SciFi Channel Seeks Young Females With "Passions"

According to Variety, the SciFi Channel is hoping to cast a spell over female fans with the supernatural soap "Passions."

The cable channel has struck a deal with its sister company, NBC Universal TV Studio, to bring old episodes of the show to SciFi five days a week.

The channel has acquired the rights to the entire library of episodes and will begin airing the series on February 6th, starting with the series premiere.

Launched in 1999, the ongoing soap "explores the lives, loves and losses of four core families who reside in Harmony: the Cranes, the Lopez-Fitzgeralds, the Bennetts and the Russells, each of whom have their own distinct and diverse personalities." Sounds like standard soap opera material on the surface, but this series also features the 300-year-old witch Tabitha Lenox who meddles in the lives of the wealthy denizens of the town along with her reluctant sidekick, doll-turned-boy Timmy and daughter Endora.

Fans of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" may recall that the show was a favorite of the Spike and Giles characters. (See the "Something Blue" episode.)

To keep itself distinct from "regular" daytime dramas, in addition to the magical powers of the resident witch Tabitha, "Passions" characters have turned into zombies and doorways to hell (demons included) emerge from mansion closets.

SciFi execs hope that adding the show to its daily line-up will attract some of the younger female viewers who have been tuning in. Not surprisingly, "Passions" fans tend to be younger than those of other daytime serials. -- Shannon Nolley

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