James Reilly, Passions' creator and head writer, doesn't give many interviews. But in honor of the New Year, Mr. Reilly talked with us about what to expect in 2001 on Passions. One thing's for sure--this year is going to be even more exciting and dramatic than last year...if you can imagine that! Read on for the full scoop. It’s a New Year. What can we expect in the upcoming months? There will be major story breaking in the Bennett house. As we see on air right now, Hecuba has the Bennetts under attack. First we saw them being invaded by a rabble of ravens. This attack will only intensify to the point where major supernatural events occur--placing everyone’s life in danger and culminating in the biggest special effects extravaganza the show has ever done! Luis and Sheridan continue to come together in the next few weeks and will make love very soon. Everything you’ve ever waited for with this couple will happen. But even bigger events, if you can imagine, will happen in the Crane house the night that Rebecca throws a party for Ethan and Theresa. Incredible secrets that have been kept for decades come out and shock and rock everyone’s lives and threaten relationships. While it seems nothing can destroy Ethan and Theresa’s love, a major attack is made on it. Rebecca and Gwen are determined to win Ethan away from Theresa. And the excitement does not stop there, as someone very beloved in a key family dies. Timmy and Tabitha are not left out of all the action. They try to escape what Hecuba’s up to in Harmony and only wind up placing themselves in even greater danger. Timmy finds himself in a life-threatening situation but it’s Tabitha who he winds up mourning. Hecuba continues to bring more evil into Harmony than we’ve ever seen before. And watch as the very gates of hell open and actually swallow up those we know and love! Chad becomes more involved with one of the Russell girls and the stage is set for a major romance and an even bigger conflict between siblings. Also, this year we’re going to see a core couple divorce, there’s the possibility of not a double, but a triple wedding, and a surprising couple will marry. This will all happen before the second anniversary of the show! Can we expect any new characters in 2001? There will be several new characters coming on who will impact the core families. Passions has tons of secrets that have yet to come out—for example, Ethan’s paternity, Chad’s parentage, Eve and Julian’s past—can we expect any to be revealed in 2001? There will be forward progression in all of these stories. Some will come to major revelations as secrets will be revealed. Will any of the characters spin in a totally different direction or storyline than we’ve seen? Yes, certain events will happen in one character’s life that will change them from the character we currently know. Were you pleased with the way the secret of Sheridan’s death was kept? Do you feel it’s important to keep story details secret? I was very pleased that the secret was kept because it created more tension for the audience. It got them more involved and kept them on the edge of their seat. And it was a richer story for them to enjoy because they grieved more when they didn’t know she was alive, and rejoiced more when they found out she was alive. If we hadn’t kept the secret, a lot of emotion would have been kept out of the story. In general, in terms of keeping stories secret, I think it depends. Some stories you want people to know to stay tuned for a big event, but in other cases, the element of surprise has to be maintained by secrecy. How does it make you feel when people get so angry at a storyline that they say they’re never going to watch again? Do you think they mean it? I love it! I hope they don’t mean it. It shows they’re emotionally connected to the character and I think they know from my past history that they’re going to get a big payoff. You never know when or how it’s going to be—like no one saw Sheridan’s death coming or knew she was alive in the coffin—which made the Christmas show that much more powerful. Sheridan’s death was quite a shock to the audience. Do you have anything up your sleeve to shock the audience again on that level? Absolutely! There’s so much major story popping between now and where I’m currently writing that I think the audience will be surprised on a daily basis. In the past year, what delighted you the most in terms of what you saw on air? What delighted me the most was the never-ending talent the production has to make the show come alive. Can you give us any more information about “Hidden Passions”? “Hidden Passions” is a book that came from Tabitha’s secret diaries. It will reveal and flesh out things that are only hinted at on air. It will give the audience some surprises and background for a lot of stories which are currently playing. If you read it very carefully, you’ll find clues to other secrets not yet revealed. Passions has gotten a lot of recognition recently. For example, TV Guide named it “Best Soap” two years in a row. Is that kind of recognition important to you and how does it make you feel? When you love what you do, which everyone on Passions does--from the writers, to the production staff to the crew to the cast—you want the audience to love what you love. By being named “Best Soap” by TV Guide and Teen People, getting the highest rating for a soap from Entertainment Weekly, and other honors, it just lets us know that we should continue what we’re doing. It shows that we’re giving the audience what they want to see because the audience is always our ultimate boss and critic. James Reilly's Interviews: Jim Reilly #1 Jim Reilly #2 Jim Reilly #3 |
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