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{{Short description|American television soap opera (1999–2008)}}
{{other uses}}
{{Multiple issues|
{{Fan POV|date=March 2025}}
{{Original research|date=March 2025}}
}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox television
| image                = Passions (NBCUniversal Media television series) logo.svg
| image_size           = 
| caption              =
| genre                = {{Plainlist|
* [[Soap opera]]
* [[Comedy-drama]]
* [[Fantasy film|Fantasy]]
}}
| creator              = [[James E. Reilly]]
| writer               = James E. Reilly (Head writer)
| starring             = [[List of Passions cast members|''Passions'' cast list]]
| theme_music_composer = [[John Henry Kreitler]]
| open_theme            = "Breathe" by [[Jane French]]
| end_theme             = "Breathe" (instrumental) by Jane French
| country              = United States
| language             = English
| num_seasons          = 9
| num_episodes         = 2,231<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nbc.com/Passions/episodes/|title=''Passions'' episode recaps|publisher=NBC.com|access-date=2008-07-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080629020710/http://www.nbc.com/Passions/episodes/|archive-date=2008-06-29|url-status=dead}}</ref>
| list_episodes        = 
| executive_producer   = [[Lisa de Cazotte]]
| producer             = 
| editor               = 
| location             = 
| cinematography       = 
| camera               = 
| runtime              = 60 minutes
| company              = {{Plainlist|
* Outpost Farm Productions
* [[Universal Television|NBC Studios]] (1999–2004)
* [[NBC Universal Television Studio]] (2004–2008)
* Universal Media Studios (2007–2008)
* [[DirecTV|DirecTV Original Entertainment]] (2007–2008)
}}
| network              = [[NBC]]
| first_aired          = {{Start date|1999|7|5}}
| last_aired           = {{End date|2007|9|7}}
| network2             = [[The 101 Network]]
| first_aired2         = {{Start date|2007|9|17}}
| last_aired2          = {{End date|2008|8|7}}
| related              =  
}}

'''''Passions''''' is<!-- PER [[WP:TENSE]], PLEASE DO NOT CHANGE TO "WAS;" THE SERIES STILL EXISTS EVEN THOUGH NEW EPISODES ARE NOT CURRENTLY BEING PRODUCED--> an American television [[soap opera]] that originally aired on [[NBC]] from July 5, 1999, to September 7, 2007, and on [[DirecTV]]'s [[The 101 Network]] from September 17, 2007, to August 7, 2008. Created by screenwriter [[James E. Reilly]] and produced by [[Universal Media Studios|NBC Studios]], ''Passions'' follows the lives, loves and various romantic and paranormal adventures of the residents of Harmony, a small town in [[New England]] with many secrets.

Storylines center on the interactions among members of its multi-racial core families: the [[African Americans|African American]] [[Russell family (Passions)|Russells]], the white [[Crane family (Passions)|Cranes]] and [[Bennett and Standish families|Bennetts]], and half-Mexican half-Irish [[Lopez-Fitzgerald family|Lopez-Fitzgeralds]]. The series also features [[supernatural]] elements, which focus mainly on town witch Tabitha Lenox ([[Juliet Mills]]) and her doll-come-to-life, Timmy ([[Josh Ryan Evans]]).

NBC cancelled ''Passions'' on January 16, 2007.<ref name="Variety.com">{{cite web |url=https://variety.com/2007/scene/markets-festivals/nbc-cancels-passions-1117957538/ |title=NBC cancels 'Passions' |date=17 January 2007 |publisher=Variety |access-date=2021-03-27 |archive-date=2022-06-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220625181358/https://variety.com/2007/scene/markets-festivals/nbc-cancels-passions-1117957538/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The series was subsequently picked up by DirecTV. The series aired its final episode on NBC on September 7, 2007, with new episodes continuing on DirecTV's 101 Network starting on September 17.<ref name="NBC.com DirecTV">{{cite web|url=http://www.nbc.com/Passions/news/dtv.shtml |title=NBC'S ''Passions'' to work its magic on DIRECTV viewers with all new episodes beginning September 17 |publisher=NBC.com |access-date=2007-03-20 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070427082835/http://www.nbc.com/Passions/news/dtv.shtml |archive-date=2007-04-27 }}</ref> In December 2007, just months after picking up the series, DirecTV decided not to renew its contract for ''Passions'', and the studio was subsequently unable to sell the series elsewhere.<ref name="Variety 2008"/><ref name="castcancel"/><ref name="tvseriesfinale"/><ref name="varietycancel">{{cite magazine|url=https://variety.com/2008/scene/markets-festivals/nbc-squashes-passions-chances-1117983195/|last=Adalian|first=Josef|title=NBC squashes ''Passions'' chances|magazine=Variety|date=2008-03-31|access-date=2008-03-31|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101208115559/http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117983195?refCatId=14|archive-date=2010-12-08|url-status=live}}</ref> The final episode was broadcast in August 2008.<ref name="Passions series finale">{{cite web|url=http://tvseriesfinale.com/tv-show/passions-after-10-years-the-supernatural-soap-ends/|title=''Passions:'' After 10 Years, the Supernatural Soap Ends, part one|date=9 August 2008 |access-date=27 October 2014}}</ref> ''Passions'' was the last daytime television soap opera created for American network television until ''[[Beyond the Gates (TV series)|Beyond the Gates]]'' premiered on [[CBS]] in February 2025.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://onelifetolive.about.com/od/articles/a/A-Brief-Overview-And-List-Of-The-Most-Popular-Daytime-Soaps.htm|title=The Early Life and History of Soap Operas|access-date=2016-09-17|archive-date=2016-11-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161113195937/http://onelifetolive.about.com/od/articles/a/A-Brief-Overview-And-List-Of-The-Most-Popular-Daytime-Soaps.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/passions-an-update-on-the-stars-from-of-the-lopez-fitzgerald-family-of-the-soap-opera.html/|title=''Passions'': An Update On The Stars From Of The Lopez-Fitzgerald Family Of The Soap Opera|last=Alexander|first=Brenda|date=2020-02-20|website=Showbiz Cheat Sheet|language=en-US|access-date=2020-03-11|archive-date=2020-09-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200922074731/https://www.cheatsheet.com/entertainment/passions-an-update-on-the-stars-from-of-the-lopez-fitzgerald-family-of-the-soap-opera.html/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Paramount PR 4">{{cite web |url=https://www.paramountpressexpress.com/cbs-entertainment/shows/beyond-the-gates/releases/?view=110605-new-daytime-drama-series-beyond-the-gates-to-premiere-monday-feb-24-2025-on-cbs |title=Beyond the Gates |date=November 12, 2024 |location=United States |publisher=[[Paramount Global]] |agency=[[Paramount Media Networks]] |archive-url=https://archive.today/20241112191522/https://www.paramountpressexpress.com/cbs-entertainment/shows/beyond-the-gates/releases/?view=110605-new-daytime-drama-series-beyond-the-gates-to-premiere-monday-feb-24-2025-on-cbs |archive-date=November 12, 2024 |access-date=November 12, 2024}}</ref>

