gotten decent ratings, but did those ratings generate enough cash to cover the show's budget? Despite the fact that the budget was slashed post-NBC, it still had a sizeable cast. The ratings, as decent as they might've been on DirecTV, just might not have been enough to cover those costs.

I didn't figure it would last long on DirecTV, anyway. Shows that air on cable, no matter how good they are, just never have the longevity that daytime soaps have had on the regular networks, no matter how good they are.

It also goes to show that the show should've simply ended on NBC, so that all fans of the show could've been given a real finale and payoff, rather than allowing it to continue on mercilessly and fade away without a whimper.

Why would it last air in summer of '08, though? What is it about Passions that allows it another full six or seven months of airtime, even after being cancelled? Are they planning to take it to radio next? YouTube? Broadway?

[patzo101]

I don't think it's right that DirecTV picks the show up, says it's the most watched show on the 101 history, and then goes and cancels it. Over at Coffeerooms, they're saying that the only reason DirecTV picked the show up was so they can get more subscribers. I agree. They don't care about "Passions", all they care about is getting new subscribers. Now that they did, they can forget the show ever existed. At least NBC treated this show with respect. The only thing we can hope for is for NBC to come to their senses, dump Today Show 4, and bring "Passions" back. That way, the show will reach its 10th anniversary, but that would be asking for too much. I really feel bad for the actors, they were so hopeful and were really committed to staying with the show only for DirecTV to slap them in the face. I'm pissed off for all of them. It's not right.

[DevotedToAMC]

Wow that did not last long

[KLN]

God, and the sad thing is, I could totally see this happening.

Just let this show die already! It's going to go through fifteen different forms of broadcasting before it's finally let go completely. What ever happened to bowing out gracefully? JER is going to do everything he can to keep his creation alive until it finally just whimpers out pathetically.

I would feel this way if it were Days, too. I would want the show to go out on top of its game rather than being tossed around from network to network to network and cancelled fifteen times before it's finally ended pathetically.