July 2000

EXCLUSIVE "ANNIVERSARY" INTERVIEW WITH JIM REILLY

How does it feel that the show’s been on the air for a year?

Jim: I can’t believe it! It seems like it was only a few months ago that we did the opening sequence of Luis and Miguel driving into Harmony and establishing everyone in town. I can’t believe how fast the time has flown. There’s been so much work to do that it really has flown. Especially now that the show is accelerating--we are going to have a really big summer with lots of reveals that we spent the year building. Time is really moving fast!

How is what you see on air each day different or the same from what you expected when you started all of this a year ago?

Jim: I love what’s on air. I think the idea and look of what Harmony was in my head has been captured. I wanted to establish four core families in a small New England town and to show that something in one person’s life has ripple effects on everyone else’s life in the town. I think this has been brought to life really well——you get the feeling that everyone lives close together and that something that happens to one set of characters has an effect on everyone. The characters feel tight-knit, which is what I originally planned.

Are there any characters or stories you’ve taken in different directions than you originally intended? And if so, why?

Jim: Everything is still on course with the bible I wrote about two years before the show began. Everything is still basically in that direction——there’s always a minor twist here and there. But in the big stories we’re on track. In fact, I just did story points for Theresa’s story through summer 2001. In terms of the timing of the stories, sometimes there was even more to certain scenes than I realized. For example, we have coming up major revelations and tying up of story for Sheridan and Luis. At first I thought this story point would be a few shows but there’s so much emotion there that it lasted for many more shows. It’s so rich and exciting that I couldn’t cut it short!

Has your writing process for Passions changed since you first began or is it the same today as it was a year ago?

Jim: It’s the same. It’s the same process that I found worked best after writing for twenty years. It’s the same process I used at Days of our Lives, which was the first show where I was the sole headwriter.

Are you surprised by how ““passionate”” fans are about the show?

Jim: I love seeing it because I’m so passionate about the characters! I’ve taken these twenty friends of mine who are the characters and introduced them to the audience. I’m glad the audience loves them because I know how great they are. They are an exciting bunch.

What are your philosophies on soap storytelling and how have we seen that play out over the last year?

Jim: The basic one is entertainment. Stories should entertain. Stories should hit on different levels. There should be stories we laugh at, stories we laugh with, stories we cry with, and stories that we are so involved in emotionally that we have to know what’s going to happen the next day. The audience is my boss and you have to please your boss to keep your job. After twenty years I got to know what a large portion of soap audience wants and I think I’m giving it to them.

Is there ever a time you’re not thinking about Passions?

Jim: Never! If I’m watching television or the news something will strike me and I’ll wonder--will that fit in? If I walk down the street and meet people I wonder if they look like someone on Passions! Everything can be a story point.

What do you think sets Passions apart from other soaps?

Jim: It’s a new show so I think it’s trimmer in the sense that if something happens in one storyline it has ripple effects on every storyline. And of course, the other thing that sets Passions apart is Timmy and Tabitha!

Why do you think people watch soaps?

Jim: I think they watch soaps for the same reason the Iliad and Odyessy were memorized and told over nights and nights of storytelling thousands of years ago. These stories were told to entertain the audience and get them involved in characters’ lives. People wanted to be entertained by stories 3000 years ago, they want to be entertained by stories today, and they’ll want to be entertained by stories 2000 years from now.

There has been so much talk over the last few years that soaps are dying. Do you think this is an accurate assessment?

Jim: I don’t think it’s a fair assessment. I see the audience response. We had the poll to choose Theresa’s wedding dress on the website and we had a half million votes. We get more response from the internet than primetime shows. Also, fans are turning out for public appearances by the thousands. I think the problem is that the audience isn’t being measured properly.

What do you think of the internet bonuses we’ve done such as Theresa’s virtual diary from Bermuda, the vote for the prom theme, and the vote for Theresa’s wedding dress?

Jim: I think it’s wonderful. It shows the television industry how popular soaps are. It’s our way of truly measuring the audience. We get a tremendous response. People watch Passions at the office or at school where they can’t be measured. The internet is a great way of measuring.

What can we expect in the months ahead?

Jim: There will be a lot of story beats revealed. But in these revelations that we’ve spent months building towards, it’s not going to be the end of story, but they will propel us into the next level of story. When we hear Theresa and Ethan on the prom boat, and what Sam and Ivy discuss, it’s not an end. It’s just a new beginning. It will heat everything up and keep everything rolling on even more!