==Series history==
[[Image:Passions-cast.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Original cast of ''Passions'']] In the early days of the show, ''Passions'' heroine Sheridan Crane is identified as a close friend of [[Diana, Princess of Wales]]; soon Sheridan recalls speaking to Diana on the phone immediately before the [[Death of Diana, Princess of Wales|1997 car crash in which Diana was killed]]. Sheridan also has a similar accident in the same Paris tunnel, and speaks to a "guardian Angel Diana" who urges her to fight to survive, which drew considerable controversy.<ref name="orlando">{{cite news|url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/special_report/1999/03/99/tom_brook/396298.stm|title=Protecting icons from exploitation|work=BBC News|last=Brook|first=Tom|access-date=2007-03-20|date=July 17, 1999|archive-date=2013-10-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131004214444/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/special_report/1999/03/99/tom_brook/396298.stm|url-status=live}}</ref> Sheridan later adopts the name Diana after a boating accident that results in [[amnesia]].

The opening days of the show also introduced the [[Theresa Lopez-Fitzgerald Crane|Theresa]]/[[Ethan Winthrop|Ethan]]/[[Gwen Hotchkiss|Gwen]] [[love triangle]] that persisted as an ongoing main story line to the very last episode of the series.

For much of the first three to four years of the series, supernatural elements such as [[witch]]es, [[warlock]]s, and closet doors leading to [[Hell]] were major plot points, many surrounding the machinations of the centuries-old witch Tabitha Lenox and her doll-brought-to-life sidekick, Timmy—named by ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' as one of their "17 Great Soap [[Supercouple]]s" in 2008.<ref name="www.ew.com">{{cite magazine|first=Abby|last=West|title=17 Great Soap Supercouples: Timmy and Tabitha|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|access-date=2008-01-29|url=https://www.ew.com/ew/gallery/0,,20174499_7,00.html|archive-date=2008-02-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080201164612/http://www.ew.com/ew/gallery/0,,20174499_7,00.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2001, [[HarperEntertainment]] released ''[[Hidden Passions]]'', a [[tie-in]] [[novelization]] presented as Tabitha's diary, exposing the secrets and pasts of the town's residents. ''Passions'' featured a story-line involving Tabitha and Timmy promoting the book, which reached No. 4 on the real-life [[The New York Times Best Seller list|''New York Times'' Best Seller list]] and garnered the series two alternative covers of ''[[TV Guide]]'' in July 2001.

In 2003, ''Passions'' submitted an [[orangutan]] named BamBam, who had been portraying the recurring role of [[Precious (Passions character)|Precious]], for a [[Daytime Emmy Award]]. Precious was the non-speaking live-in nurse and caregiver for elderly [[Edna Wallace]], and held an unrequited love for Luis Lopez-Fitzgerald, which was depicted in elaborate fantasy sequences. In early 2004, the [[National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences]], which administers the awards, disallowed the entry with the following statement:
<blockquote>Our ruling is based on the belief that the Academy must draw a line of distinction between animal characters that aren't capable of speaking parts and human actors whose personal interpretation in character portrayal creates nuance and audience engagement that uniquely qualifies those performers for consideration of television's highest honor.{{Citation needed|date=February 2009}}</blockquote>

In summer 2005, the prominent character [[Simone Russell]] came out as [[gay]]; ''Passions'' made daytime history by being the first serial to show two women—Simone and love interest [[Rae Thomas]]—in bed making love.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.glaad.org/poc/coad/nominees/nominees06.php|title=GLAAD Media Awards Communities of African Descent Nominations |access-date=2008-04-06 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060216150944/http://www.glaad.org/poc/coad/nominees/nominees06.php |archive-date = February 16, 2006}}</ref> In 2007, it was revealed that longtime hero [[Chad Harris-Crane]] was cheating on his wife with another man. This was also a daytime first, with the men portrayed in bed together, committing—albeit unknowingly—[[incest]].<ref>Chad was the half-uncle of his lover Vincent, who first had an affair with Chad, as his alter ego [[Valerie Davis]].</ref> ''Passions'' also portrayed [[Vincent Clarkson|Vincent]] as an [[intersex]] person who became pregnant with his own father's son.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.expressgaynews.com/2007/11-29/arts/television/ |title=TV: 'Passions' features pregnant man |publisher=Express Gay News |date=2007-11-29 |access-date=2008-04-06 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071202035652/http://www.expressgaynews.com/2007/11-29/arts/television/ |archive-date=December 2, 2007 }}</ref>

