By DAVID BAUDER (AP Television Writer) NEW YORK (AP) _ Just after she bought a book on Princess Diana during a visit to Paris, the wealthy socialite Sheridan Crane got into a car crash in the same tunnel where Diana died nearly two years ago. It was pure fiction _ just another outrageous story in a soap opera _ but it came so uncomfortably close to the real-life tragedy that NBC is taking heat for putting it on the air. Viewers called the storyline ``deplorable'' and ``disrespectful'' in postings on the Web site for the new daytime drama, ``Passions.'' It even drew a royal rebuke. ``It is in exceedingly bad taste, and it's totally inappropriate,'' Princess Elizabeth of Yugoslavia, a cousin of Prince Charles, told Soap Opera Weekly magazine. ``I'm not even going to look at it. ... To exploit other people's pain is always awful. To make money on someone who died like that is disgusting.'' The show's creator defended the plot, saying it was no worse than people who tried to capitalize on Diana's death by selling souvenirs with her picture. ``We're taking a part of her life like everyone else is taking a part of her life,'' said James Reilly, the head writer on ``Passions.'' ``We're taking the most emotional part of her life and showing how our character is affected by it and ripped apart by it.'' ``Passions'' went on the air July 5, replacing the canceled ``Another World,'' and represents NBC's attempt to draw a younger soap opera audience. Crane's character is depicted as a friend of Diana's who is disturbed by the parallels in their lives. In a scene during the soap's first week, she is shown driving a car and being chased by paparazzi. Producers filmed a car going into the actual tunnel where Diana died but taped the crash scene in a Los Angeles studio. Crane's character survives the crash because she's wearing a seatbelt. After the crash, the camera focuses on the book with Diana's picture lying on the pavement, littered with shattered glass. Later, in her hospital bed, Crane has an out-of-body experience in which she supposedly hears Diana's voice. NBC executives approved the crash scene. ``Our intention was not to offend anyone but to portray Diana with respect and warmth,'' said Susan Lee, NBC senior vice president for daytime television. Reilly said soap operas try to get viewers emotionally involved with what's on the screen, and Diana's death was particularly wrenching. ``I would be up in arms if I thought we were demeaning her, trivializing her death or laughing at people who were upset by it,'' he said. ``We did the total opposite.'' |