PASSIONS: ANOTHER MUSICAL EXTRAVAGANZA

Daytime Drama Brings Romantic Fantasy to Life

January 16, 2006 -Studio City, CA - Daytime drama is well known for accomplishing amazing amounts of material in a relatively short period of time. However, on occasion spectacular elements are incorporated into the story that resonates long after the episode has aired. On Friday, January 27th, NBC's Emmy®® winning PASSIONS once again treats the audience to a one-of-a-kind television experience. In a fantasy dream sequence brought to vibrant life, Bollywood meets Hollywood in Harmony for an unforgettable musical celebration.

The production, which involves three PASSIONS cast members, 30 dancers, two horses, a 30' olive tree and a man-made sand beach, begins with Gwen Winthrop (Liza Huber) imagining how wonderful her new life will be with her husband Ethan (Eric Martsolf) when they relocate to the Crane Industry's headquarters in New Delhi, India. A full-scale musical number takes shape as the couple renews their marriage vows around the mystical "Tree of Life" with all its inherent magic and symbolism. But the revelry is soon disrupted when Theresa (Lindsay Hartley) insinuates herself into the ceremony and attempts to seductively lure Ethan away from Gwen. This love triangle is expressed through an original song and lyrics; choreography that is exciting and inspired; and original, authentic costumes that explode with vivid colors.

PASSIONS Creator and Head Writer, James E. Reilly explains, "I love the Bollywood movies... I love the genre. I think they are fantastic and are going to move more into the American mainstream. It's just wild entertainment, and this was a chance to give our audience something new. A production number like this has never been done before on daytime television. The horses, the dancers, the music... it's exotic, colorful, larger than life - and wildly romantic."

Lisa de Cazotte, PASSIONS Executive Producer adds, "Thanks to Jim's incredible creativity, we've had the unique opportunity to expand the horizons of the daytime genre. These musical extravaganzas have become something of a PASSIONS trademark after our 'Chicago' homage in 2003. This production is really one-of-a-kind!"

Reilly concludes, "And it's wonderful! It brought to life the dream I had in my head. In fact, it exceeded my expectations. [Executive Producer] Lisa de Cazotte and the production team are fantastic. I've never seen anything quite like it. No one will be disappointed."

PASSIONS' Emmy Award-winning John Henry Krietler and Wes Boatman composed the music and lyrics to "Love Is Ecstasy." Liza Huber, Lindsay Hartley, Eric Martsolf and the dancing chorus, who sing in both English and Hindi, perform the original song.

Award-winning choreographer, Nakul Dev Mahajan, combined traditional movements from several Indian styles of dance with contemporary music video-style staging to bring the story to life. Thirty members of his Los Angeles-based dance troupe provided the energetic and expressive motion accentuating the lead actors' movements. The seven-minute number takes place in the elegant grand foyer of an imaginary New Delhi estate designed by PASSIONS' Art Director, George Becket, complete with staircases and enormous crystal chandeliers. The romantic "riding off into the sunset" finale was taped on a man-made beach, and included two immaculate Andalusian horses draped in glittering saddlery. PASSIONS Costume Designer, Diana Eden, oversaw the creation of the opulent wardrobe for the leads that were sewn and hand-beaded in India. To augment the traditional Indian visage, Department Heads Bobby Grayson and Toby Lamm worked with specialists in creating the hairstyles and make-up, respectively, which included hand-applied henna artwork and jeweled body designs. PASSIONS' Supervising Producer Richard Schilling produced the sequence and Phideaux Xavier directed.

PASSIONS: Another Musical Extravaganza required 5 weeks of pre-production and three weeks of music and dance rehearsals prior to taping. A full dance rehearsal, including costumes, music, props and audio, took place on a Sunday bringing all the elements together for the first time. The sequence was taped in its entirety over nearly 12 hours the following day.

A sneak peek at the production can be found at www.nbc.com/passions beginning Monday, January 23rd.

Since the series debut on July 5, 1999, the Emmy®® Award winning PASSIONS' quirky characters and classic love stories have generated interest and critical acclaim from the daytime community (PASSIONS has been nominated for 25 Emmy Awards, winning three; numerous Soap Opera Digest awards, three IMAGEN Awards, several NAACP Image Award nominations, and the 2005 National American Scene Award for Daytime Drama from AFTRA) as well as the press. TV Guide hailed PASSIONS (Best Soap 1999 and 2000), Entertainment Weekly ("...comedy, drama, camp classic, soap send up, 'Passions' works."), USA Today ("..has a gift for head-turning plots.") and Rolling Stone and Entertainment Weekly both named it (a "Hot, Guilty Pleasure").