Nearly seven years after the debut of ''Passions'' on July 5, 1999, the NBC-owned [[Syfy|Sci Fi Channel]] began airing the series from its first episode starting February 13, 2006.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://soaps.about.com/b/2006/02/02/passions-goes-sci-fi.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080128172912/http://soaps.about.com/b/2006/02/02/passions-goes-sci-fi.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=2008-01-28|title=''Passions'' goes Sci Fi!|publisher=Soaps. About.com|access-date=2008-04-06}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Sci Fi Channel revives NBC U's used 'Passions'|url=https://variety.com/2005/scene/markets-festivals/sci-fi-channel-revives-nbc-u-s-used-passions-1117934046/|work=Variety|access-date=22 June 2012|last=Martin|first=Denise|date=5 December 2005|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121108055720/http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117934046?refCatId=14|archive-date=8 November 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> Due to low ratings, the reruns were taken off the air as of May 25, 2006. On August 15, 2006, ''Passions'' became the first daytime drama to make full episodes available for download and purchase from the [[digital music store]] [[ITunes Store|iTunes]]. On November 6, 2006, the show also became the first daytime drama to make full episodes available for free viewing via [[streaming media|streaming]] on NBC.com.<ref>{{cite web|title=Passions |url=http://www.nbc.com/Passions/video/episodes.shtml |work=NBC Rewind |publisher=NBC |access-date=22 June 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120308023709/http://www.nbc.com/Passions/video/episodes.shtml |archive-date=8 March 2012 }}</ref>

Though plagued since its inception by low overall [[Nielsen ratings]], ''Passions'' was historically top-rated in key [[demographics]], namely the female 12-to-17 demographic; ''Passions'' and ''Days of Our Lives'' usually occupied the top two positions among all soaps in this age group.{{citation needed|date=June 2012}}

===Move to DirecTV===
On January 17, 2007, NBC announced that it would not renew ''Passions'' for a ninth season, in order to accommodate a planned expansion of its morning news and talk show ''[[Today (American TV program)|Today]]'' to a fourth hour. NBC reclaimed the program's hour-long slot in order to extend ''Today'' into the 10:00&nbsp;am ET hour, rather than acquiring an extra hour of programming time already allocated to its stations for [[broadcast syndication|syndicated]] or local programs. NBC soon began shopping the series to other networks. In April 2007, [[satellite television|satellite television provider]] [[DirecTV]] reached an agreement with NBCUniversal Television Studio to acquire the exclusive [[broadcasting rights|broadcast rights]] to ''Passions'',<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.soapcentral.com/ps/news/2007/0115-cancelled.php|title=NBC pulls the plug on Passions|access-date=2010-02-27|archive-date=2010-04-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100407181115/http://www.soapcentral.com/ps/news/2007/0115-cancelled.php|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.soapcentral.com/ps/news/2007/0430-directv.php|title=Passions finds new life on satellite|access-date=2010-02-27|archive-date=2009-06-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090625092342/http://www.soapcentral.com/ps/news/2007/0430-directv.php|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Variety 2007-04">{{cite news |url=https://variety.com/2007/digital/markets-festivals/passions-heads-to-directv-1117963754/ |title=''Passions'' heads to DirecTV |last=Adalian |first=Josef |date=April 24, 2007 |access-date=December 15, 2008 |work=Variety |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120117100407/http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117963754?refCatId=14 |archive-date=January 17, 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref> with most of the serial's principal cast members staying on.<ref>[http://tvseriesfinale.com/tv-show/passions-who-wont-survive-the-move-to-directv/ "''Passions'': Who Won't Survive the Move to DirecTV?" - TV SeriesFinale.com] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160603232738/http://tvseriesfinale.com/tv-show/passions-who-wont-survive-the-move-to-directv/ |date=2016-06-03 }}, May 24, 2007</ref>

Ahead of the move from NBC to DirecTV, the call-in [[aftershow]] ''Passions Live'', hosted by [[Eric Martsolf]] (who succeeded original cast member [[Travis Schuldt]] as Ethan Winthrop in 2002), premiered on DirecTV's general entertainment network [[Audience (TV network)|The 101]] in August 2007, making ''Passions'' the first (and only) American soap opera to ever have a live talk show. Airing weekly on Thursday nights until October 2007 and streamed simultaneously on NBC.com's official ''Passions'' website, the show gave fans the chance to call into the program and interact live with cast members from the soap.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nbc.com/Passions/video/categories/passions-live/802621/ |title=Passions - Collections - Passions Live - Video - NBC.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100224060611/http://www.nbc.com/Passions/video/categories/passions-live/802621 |archive-date=2010-02-24 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Passions LIVE!|url=http://www.nbc.com/Passions/news/passions_live_archive.shtml?vidID=151338#content|work=NBC. com|publisher=NBC Universal Media, LLC|access-date=22 June 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121025183201/http://www.nbc.com/Passions/news/passions_live_archive.shtml?vidID=151338#content|archive-date=25 October 2012}}</ref> ''Passions'' ended its NBC run after eight seasons on September 7, 2007, leaving ''Days of Our Lives'' as the network's lone remaining soap opera and conventional daytime program (until it was moved to the co-owned [[Peacock (streaming service)|Peacock]] streaming service in September 2022 to accommodate the afternoon newscast ''[[NBC News Daily]]''); new episodes subsequently began airing on The 101 ten days later on September 17, becoming the first (and {{as of|2024|lc=y}}, only) American daytime network soap opera to move their first-run episodes to a linear subscription television service.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nbc.com/Passions/news/dtv_press_release.shtml |title=NBC'S ''Passions'' to work its magic on DIRECTV viewers with all new episodes beginning September 17 |publisher=NBC.com |access-date=July 12, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080327153719/http://www.nbc.com/Passions/news/dtv_press_release.shtml |archive-date=March 27, 2008 }}</ref>

