Post by Valerie on Sept 28, 2007 21:14:52 GMT -5
From nbc.com/passions
EL SEGUNDO, Calif., September 26, 2007 — DIRECTV, the nation's leading satellite television provider, is giving fans an all-access pass to Passions as it makes its ninth season debut on DIRECTV's original entertainment channel, The 101. Starting October 1, fans of the daytime drama will be able to keep up with all the action in Harmony, no matter where they are, through an online subscription service available for $19.95 a month at www.nbc.com/passions. Every new episode from The 101 will be posted daily to the site and housed for 8 weeks, ensuring that fans will have plenty of time to keep up with the plot. DIRECTV has also added four all new Passions LIVE! episodes to The 101 schedule, giving fans a chance to interact with their favorite cast members on a weekly live call-in show. Passions LIVE! is hosted by Eric Martsolf who plays Ethan Winthrop, and airs at 8 p.m. ET every Thursday. Those fans without DIRECTV can still take advantage of the special Passions offer by calling 866-788-0003 or going to www.directv.com/passions. "We are thrilled to offer this new online service to the fans of Passions, " said Eric Shanks, executive vice president of Entertainment for DIRECTV. "We know that Passions fans are religious about keeping up with the happenings in Harmony, and we are happy to be able to provide them with another outlet to catch their favorite soap, while they transition from NBC to DIRECTV's The 101 "
In response to the success of Passions LIVE!, DIRECTV has extended the weekly show for an additional four episodes, airing Thursdays at 8 p.m. ET/ 5 p.m. PT. The 30-minute live call-in shows are hosted by cast member Eric Martsolf (Ethan Winthrop) and welcome new cast members weekly who discuss their roles and answer questions from a live call-in audience. Fans can participate by calling 1-800-860-8537 to speak with their favorite cast members directly or by submitting questions via email at viewermail@passionsondirectv.com to be answered on-air. Fans can also visit www.stickam.com to post questions and videos to be aired on the live program. Immediately following each episode of Passions LIVE!, viewers can also tune into the Stickam website to take part in an online conversation with the cast and other fans. McKenzie Westmore (Sheridan) and Liza Huber (Gwen) will headline the next episode airing Thursday, September 27.
"The first four episodes of Passions LIVE! generated an overwhelming response from fans so we knew we had to keep new episodes coming," said Patricia Ishimoto, General Manager, DIRECTV Original Entertainment. "DIRECTV is breaking the mold, giving viewers access to their favorite soap stars on a weekly basis and the cast enjoys having the opportunity to interact with their fans. It's a form of instant gratification for both the actors and the viewers." Each episode of Passions LIVE! will be broadcast on DIRECTV's original entertainment channel, The 101, as well as streamed live on the Passions' website www.nbc.com/passions. DIRECTV has also added a unique feature to Passions episodes with interactive quizzes where viewers can use their remote control to answer questions about the show, the characters and the cast. These trivia features will be found within each episode and will test fans on their Passions knowledge with questions pertaining to the week's story line, as well as from past seasons.
Passions explores the lives, loves and losses of four core families in the small New England town of Harmony: the Cranes, the Lopez-Fitzgeralds, the Bennetts and the Russells, each of whom have their own distinct and diverse personalities. The series debuted on NBC in 1999 and has routinely been amongst the top daytime programs for women ages 18-34, and currently is tied for #1 among all daytime dramas in both women ages 18-24 and females 12-24. Passions airs on The 101 Monday –Thursday at 2:00 p.m. ET with encore presentations at 7 p.m. ET and marathons every Saturday from 10 a.m. –2 p.m. ET. The show is produced by Universal Media Studios in association with Outpost Farms Productions, Inc.
About DIRECTV
DIRECTV, Inc., the nation's leading satellite television service provider, presents the finest television experience available to more than 16.3 million customers in the United States, through exclusive content, industry-leading customer satisfaction (which has surpassed cable for seven years running) and superior technologies. Each day, DIRECTV subscribers enjoy access to over 250 channels of 100% digital picture and sound, exclusive programming and the most comprehensive collection of sports programming available anywhere, including NFL SUNDAY TICKET™ and MLB EXTRA INNINGS®. DIRECTV (NYSE:DTV) also leads the digital television technology revolution with exclusives such as NFL SUNDAY TICKET SuperFan™, US Open Interactive and YES Network Interactive and will soon have the capacity to offer over 150 channels in HD. For the most up-to-date information on DIRECTV, please visit directv.com.
About Universal Media Studios
Universal Media Studios, a division of NBC Universal, is one of the country's largest and most successful television production companies, responsible for more than 15 of television's most critically acclaimed, hit primetime series. Some of the series produced by the studio include the highest-rated scripted series this season, "House"; the Emmy Award-winning comedy "The Office"; the highest-rated new series of the season, "Heroes," and critically acclaimed cable hits "Battlestar Galactica" and "Monk." The studio also producers a variety of reality programming, the daytime drama "Passions" and NBC's late night programs "Saturday Night Live," "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" and "Last Call with Carson Daly.