Based on the rich history and mystery of the harbor community of Harmony, PASSIONS explores the lives, loves and losses of four core families: the Cranes, the Lopez-Fitzgeralds, the Bennetts and the Russells, each of whom have their own distinct and diverse desires and challenges.

PASSIONS, now in its seventh season, is the creation of celebrated daytime drama scribe James E. Reilly, who is considered by many industry insiders to be one of the most innovative and prolific writers of his time (TV Guide named him one of Television's Most Valuable Players, February 2001). PASSIONS is produced by NBC Studios in association with Outpost Farm Productions, Inc. and is taped in Studio City, CA. Lisa de Cazotte is the executive producer.

TVGuide - June 19, 2006

Passions: Double Bombshell: Two of Passions' most twisted plots turn upside down this week: Chad and Whitney find out they are NOT half siblings, which means they did not commit incest after all. And Theresa leans her son's father isn't Julian but rather Ethan, the dreamboat she's been psychotically stalking since the soap hit the air. Why the switcheroos? Passions creator James E. Reilly claims he's just keeping the customers satisfied. "The Chad and Whitney fans never gave up on them as a romantic couple, which I think is crazy," Reilly says. "They didn't care that they were brother and sister! And Theresa chasing Ethan has been out most popular story for seven years. Society is changing so much. Apparently these days, you make your own morality."

Summer Soaps Madness...Girls Gone Wild! Just when you thought NBC's loopy Passions had done it all, here comes a lesbian revolt. On June 29, Simone and Paloma will rile the gay women of Rome to do battle against Alistair's evil goon squad. The plot--which steals shamlessly from The Davinci Code--already includes a self-flagellating nun, the Holy Grail and the Pope himself. And now this. Head writer Jim Reilly cracks: "I'm doing everything I can to get us banned by the Vatican."

Hot Guilty Pleasure: Passions from Rolling Stone

Jennifer Love Hewitt has dropped by the set, and Sarah Michelle Gellar is a fan, too. We're talking 'Passions', NBC's campy daytime drama with the supernatural twist- less X-Files, more Bewitched on a bad day. While most soaps have been dishing out the same old tired story lines for years(incest is so Eighties!) and have watched their ratings go down the toilet as a result, 'Passions' has become Number One with not only teen girls(which may explain why 'N Sync included a clip of hot couple Sheridan and Luis in their summer video montage) but also with Shaquille O'Neal, who last year sent one of the actresses a gift basket filled with hershey kisses and a mushy poem asking for a date.

Though, there's plenty of skin in Harmony, the mythical coastal town where 'Passions' is set, there's not much sin. The local cops-buffed and perfectly coiffed- take off their shirts off more then they write parking tickets; and no girl in the cast has ever met a belly shirt she didn't like. Still, the teen characters are supernaturally chaste: None of them smoke, drink, screw or do drugs. James E. Reilly, the shows creator, says he won't throw in 'gratuitous sex' for the heck of it. So 'Passions' has to generate some weirder pleasures. The shows most-talked about characters are Tabitha, the 300 year old witch, and her-um-doll, Timmy(played by little person, Josh Ryan Evans), who occassionally comes to life as a sweet-natured little, albeit strange, boy, squeaking lines like 'Timmy's the boss!' And, let's not forget the mind-boggling story lines, like the recent goings on aboard the Prom Boat, which eventually sank. One took a page out of Carrie, as the prom queen got gallons of fish guts dumped on her by her jealous cousin. Another memorable scene-and we're not kidding here- had Tabitha thinking Timmy was lost at sea after he rode away on the fin of a shark as the song 'My Heart Will Go On' inexplicably played in the backgroud. Is this for real? Reilly prefers to call the soap, which debuted in July '99, "entertaining on every level." He boasts that the cast and crew of Buffy the Vampire Slayer are such fans, they have "Mar-Timmy" parties at the end of every weeks taping(featuring Timmy's signature drink-made from lemonade, cranberry juice, orange juice and gibger ale). And, Reilly's not worried about viewers who the think the show is so out-there that they might not watch another minute of it. 'They always come back,' he says with a laugh.

January 2001

Then, from the latest TV Guide:

<b>TV Guide: Any concern that Passions fans will become blase about all this excess? </b>

<b>James E. Reilly:</b> [laughing] You mean like Roman spectators at the gladiator games? Well, we'll find out. But I have to beat the drum as loud as I can. I have to keep saying to the audience, "Notice us!" At the end of April, we're going to top everything we've done. It's Big.