With the move to The 101, episodes were reduced to four days a week, airing Monday–Thursday at 2:00&nbsp;pm [[Eastern Time Zone|ET]]/11&nbsp;am [[Pacific Time Zone|PT]] (retaining the timeslot it had held since its NBC debut), with repeats airing later in the day and on weekends. NBC.com continued to maintain ''Passions''{{'}} official website after the series moved over to DirecTV; however, first-run episodes were no longer made available to stream for free on NBC's website or for purchase at iTunes. Initially, new episodes were supposed to air exclusively on DirecTV after the soap concluded its run on NBC; however, on September 27, 2007, DirecTV announced it would provide viewers who were not already DirecTV subscribers an "All Access Pass to ''Passions''" to stream all newer episodes on NBC.com after their initial airing on The 101 for a monthly fee.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tvseriesfinale.com/2007/09/passions_directv_soap_available_online_but_not_fre.php |archive-url=https://archive.today/20071004095108/http://www.tvseriesfinale.com/2007/09/passions_directv_soap_available_online_but_not_fre.php |url-status=dead |archive-date=2007-10-04 |title="''Passions'': DirecTV Soap Available Online — But Not Free" - TVSeriesFinale.com |access-date=2007-09-28 }}, September 27, 2007</ref><ref name="directv.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.directv.com/DTVAPP/global/contentPage.jsp?assetId=P4380100|title=Get DIRECTV Premium Channels - Audience, DOG TV & More|access-date=2010-02-27|archive-date=2011-06-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110605122723/http://www.directv.com/DTVAPP/global/contentPage.jsp?assetId=P4380100|url-status=live}}</ref> This subscription offering launched on October 1, 2007, originally priced at $19.99 per month (later reduced to $14.99 when ''Passions'' cut its weekly schedule from four episodes to three). In another first for the soap opera genre, episodes airing on The 101 included a interactive feature allowing viewers to answer a special ''Passions'' trivia question that appeared on-screen as a pop-up using their remote control.<ref name="directv.com"/>

On December 10, 2007, ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' magazine<ref name="Variety 2008">{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2007/scene/markets-festivals/directv-to-cut-ties-with-passions-1117977472/|title="DirecTV to cut ties with ''Passions''" - Variety.com|date=11 December 2007|work=Variety|access-date=27 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121108055612/http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117977472?refCatId=14|archive-date=8 November 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> and various cast members<ref name="castcancel">"''Passions'' Canceled Again?" ''Soap Opera Digest''. January 1, 2008, Vol. 33 No. 1.</ref><ref name="tvseriesfinale">{{cite web|url=http://www.tvseriesfinale.com/2007/12/passions_cancelled_twice_in_one_year.php|archive-url=https://archive.today/20071212232339/http://www.tvseriesfinale.com/2007/12/passions_cancelled_twice_in_one_year.php|url-status=dead|archive-date=2007-12-12|title=''Passions'': Cancelled Twice in One Year?|publisher=TV SeriesFinale.com|date=2007-12-10|access-date=2008-03-22}}</ref> confirmed that DirecTV had decided not to renew ''Passions'' for a tenth season, but extended its existing order to include 52 additional episodes to be taped through March 2008. In January 2008, DirecTV reduced the show's schedule to three episodes per week, airing Monday through Wednesday.<ref name="Variety 2008"/> [[Universal Media Studios]] wrapped up production of ''Passions'' on March 28, 2008. As confirmed by original cast member [[McKenzie Westmore]] (Sheridan Crane), the cast and crew were told at the wrap party that efforts to find a new outlet had failed and that the show's cancellation was final.<ref name="varietycancel"/><ref>[http://tvseriesfinale.com/tv-show/passions-the-soap-is-really-over-this-time/ "''Passions'': The Soap is Really Over This Time" - TVSeriesFinale.com], March 31, 2007</ref> New episodes continued to air on The 101 until August 7, 2008, when ''Passions'' ended its nine-season run. Though ''Passions'' had been the highest-rated original program on DirecTV's The 101, it was reported that the network had failed to meet the projected number of new subscribers they had hoped to attract with the series.<ref>{{cite web |title=''Passions'' cancelled... again |url=http://www.soapcentral.com/ps/news/2007/1210-cancelled.php |last=Kroll |first=Dan J. |date=December 24, 2007 |publisher=[[Soapcentral]] |access-date=December 26, 2008 |archive-date=December 22, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081222003439/http://www.soapcentral.com/ps/news/2007/1210-cancelled.php |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Theme song and opening sequence==
The theme song for ''Passions'' is titled "Breathe"; it was performed by [[Jane French]] and written by French and [[John Henry Kreitler]]. A long version of this theme was also released but was never used on the show.

