NBC cancels 'Passions'

NBC cancels 'Passions'
Eight-year-old soap ends run
By JOSEF ADALIAN, JOHN DEMPSEYThe 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.

The CW will now programs more daytime entertainment hours than NBC.

Talk about retreating from a daypart, and giving the time back to affiliates. Not too long ago, NBC used to program up to 6 hours a day of game shows, serials, off-network sitcoms and talk (Mr. Letterman started up with a daytime variety-talk show).

I think at 4 hours a day, Today will start to see a dilution of its rating dominance.

I agree that this is a sad move for NBC. Nothing about this idea seems to be very fresh and innovative and that is what it takes to succeed.

Is it realy giving time back or even because of the expanded Today? Also, don't you think different folks are watching Today during the different hours. It's not the kind of show you watch for all 4 hours.

ABC and CBS currently offer 4 and 4.5 hours of national daytime programming besides GMA and The Early Show. With NBC affiliates featuring such fare as Megan Mullally and a diluted Ellen, why would they cancel Passions, a show so popular among young people that could gain viewers in the future as those younger viewers get older. I just don't get it. Hopefully Soap Net or MNTV picks it up. Its a good show and deserves a home. Shame on you NBC. I hope GMA is leading by next year.

Becasue one more hour of Today would be much cheaper to produce and probably bring in more revenue.

quote:

Originally posted by mushu_jj:
ABC and CBS currently offer 4 and 4.5 hours of national daytime programming besides GMA and The Early Show. With NBC affiliates featuring such fare as Megan Mullally and a diluted Ellen, why would they cancel Passions, a show so popular among young people that could gain viewers in the future as those younger viewers get older. I just don't get it. Hopefully Soap Net or MNTV picks it up. Its a good show and deserves a home. Shame on you NBC. I hope GMA is leading by next year.

I am a soap fan and I have to admit that the medium is fading fast in its current format. They need to find some way to freshen it up like Desperate Housewives. That is essentially a soap opera.

I know its cheaper but my point is that NBC is barely spending any money on daytime when compared to CBS or ABC. They'll never be competitive if they continue to downsize.

quote:

Originally posted by PaulC:
Becasue one more hour of Today would be much cheaper to produce and probably bring in more revenue.

quote:

Originally posted by mushu_jj:
ABC and CBS currently offer 4 and 4.5 hours of national daytime programming besides GMA and The Early Show. With NBC affiliates featuring such fare as Megan Mullally and a diluted Ellen, why would they cancel Passions, a show so popular among young people that could gain viewers in the future as those younger viewers get older. I just don't get it. Hopefully Soap Net or MNTV picks it up. Its a good show and deserves a home. Shame on you NBC. I hope GMA is leading by next year.

They arent downsizing with this move. They are ridding themselves an hour of a soap and gaining an hour of Today, the biggest revenue generator on the network. Whether it works or not remains to be seen. However, it is certain that soaps are not the wave of the future and have been in serious decline for years. BTW, word is GNA will be expanding by an hour soon. To compensate affiliates, they are giving back an hour later in the day. So one of the ABC soaps is also likely to die. (An expanded GMA would also seriously impact Regis since he airs on so many ABC stations out of GMA.)

quote:

Originally posted by mushu_jj:
I know its cheaper but my point is that NBC is barely spending any money on daytime when compared to CBS or ABC. They'll never be competitive if they continue to downsize.

quote:

Originally posted by PaulC:
Becasue one more hour of Today would be much cheaper to produce and probably bring in more revenue.

quote:

Originally posted by mushu_jj:
ABC and CBS currently offer 4 and 4.5 hours of national daytime programming besides GMA and The Early Show. With NBC affiliates featuring such fare as Megan Mullally and a diluted Ellen, why would they cancel Passions, a show so popular among young people that could gain viewers in the future as those younger viewers get older. I just don't get it. Hopefully Soap Net or MNTV picks it up. Its a good show and deserves a home. Shame on you NBC. I hope GMA is leading by next year.

They cannot move Reege. He shoots live at the NY abc station where it airs at 9am. abc would be crazy to move Reege. That show is an institution and renewed for a few more years.

Unless of course, why wouldn't abc move amc, oltl and gh to sister net soapnet?

My own prediction on NBC Daytime...

When NBC's contract with "Days of Our Lives" (which is owned by Sony and not NBC, unlike "Passions") expires in 2009, that long-running serial will be cancelled as well.

I have never been a fan of NBC/Universal chief Jeff Zucker, and this move continues to show me that the only place he is running NBC is into the ground.

This network was tops on Thursdays and also on a seasonal basis until he came along. Now, NBC is struggling on Thursdays and can't compete season-round with CBS and Fox.

Reege is a syndicated show not a network one. Its the local stations who would move him. And if GMA expands, that's why Reege is a problem. It may speed up his retirement.

quote:

Originally posted by vlis:
They cannot move Reege. He shoots live at the NY abc station where it airs at 9am. abc would be crazy to move Reege. That show is an institution and renewed for a few more years.

Unless of course, why wouldn't abc move amc, oltl and gh to sister net soapnet?

While Reege is not network, it is disney owned and runs on mostly abc stations. For that reason, I cannot see abc expanding gma. Reege also beats that third hour of today in many markets.

I didn't like Passions, but as a fan of the Soap genre, this is just another nail in the coffin and not a good thing.

Passions fans should make like Port Charles fans and start asking Soapnet to air the reruns (or target the Sci-Fi network again as they did air some reruns of Passions). Those PC reruns (as well as the other canceled soaps they show) are great to watch and never get old.

quote:

Originally posted by dysss:
I didn't like Passions, but as a fan of the Soap genre, this is just another nail in the coffin and not a good thing.

Passions fans should make like Port Charles fans and start asking Soapnet to air the reruns (or target the Sci-Fi network again as they did air some reruns of Passions). Those PC reruns (as well as the other canceled soaps they show) are great to watch and never get old.

BTW, they did try this experiment once before with Today earlier with a show called "Later Today" with Florence Henderson. That didn't work.

Rumor has it that Rosie O'Donnell is also in the running to host the 4th hour of Today if she doesn't renew her contract.

And finally - if SoapNet could afford it, I hope they do go forward on the 30 minute Passions. It might get that network on the map for some regular views.