<b>TG: How big?</b>

<b>JER:</b> Major cowabunga big; so big every character will be involved. Until, now, I've had almost 2 groups, with classic couples like Luis and Sheridan, and the Theresa/Ethan/Gwen love triangle, now all that involved with the woo-woo stuff. Soon everyone will be woo-woo.

<b>TG: Your special effects are so mind-blowing you must be driving other soaps nuts. You're sinking boats while poor Guiding Light, a higher rated soap, is to fake it's San Cristobel with 2 thrones and a couple of hallways.</b>

<b>JER:</b> And, we're not over budget- far from it. One of my outlines[for an upcoming story] calls for a giant serpent. When the network read it they said, "Is that even doable?" But, [Passions Executive Producer] Lisa Hesser immediately said, "I've found the people who can do it." I can ask Lisa for the impossible, and she does it brilliantly. I've worked for other soaps where my script will say, "So and so pours herself a cup of coffee," and the production people are going, "Who do you think we are, Steven Spielberg?

<b>TG: How do you feel when other soaps rip you off-like when Days suddenly had a Will doll just like Timmy?</b>

<b>JER:</b> If it can help a show, I'm happy.

<b>TG: Are you just being magnanimous because it's so damn obvious who they're stealing from?</b>

<b>JER:</b> Well, to be totally honest, I don't mind if it is known who came up with it first. But, if it gets new audiences tuned into daytime, I'm thankful for that. I really am. High tides raise all boats.

http://www.passionscentral.com/harmonyhigh/

Michael Logan On Soaps (TV Guide)

The Reilly Factor

NBC PLANS A PASSIONS

SPIN-OFF-AND MORE

In a sprawling and unprecedented deal for a soap auteur, NBC hired James E. Reilly, creator of it's wacky daytime hit, Passions, to develop a prime-time series, a prime-time movie and a Saturday-morning-spin-off of Passions, tentatively titled Harmony High. NBC Studios president Ted Harbert tells TV GUIDE he has been massaging an expanded pact with the reclusive Reilly since last fall. "Jim is a one-of-a-kind creative force with an imagination that is the most amazing thing I've ever witnessed," Harbert says. "We're making this deal to get that imagination into other parts of the NBC schedule."

And to keep Reilly from straying. The scribe's new contract lays to rest months of rumors that he might go elsewhere to create prime-time shows (among the networks reportedly interested in Reilly was the kid-friendly WB). And his deal won't come as good news to Ken Corday, executive producer of NBC's other soap, Days of Our Lives, who had wanted the network to launch a Days spin-off Salem High and had been talking up the project in soap magazines hoping to rouse fan interest.

It's too soon to tell which -- if any -- of Passions's characters will be seen on Harmony High, but Reilly says the likelihood of cast crossovers is excellent. "I can see the two shows being very symbiotic," notes Reilly, who wants to use the spin-off "to develop a young fan base that will move on to Passions as it gets older. It's a good investment for the future."

As for the prime-time projects, "they won't be copies of Passions." says Reilly. "But they will have quirky twists and an element of soap." Adds Harbert: "Jim understands our need for new and different ideas. I don't expect he'll bring us things we've seen before."

Planning a spin-off is tricky because Passions faces a casting crisis: Most of its stars signed three-year deals when the soap started production in the spring of '99. and those contracts will all lapse before Harmony High is expected to hit the air. (If Reilly's pilot quickly gets a green light, the show could air by January, but it will probably debut mid to late 2002.)

Since Passions's younger stars are the ones most likely to defect, Reilly plans to add more teens to the show, then move some or all to the spin-off. (He reminds us that there are three kids in the show's dysfunctional Crane family whom viewers have heard about but never seen.) Another challenge: The supernatural Passions is about as weighty as a Styrofoam peanut, but Harmony will have to have educational value in order to meet FCC requirements for children's programming.

http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20235444,00.html

Soap opera writer James E. Reilly (Days of Our Lives), 60, passed away while recovering from cardiac surgery, Oct. 12, in NYC. The creator of the supernatural sudser Passions told EW in 2004: ''I want people to come on a ride. I want someone to say, 'You've entertained me. I don't regret giving one hour of my life every day to you.'''...

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http://www.tvguide.com/soaps/james-reilly-dead-26497.aspx

Soaps Scribe James E. Reilly Dies at 60

Oct 14, 2008 04:03 PM ET

by Matt Mitovich

James E. Reilly, a sometimes controversial soap scribe who twice served as Days of Our Lives' headwriter and created the supernatural-themed Passions, passed away over the weekend, at age 60, Soap Opera Digest reports. Reilly was recovering in the hospital from cardiac surgery when he died.