The opening [[title sequence]] used since the show's premiere in 1999 features shots of the city of Harmony and its landmarks (actually the real-life town of [[Camden, Maine]]). The sequence opens and closes with the show's logo in an italic typeface and in an Arial Black typeface in generic caps posted in front of the cursive form of the title. The opening theme is sometimes shortened to the last two verses to fit in extra scene time.

==Ratings and broadcasting history==
===United States===
A replacement for the serial ''[[Another World (TV series)|Another World]]'' (which ended on June 25, 1999 after a 35-year run) on NBC's daytime schedule, ''Passions'' debuted in tenth place among the eleven soaps airing on American network television at the time, ahead of only fellow NBC soap ''[[Sunset Beach (TV series)|Sunset Beach]]'', with a 2.1 rating (1.9&nbsp;million viewers) and remained there until ''Sunset Beach'' was cancelled in December 1999. From January 2000 until early May, the show came in last place in the ratings among the ten soaps on the air then. During the May 2000 sweeps period, ''Passions'' gained in popularity and pulled ahead of ABC's ''[[Port Charles]]''. ''Passions'' remained ahead of ''Port Charles'' until the latter show's cancellation in October 2003. From then on, ''Passions'' once again was last in the American daytime ratings, where it would stay for virtually the rest of its run. It did top ''[[Guiding Light]]'' on occasion, but never for more than one week at a time. From 2001 to 2003, when ''Passions'' was at the peak of its popularity, it averaged a weekly 2.1–2.3 rating (roughly 2.4&nbsp;million viewers). However, the ratings slowly declined each year afterwards; by the 2006–07 season, the show averaged a 1.5 weekly rating (about 1.9&nbsp;million viewers). The final episode on NBC had a household rating of 1.3/4 (1.68&nbsp;million viewers). No ratings information was ever released for the show's run on DirecTV.

While ''Passions'' was never a big hit in household ratings, the show was a powerhouse in the younger-skewing demographics. For its entire NBC run, it ranked as the No. 1 soap among girls aged 12 to 17 and women aged 18 to 24. The show also ranked at No. 2 among women aged 18 to 34, and even overtook fellow NBC soap ''[[Days of Our Lives]]'' for a short period during the 2004–05 season. In the crucial 18-to-49 demographic, ''Passions'' usually ranked No. 7, ahead of CBS soaps ''[[As the World Turns]]'' and ''Guiding Light''. The highest ranking ''Passions'' ever achieved in the 18-to-49 demographic was fourth place in November 2002 and once again in January 2007.{{Citation needed|date=February 2008}}

During its NBC run, ''Passions'' ran for 60 minutes every weekday (excluding some holidays). For its final season on NBC (2006–07), episodes were available online at NBC.com for free viewing and for purchase on [[iTunes]]. After the move to DirecTV, the schedule was shortened to four days a week (Monday through Thursday) plus weekend marathon encores, then later three days a week (Monday through Wednesday) starting in January 2008 until the finale.{{citation needed|date=May 2017}} Initially, DirecTV episodes were only available on its own exclusive channel; later they were made available for a paid subscription fee at NBC.com.<ref name="nbconline">{{cite web|url=http://passions.nbc.com/|title=''Passions'' All Access Pass|publisher=NBC.com|access-date=May 19, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080829205731/http://passions.nbc.com/|archive-date=August 29, 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Canada===
''Passions'' aired in Canada for its entire NBC run, first on [[CTV Television Network|CTV]] in 1999 and then on [[Global TV]] in 2000. The series lasted there until its final airdate on NBC in September 2007, at which time it was then succeeded by ''Guiding Light'' in the same time slot. [[CJON-TV|NTV]] in [[Newfoundland and Labrador]] also aired ''Passions'' for almost its entire NBC run and was replaced by ''As the World Turns'' just before the series ended on NBC. On July 3, 2007 it was reported that new Canadian [[premium television]] service [[Super Channel (Canadian TV channel)|Super Channel]] would air the DirecTV episodes of ''Passions'' in Canada when the channel launched in October 2007.<ref>{{cite web|title=Passions to Continue in Canada: Updated|url=http://soaps.sheknows.com/passions/news/id/919/Passions_to_Continue_in_Canada_Updated/|publisher=[[Soaps.com]]|access-date=June 22, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120306042819/http://soaps.sheknows.com/passions/news/id/919/Passions_to_Continue_in_Canada_Updated/|archive-date=2012-03-06|url-status=dead}}</ref> Those episodes premiered on Super Channel on October 8, 2007 (airing two new episodes at a time only until it caught up to the DirecTV episodes) and ran until the series finale on August 7, 2008. On August 11, 2008, Super Channel began to air ''Passions'' from the premiere episode.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://soaps.sheknows.com/passions/news/id/2128/Super_Channel_to_Re-run_Passions_From_the_Beginnin/|title=Super Channel to Re-run Passions from the beginning|access-date=27 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141027200743/http://soaps.sheknows.com/passions/news/id/2128/Super_Channel_to_Re-run_Passions_From_the_Beginnin/|archive-date=2014-10-27|url-status=dead}}</ref> Season 2 re-ran on Super Channel starting August 2009 and season 3 in 2010. Season 4 premiered on July 14, 2011. Passions run on Super Channel ended on July 3, 2012. Super Channel chose not to renew their contract due to technical issues.<ref>{{cite web|title=Why are you airing Passions re-runs ?|url=http://www.superchannel.ca/faqs/#9|work=Super Channel|publisher=Allarco Entertainment Inc.|access-date=22 June 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120626201114/http://www.superchannel.ca/faqs/#9|archive-date=26 June 2012}}</ref>

