NBC RENEWS DAYTIME DRAMA �PASSIONS� FOR A SEVENTH SEASON

CREATOR JAMES E. REILLY CONTINUES HIS ROLE S CONSULTING PRODUCER AND HEAD WRITER

"Passions" airs Monday�Friday on NBC (check local listings)

BURBANK, Calif. -- January 21 -- NBC announced the renewal of daytime's youngest drama "Passions" for a seventh season and that the show's creator James E. Reilly will continue his role as consulting producer and head writer. The announcement was made today by Kevin Reilly, President, NBC Entertainment and Sheraton Kalouria, Senior Vice President, Daytime Programs.

"The emergence of 'Passions' as a top-tier soap opera is something to celebrate and I'm pleased to reward the show's success with this seventh-season renewal," said Kevin Reilly. "The creator, James E. Reilly, continues to amaze us with his masterful storytelling. We are fortunate to have him continue in his role at 'Passions' while simultaneously working as head writer on 'Days of our Lives.' We know the fans will look forward to another year of on-the-edge-of-your seat stories."

Added Kalouria, "Under the leadership of executive producer Lisa de Cazotte, the talented cast and crew of 'Passions' deliver a show that continues to grow in popularity in a very challenging daypart. The phenomenal growth of 'Passions' proves that great storytelling remains the most direct path to ratings success."

NBC's "Passions," which debuted in July 1999, is the newest drama to be introduced to daytime television and is the only daytime drama launched in the last decade that remains on the air. The young drama continues to grow and for the week of January 3-7, 2005, "Passions" was seen by more women 18-49 than ever in its history, equaling its highest ranking ever among women 18-49 and pulling within just one-tenth of a point of the #2 ranking for the week. "Passions" (2.2 rating, 12 share among women 18-49) matched the week's women 18-49 rating for rival "All My Children" and out-rated such rival dramas as "One Life to Live," "The Bold and the Beautiful" and "As the World Turns."

"Passions" continues to excel among younger viewers (ranking #2 for the season among women 18-34 behind only NBC's "Days of our Lives") and is consistently improving its rank among women 18-49. "Passions" is also the fastest growing daytime drama among women 25-54 viewers, up three percent from last season.

In addition, "Passions" just received two NAACP Image Award nominations this week. Tracey Ross (Dr. Eve Russell) and Marla Gibbs (Aunt Irma) were both nominated in the category of Outstanding Actress in a Daytime Series for the 36th annual awards ceremony on March 19. The NAACP Image nomination was Ross' sixth for her role on "Passions."

The Emmy Award-winning daytime drama combines quirky characters with traditional love stories to generate continual interest and critical acclaim from the daytime community ("Passions" has been nominated for 23 Daytime Emmy Awards, winning three; numerous Soap Opera Digest awards and has won three IMAGEN Awards) as well as the press, TV Guide (Best Soap 1999 and 2000), Entertainment Weekly ("...comedy, drama, camp classic, soap send up, 'Passions' works."), USA Today ("..has a gift for head-turning plots.") and Rolling Stone and Entertainment Weekly both named it (a "Hot, Guilty Pleasure").

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 challenges and desires. "Passions," is the creation of celebrated daytime drama scribe Reilly, who is considered by many industry insiders to be one of the most innovative and prolific writers of his time (TV Guide named him one of Television's Most Valuable Players, February 2001).

"Passions" is produced by NBC Studios in association Outpost Farms Productions, Inc. and is taped in Studio City, California. Lisa de Cazotte is the executive producer.