"James Reilly was one of the most profoundly lovely human beings in our industry," his agent and longtime fiend Jonathan Russo tells Digest. "He was a towering person in our industry who had a tremendous faith in God and Catholicism, as anyone who watched Passions knows. Everyone will miss him."

Reilly ruled the bible at Days from 1992 to 1997 (during which he gave us Marlena's possession) and again from 2003 to 2006, at which time he set loose the "Salem Stalker" in a bid to boost ratings. The serial slayer appeared to snuff veteran characters such as Abe, Roman, Doug and Alice (god bless her donuts), but ultimately the "deceased" were revealed to be held captive on island replica of Salem called Melaswen (read the name backwards).

Between his Days gigs, Reilly created for NBC a new soap named Passions, and served as headwriter until its cancellation earlier this year. As headwriter of Guiding Light, Reilly's staff won a Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series Writing in 1993.

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SoapOperaDigest.com

Legendary head writer James E. Reilly (DAYS OF OUR LIVES, PASSIONS) passed away over the weekend. He was 60. Jonathan Russo, Reilly's agent and friend for over 25 years, says Reilly had been recovering from cardiac surgery when he died suddenly in the hospital. His beloved sister Cathy Robinson was by his side. "James Reilly was one of the most profoundly lovely human beings in our industry. He was a towering person in our industry who had a tremendous faith in God and Catholicism, as anyone who watched PASSIONS knows. Everyone will miss him," adds Russo. There are no funeral plans. There may be a memorial service at a later date.

SoapOperaDigest.com

The recent passing of head writer James E. Reilly has stunned the industry. His longtime friend and agent Jonathan Russo, who confirmed Reilly's death to Soap Opera Weekly, "We spoke an hour or two hours a day for almost 15-20 years. We did the math, 27 years. He was a towering figure in the industry. He deserved my time and attention. He wanted it and we were friends. We liked to catch up," Russo shares. "He never ran out of thoughts or ideas. He never repeated himself unless it was intentional so he didn’t lose viewers. He never had other people submit story ideas ever. He sat down and laid out and presented stories and layouts for 2 shows. This is an amazing accomplishment," Russo adds.

Ken Corday (Executive Producer, DAYS): "The DAYS OF OUR LIVES family is deeply saddened by the recent passing of James E. Reilly. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family. Jim was not only an ingenious storyteller who changed the landscape of daytime drama, but he celebrated life with passion, humor, and an appreciation for the best it has to offer. He was an inspiration for us all...and will be greatly missed."

Lisa de Cazotte (executive producer GH:NIGHT SHIFT, former EP PASSIONS): "Jim Reilly was not only a legend in our industry, but he was a great friend and mentor. His creativity, sense of humor and genius will be sorely missed. There will never be another like him and I am deeply grateful for the years we spent working together on PASSIONS and for the joy he brought to my life."

Deidre Hall (Marlena, DAYS): "Jim Reilly was a powerful presence who brought forth brilliant and creative ideas. The passion and depth with which he wrote the Possession story, and the Salem Stalker, made him not only a fan favorite, but my champion as well. I respected the man and his work, and I am deeply saddened they are gone from us."

Galen Gering (Rafael, DAYS; ex-Luis, PASSIONS): "Although I never got to know the man well, I do owe him for creating a show that was an incredible rollercoaster ride, spanning nearly a decade of creative storytelling the likes of which daytime had never seen. It’s a terrible loss of a creative force that in large part changed the face of traditional soap operas forever."

Eric Martsolf (Brady, DAYS; ex-Ethan, PASSIONS): "To me he was the writer who wasn’t afraid to travel the road less traveled. He was an innovator in the soap genre, and composed characters and storylines that broke down traditional barriers and walls."

Eva Tamargo (ex-Pilar, PASSIONS): "Even though I never got to meet him, I was blessed to speak his beautiful, inspirational, and faithful words as Pilar, for nine years. Jim will never know how much he helped me get through some rough personal times while I was playing Pilar. Well, perhaps, now in heaven, he will know. My prayers are with his family at this most difficult time. Que en Paz, descanses, Jim."

McKenzie Westmore (ex-Sheridan, PASSIONS): "We have truly lost a great man who contributed to daytime is so many amazing ways. I was so blessed and honored to be a part of one of his creations and portray a character he created. He will be missed and all my thoughts and prayers are with his family."