===Australia===
''Passions'' was broadcast nationally in Australia on the [[Seven Network]] each weekday at 3:00{{nbsp}}pm, beginning on 29 January 2001 with the series' 1999 episodes. In 2005, the series was moved to an earlier 9:30{{nbsp}}am time slot, before the show's international licensing was cancelled due to the music copyright fees.<ref>[http://www.theage.com.au/news/tv--radio/networking/2005/08/02/1122748642614.html TheAge.com.au - "''Passions'' run amok"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070514193700/http://www.theage.com.au/news/tv--radio/networking/2005/08/02/1122748642614.html |date=2007-05-14 }} August 4, 2005. Retrieved 11 February 2008.</ref> ''Passions'' then went into re-runs in a 2{{nbsp}}am weekday-morning time slot, before ultimately ending with a "series finale."

=== Croatia ===
In [[Croatia]], private televizor [[Nova (Croatian TV channel)|Nova TV]] aired the first two seasons of the show (520 episodes). The show was well received by the public, but badly by the critics.<ref>{{Cite news|date=2019-05-23|title=Elementi fantastike i misterije privukli su publiku, a splet bizarnih okolnosti ovio se oko smrti glavnoga glumca|language=hr|work=Dnevnik hr|url=https://dnevnik.hr/showbuzz/zanimljivosti/serija-strasti-pocela-se-emitirati-prije-20-godina---561951.html|access-date=2019-11-07|archive-date=2019-05-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190523122852/https://dnevnik.hr/showbuzz/zanimljivosti/serija-strasti-pocela-se-emitirati-prije-20-godina---561951.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Awards and nominations==
{{main|List of awards and nominations received by Passions}}
''Passions'' has been honored with numerous awards and nominations during its run, including [[Daytime Emmy Award]]s, [[Imagen Foundation|Imagen Foundation Awards]], and a [[GLAAD Media Awards|GLAAD Media Award]].

==Critical reception==
At its debut, reviews for the series were mixed. The ''[[Orlando Sentinel]]'' gave ''Passions'' a "bleak prognosis" regarding the [[Diana, Princess of Wales]] controversy. Their critic wrote: "A show's dearth of creativity is evident when it shamelessly keeps picking over the bones of the dead. ''Passions'' seems to have a death wish."<ref name="orlando"/> ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' magazine wrote that apart from the show's supernatural elements, "''Passions'' would appear indistinguishable from almost any other soap opera." Unlike the ''Orlando Sentinel'', ''Time'' approved of the Diana, Princess of Wales link, stating that it showed that ''Passions'' was not "devoid of promise" and that the storyline showed "flashes of a certain kind of genius."<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Bellafante |first1=Ginia |last2=McDowell |first2=Jeanne |last3=Tynan |first3=William |date=12 July 1999 |title=Television: Love, Money, Witches And Beach Grass |url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,991471-2,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130616015013/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,991471-2,00.html |archive-date=16 June 2013 |access-date=22 June 2012 |magazine=Time}}</ref>

By 2001, Michael Logan of ''[[TV Guide]]'' remarked of ''Passions'', "There hasn't been this sort of buzz about a soap since the [[Luke and Laura]] days on ''[[General Hospital]]''...It's unlike anything else out there. There's a real sense of hipness to it."<ref name="ny times">{{cite web|title=TELEVISION/RADIO; A Soap Opera That Goes to Hell, Among Other Places|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/04/08/arts/television-radio-a-soap-opera-that-goes-to-hell-among-other-places.html?src=pm|work=The New York Times|access-date=22 June 2012|last=Tomashoff|first=Craig|date=8 April 2001|archive-date=6 November 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151106093507/http://www.nytimes.com/2001/04/08/arts/television-radio-a-soap-opera-that-goes-to-hell-among-other-places.html?src=pm|url-status=live}}</ref>

Craig Tomashoff of ''[[The New York Times]]'' praised the campy storylines by calling ''Passions'' the "''[[Twin Peaks]]'' of daytime": "It's a staggeringly psychotic blend of supernatural thriller, melodramatic soap opera and situation comedy, featuring acting that would make a pro wrestler blush. I'm never quite sure whether this is a ''laughing at'' or a ''laughing with'' kind of show; either way, I'm still laughing."<ref name="ny times"/>

==Cast==
<!--{{Main|List of Passions characters}}-->
[[File:Tabitha-timmy-martimmys.jpg|thumb|right|[[Juliet Mills]] and [[Josh Ryan Evans]] as Tabitha and Timmy]]

