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NBC Renews Passions for
Another Year!

America's Fastest Growing Daytime Series Gets Nod Through 2003 - 04 Season

African -American Radio Personality Tom Joyner Will Guest-Star During the Week of March 3

Burbank - January 17, 2002 -- NBC has renewed its hit soap opera PASSIONS - America's fastest-growing daytime series - for an additional year through 2003-04 season, it was announced today by Jeff Zucker, President, NBC Entertainment.

In addition, as part of the network's drive to introduce the racially diverse soap opera to new audiences, NBC Daytime Senior Vice President Sheraton Kalouria announced that popular African-American radio personality Tom Joyner will guest-star during the week of March 3. "Tom Joyner is the ideal personality to shine a light on the fact that PASSIONS has the most fully developed African-American central characters of any soap."  The details of Joyner's involvement will be announced later.

PASSIONS, which premiered in 1999, is daytime's fastest-growing series versus year-ago results in numerous categories, including women 18-49, where the drama is up 17 percent this season vs. last (1.2 million vs. 1.0 million).

During the week of December 16 - January 12, PASSIONS averaged 1.5 million viewers among women 18-54, equaling the highest four-week figure ever for the daytime drama and leaping 20 percent above the 1.3 million average for the same four weeks a year earlier. 

PASSIONS previously averaged 1.5 million viewers in the category during the four weeks ending September 20, 2002.  As of January 9, NBC is No. 1 for the season among women 18-49 and is the only network up versus last year's rating in that key demographic category.

PASSIONS quirky characters and classic love stories have generated interest from the daytime community (PASSIONS was nominated for eight EMMY Awards in its sophomore year as well as numerous Soap Opera Digest Awards) and the press (Rolling Stone named it a "Hot, Guilty Pleasure").  The series is No. 1 among the key teen demographic, #2 among women 18-34 and a consistent strong performer among women 18 - 49 and women 25 - 54, consistently out-delivering veteran soaps "As the World Turns," "Guiding Light" and "Port Charles."

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 personalities.  It also features a 300-yar-old witch, Tabitha Lenox, portrayed by Juliet Mills.

PASSIONS is the creation of celebrated daytime drama veteran James E. Reilly, who is considered by many industry insiders to be one of the most innovative and prolific writers of the genre.  Reilly has created some of the most talked-about storytelling in daytime drama, including characters that are buried alive, or possessed, as well as daytime's first-ever multiple character.

"PASSIONS" MATCHES ITS BIGGEST FOUR WEEKS EVER AMONG WOMEN 18-54 WITH "DECEMBER WEDDINGS"

DAYTIME’S FASTEST GROWING SERIES ATTRACTS 1.5 MILLION WOMEN 18-54 OVER THE LAST FOUR WEEKS, A 20 PERCENT JUMP OVER YEAR-AGO RESULTS

NBC’S DAYTIME DUO STRETCHES ITS UNBEATEN STREAK AMONG WOMEN 18-49 TO 11 WEEKS IN A ROW

“DAYS OF OUR LIVES,” THE PEOPLE’S CHOICE CHAMP AMONG DAYTIME DRAMAS, IS A STRONG NO. 2 FOR THE WEEK AMONG WOMEN 18-49 AND NO. 1 AMONG WOMEN 18-34

NBC IS NO. 1 FOR THE SEASON AMONG WOMEN 18-49 AND IS THE ONLY NETWORK UP OVER LAST YEAR

BURBANK, Calif. - January 16, 2003 - The fastest-growing daytime series on network television, NBC’s “Passions,” has matched its highest four-week delivery ever of women 18-54 during the four weeks of its aggressively promoted “December Weddings” storyline.

According to in-home viewing statistics from Nielsen Media Research, the Dec. 16-Jan. 12 “December Weddings” telecasts of “Passions” averaged 1.541 million viewers among women 18-54, equaling the highest four-week figure ever for the hot daytime drama and leaping 20 percent above the 1.281 million average for the same four weeks a year earlier. “Passions” previously averaged 1.541 million viewers in the category during the four weeks ending Sept. 20, 2002.

“Passions” is daytime’s fastest-growing series versus year-ago results in numerous categories, including women 18-49, where the drama is up 17 percent this season vs. last (1.175 million vs. 1.005 million).

NBC’s two-hour daytime lineup of “Days of our Lives” and “Passions” is No. 1 for the season to date among women 18-49 and it’s the only daytime schedule on network television that’s up over year-ago season averages among women 18-34, 18-49, 25-54 and 18-and -older.

NBC has won the Jan. 6-10 week among women 18-49, the 11th week in a row that NBC has won or tied for first. In the valuable women 18-34 category, NBC was No. 1 for the 162nd week in a row. Note that NBC broadcasts two hours a day of daytime programming while ABC and CBS air four-and-a-half hours each.

NBC’s “Days of our Lives” (2.7 rating, 16 share among women 18-49, 3.4/20 among women 18-34), the 2003 People’s Choice Award winner for top daytime drama, tied for last week’s No. 2 rating among women 18-49. “Days” also finished No. 1 among women 18-34 for the 388th time in 389 weeks. “Passions” (2.0/12 among women 18-49, 2.5/15 among women 18-34) finished the Jan. 6-10 week No. 7 among women 18-49 and No. 2 among women 18-34.

According to in-home viewing figures from Nielsen Media Research, daytime ratings among women 18-49 for the Jan. 6-10 week are: NBC, 2.4/14; ABC, 2.2/14 ; CBS, 1.9/12. Among women 18-34, averages are: NBC, 3.0/18; ABC, 1.7/11; CBS, 1.5/10. Overall total viewer averages for the week are: CBS, 4.7 million; ABC, 3.8 million; NBC, 3.7 million.

Daytime season-to-date averages among women 18-49 are: NBC, 2.2/14 (up 5 percent versus results for the same period last year); ABC, 2.1/14 (down 9 percent); CBS, 1.8/12 (down 14 percent). Among women 18-34, season-to-date averages are: NBC, 2.7/17 (up 8 percent); ABC, 1.7/12 (down 6 percent); CBS, 1.5/10 (down 12 percent).

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