Popular Daytime Drama BeamedIn From Outer Space (NAPSA)—In the world of day- EV Se time dramas,it’s not uncommonfor a character to come back from the dead. Now, thanksto a uniquepartnership between a major network and a leading satellite television provider, a popular “soap” is undergoing a similar sort of resurrection. Then: On July 5, 1999, NBC launched “Passions,” a new daytime drama. The serial was centered around the inhabitants of Harmony, a small, seaside town in Maine. Though focusing on five core families, the story arcs embrace numerous characters who are tied—directly or romantically—to those families. Through the years of dramatic twists and personal entanglements, “Passions” became a fan favorite—routinely among the top daytime programs for women ages 18 to 34, and currently tied for #1 amongall daytime dramasin both women ages 18 to 24 and females 12 to 24. It has garnered a number of Daytime Emmy awards—most notably for its music—and a slew of nominations. The show has also received an NAACP Image Award for star Tracey Ross and, in 2006, a GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Daily Drama. Now: After its September 7, 2007 broadcast (and, true to the genre, several cliffhangers), “Passions”will take off in another direction, charting out new territory for daytime drama: satellite television. On September17, the program will relaunch on The 101, a DirecTV exclusive channel, while retaining the majority of its cast and crew— as well as its 2 p.m. timeslot. “Passions” will be the first scripted dramaseries to join The 101 original program lineup, which includes viewer favorites such as “The Fizz,” “Project MyWorld” and the “DirecTV Con- ~ i 3 Same neighborhood, different address: A popular daytime drama is moving to satellite. cert Series.” The series will broadcast four one-hour episodes (Monday-Thursday), as well as a weekend marathon of that week’s shows so fans can catch up on the action each week. “This new arrangementis truly a landmark development that allows us to extend the ‘Passions’ brand in a fresh and entirely new way to DirecTV’s more than 16 million homes,” said Marc Graboff, president, NBC Universal Television, West Coast. “It will reward the dedicated fans of the daytime drama who can continue to enjoy it—and also opens up a great new model for other television programsto find new life on nontraditional platforms.” Fans without satellite service will have plenty of time to switch before the new season begins. DirecTV will make it easy for “Passions” viewers to keep track of the happenings in Harmonyby providing free installation, a DVR or HD receiver upgrade and a portable DVD player by calling a special phone number (866-788-0003) or visit www.directv.com/passions. Fans can also visit www.nbe.com/ passions for more information about the show.