===Main===
{| class="wikitable"
|- "
! Actor || Character || Duration
|-
| [[Juliet Mills]] || Tabitha Lenox || 1999–2008
|-
| [[Josh Ryan Evans]] || Timmy Lenox || 1999–2002
|-
| [[Eva Tamargo]] || Pilar Lopez-Fitzgerald || 1999–2008
|-
| [[Silvana Arias]] || Paloma Lopez-Fitzgerald <small>(#1)</small> || 2004–2007
|-
| [[Hannia Guillen]] || Paloma Lopez-Fitzgerald <small>(#2)</small> || 2007–2008
|-
| [[Galen Gering]] || Luis Lopez-Fitzgerald || 1999–2008
|-
| [[Lindsay Hartley]] || Theresa Lopez-Fitzgerald || 1999–2008
|-
| [[Jesse Metcalfe]] || Miguel Lopez-Fitzgerald <small>(#1)</small> || 1999–2004
|-
| [[Adrian Bellani]] || Miguel Lopez-Fitzgerald <small>(#2)</small> || 2006–2007
|-
| [[Blair Redford]] || Miguel Lopez-Fitzgerald <small>(#3)</small> || 2007–2008
|-
| [[Christopher Douglas (American actor)|Christopher Douglas]] || Antonio Lopez-Fitzgerald <small>(#1)</small> || 2001–2004 <small>(recurring thereafter)</small>, 2008
|-
| [[Richard Steinmetz]] || Martin Fitzgerald <small>(#2)</small> || 2004–2006
|-
| [[Ben Masters]] || Julian Crane || 1999–2008
|-
| [[Alan Oppenheimer]] || Voice of [[Alistair Crane]] <small>(#1)</small> || 1999–2004
|-
| [[David Bailey (actor)|David Bailey]] || Alistair Crane <small>(#2)</small> || 2004–2005
|-
| [[John Reilly (actor, born 1934)|John Reilly]] || Alistair Crane <small>(#3)</small> || 2005–2006 <small>(recurring thereafter)</small>
|-
| [[Melinda Sward]] || Pretty Crane || 2007–2008 <small>(recurring previously)</small>
|-
| [[McKenzie Westmore]] || Sheridan Crane || 1999–2008
|-
| [[Kim Johnston Ulrich]] || Ivy Winthrop Crane || 1999–2008
|-
| [[Emily Harper]] || Fancy Lopez-Fitzgerald || 2005–2008
|-
| [[Justin Hartley]] || Nicholas Foxworth Crane <small>(#1)</small> || 2002–2006
|-
| [[Mark Cameron Wystrach]] || Nicholas Foxworth Crane <small>(#2)</small> || 2006–2007
|-
| [[Andrea Evans]] || Rebecca Hotchkiss || 2000–2008
|-
| [[Liza Huber]] || Gwen Hotchkiss <small>(#1)</small> || 1999–2000, 2002–2008
|-
| [[Natalie Zea]] || Gwen Hotchkiss <small>(#2)</small> || 2000–2002
|-
| [[Sharon Wyatt]] || Rachel Barrett || 2005–2006
|-
| [[Travis Schuldt]] || Ethan Winthrop <small>(#1)</small> || 1999–2002
|-
| [[Eric Martsolf]] || Ethan Winthrop <small>(#2)</small> || 2002–2008
|-
| [[Leigh Taylor-Young]] || Katherine Barrett || 2004–2006
|-
| [[Dana Sparks]] || Faith Standish<br/>Grace Bennett || 1999, 2004 <small>(#1)</small><br/>1999–2004 <small>(recurring thereafter)</small>
|-
| [[Molly Stanton]] || Charity Standish <small>(#1)</small><br/>Zombie Charity || 1999–2004<br/>2001–2002
|-
| [[James Hyde (actor)|James Hyde]] || Sam Bennett || 1999–2008
|-
| [[Dalton James]] || Hank Bennett <small>(#1)</small> || 1999–2001
|-
| [[Ryan McPartlin]] || Hank Bennett <small>(#2)</small> || 2001–2004 <small>(recurring thereafter)</small>
|-
| [[Dylan Fergus]] || Noah Bennett || 2005–2008
|-
| Taylor Anne Mountz || Kay Bennett <small>(#1)</small> || 1999–2000
|-
| Deanna Wright || Kay Bennett <small>(#2)</small> || 2000–2003
|-
| [[Heidi Mueller]] || Kay Lopez-Fitzgerald <small>(#3)</small>|| 2003–2008
|-
| [[Mary Elizabeth Winstead]] || Jessica Bennett <small>(#1)</small> || 1999–2000
|-
| Jade Harlow || Jessica Bennett <small>(#2)</small>|| 2000–2002
|-
| Danica Stewart || Jessica Bennett Lester <small>(#3)</small>|| 2003–2007
|-
| [[Jason Olive]] || Frank Lomax || 1999
|-
| [[Rodney Van Johnson]] || [[T.C. Russell]] || 1999–2007
|-
| [[Tracey Ross]] || [[Eve Russell]] || 1999–2008
|-
| [[Brook Kerr]] || [[Whitney Russell|Whitney Harris-Crane]] || 1999–2007
|-
| Lena Cardwell || [[Simone Russell]] <small>(#1)</small> || 1999–2001
|-
| [[Chrystee Pharris]] || Simone Russell <small>(#2)</small> || 2001–2004
|-
| [[Cathy Jeneen Doe]] || Simone Russell <small>(#3)</small> || 2004–2007
|-
| [[Donn Swaby]] || [[Chad Harris-Crane|Chad Harris]] <small>(#1)</small> || 1999–2002
|-
| Charles Divins || Chad Harris-Crane <small>(#2)</small> || 2002–2007
|-
| Kacie Borrowman || Cracked Connie || 2002
|-
| [[Brandi Burkhardt]] || Siren || 2006
|-
| [[Erin Cardillo]] || Esme Vanderheusen || 2007–2008 <small>(recurring previously)</small>
|-
| Justin Carroll || David Hastings <small>(#1)</small> || 2001–2004 <small>(recurring thereafter)</small>
|-
| [[Jack Krizmanich]] || John Hastings || 2001–2004
|-
| Bruce Michael Hall || Reese Durkee <small>(#1)</small> || 2000–2002 <small>(recurring previously and thereafter)</small>
|-
| Kyrie Maezumi || Maya Chinn || 2006 <small>(recurring previously and thereafter)</small>
|-
| [[Amelia Marshall]] || [[Liz Sanbourne]] || 2001–2006 <small>(recurring previously and thereafter)</small>
|-
| [[Kelli McCarty]] || Beth Wallace || 2002–2004 <small>(recurring previously and thereafter)</small>
|-
| [[Kathleen Noone]] || Edna Wallace || 2003–2004 <small>(recurring previously and thereafter)</small>
|-
| Victor McCay || Doc || 2001–2002 <small>(recurring thereafter)</small>
|-
| [[Alisa Reyes]] || Syd Valentine || 2003
|-
| [[Daphnee Duplaix Samuel]] || [[Valerie Davis]] <small>(#1)</small> || 2004–2007 <small>(recurring thereafter)</small>
|-
| [[James Stevenson (actor)|James Stevenson]] || Jared Casey|| 2006–2007
|-
| Adrian Wilson || [[Chris Boothe]] || 2005–2007
|}

