Passions Gets Picked Up by DirecTV

I just read this in Variety (thanks for the tip, FuzzyDave!):

Fans of witchcraft, crazy couplings, mermaids and half-men/half-women rejoice! Passions has been renewed for one full year, and starting in the fall, its episodes will be airing on DirecTV.

In an effort to bring in more women viewers (DirecTV already scores with the men ans all the sports offerings), DirecTV will be airing 52 weeks' worth of brand-new Passions episodes, however, instead of airing five days a week, production will be scaled back to four days a week. Also, its budget has been slashed by about one-third, so we might see some scaling back in the cast as well. No word yet on what else will be different, or who will be coming aboard or jumping ship, but as soon as we know, we will pass the word along to you.

For now, at least until Fall 2008, we can all breathe a collective sigh of relief. Whew!