===Noted guest stars===
{{More citations needed section|date=July 2015}}
In a nod to ''[[Bewitched]]'', [[Bernard Fox (actor)|Bernard Fox]] appeared as that series' "[[Dr. Bombay (character)|Dr. Bombay]]" on ''Passions'' in 1999 and 2000. [[Alice Ghostley]], who portrayed bumbling witch Esmeralda on ''Bewitched'', also appeared on ''Passions'' in 2000 as the ghost of [[Matilda Matthews]], a friend and rival witch from Tabitha's past in colonial New England. Comedian [[Ruth Buzzi]] portrayed Nurse Kravitz, an eccentric nurse who discovers that the character [[Endora Lenox|Endora]] has a demon tail, in 2003. [[Marla Gibbs]] appeared in 2004 and 2005 as Irma Johnson, the cantankerous aunt of [[Eve Russell]] and [[Liz Sanbourne]]. Gibbs was nominated for an [[NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Actress in a Daytime Drama Series]] for the role. From 2005 to 2006, [[Julia Duffy]] portrayed the Mother Superior at the [[convent]] to which [[Whitney Russell]] flees, and [[Georgia Engel]] played [[Esmeralda (Passions)|Esmeralda]], Tabitha's childhood rival, in a 2007 ''[[Wicked (musical)|Wicked]]''-themed storyline.<ref>{{cite web|title=''Drowsy''{{'s}} Engel to Star in ''Wicked''-Themed Daytime Soap ''Passions''|url=http://www.playbill.com/news/article/108936-Drowsy-s-Engel-to-Star-in-Wicked-Themed-Daytime-Soap-Passions|work=[[Playbill]]|access-date=May 21, 2012|first=Adam|last=Hetrick|date=June 19, 2007|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120706005315/http://www.playbill.com/news/article/108936-Drowsy-s-Engel-to-Star-in-Wicked-Themed-Daytime-Soap-Passions|archive-date=July 6, 2012}}</ref>

Professional basketball player [[Robert Horry]] appeared as himself in 1999,<ref name="SOD 34-08">{{cite book |chapter=Athletic Support |title=[[Soap Opera Digest]] |page=66 |date=February 24, 2009 |volume=34 |issue=8}}</ref> as did singer [[Mýa]] in 2003 and the band [[Scissor Sisters]] in 2007. Judge [[Mablean Ephriam]] also portrayed herself in a 2003 fantasy sequence in which the character [[T. C. Russell|T. C.]] and Eve Russell go on the ''[[Divorce Court]]'' television program.

The band [[Scissor Sisters]] appeared on two February 2007 episodes and performed two songs from their ''[[Ta-Dah]]'' album: "[[Land of a Thousand Words]]" on February 8 and "[[I Don't Feel Like Dancin'|I Don't Feel Like Dancin{{'-}}]]" on February 9.<ref>{{cite magazine |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Scissor Sisters Prep For 'Passions' |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/scissor-sisters-prep-for-passions-1327030/ |magazine=Billboard |access-date=12 July 2023 |date=6 February 2007}}</ref>

[[Juliet Mills]]' daughter Melissa Caulfield appeared in 1999 and 2005 as Nanny Phoebe Figalilly, a role played by Mills in the [[sitcom]] ''[[Nanny and the Professor]]''. Gabby Tamargo, daughter of [[Eva Tamargo]], portrayed a young version of the elder Tamargo's character, [[Pilar Lopez-Fitzgerald]], in 2008.

==''Hidden Passions''==
{{main|Hidden Passions}}
[[Image:HiddenPassions2001.jpg|thumb|right|150px|1st edition cover of ''[[Hidden Passions]]'']]

In 2001, [[HarperEntertainment]] released ''[[Hidden Passions|Hidden Passions: Secrets from the Diaries of Tabitha Lenox]]'', a [[tie-in]] [[novelization]] presented as Tabitha's diary, exposing the secrets and pasts of the town's residents. ''Passions'' featured a storyline involving Tabitha and Timmy promoting the book, which reached No. 4 on the real-life [[New York Times Best Seller list|''New York Times'' Best Seller list]] and garnered the series two alternative covers of ''[[TV Guide]]'' in July 2001. While the novel was billed as being [[canon (fiction)|canonical]], by the show's final episode, the televised canon had diverged significantly from the novel since its publication.

==See also==
* [[List of awards for Passions (TV series)|List of ''Passions'' awards]]
* [[List of Passions crew|List of ''Passions'' crew]]
* [[List of American daytime soap opera ratings]]
{{clear}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{official website|http://www.nbc.com/Passions/}}
* {{IMDb title|0192917}}

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