Beyond The Gates - Daytime Soap Operas- News, polls

On Monday, the first soap to feature a majority Black cast was renewed for a second season. Its creation was both a savvy business move and an acknowledgment of Black viewers’ passion for the genre as broadcast ratings have declined.

George Cheeks, the CBS chief, told Vulture last year the show was born out of crunching numbers: “One of the things that the data made very clear is that daytime soap operas over index with Black women.”

“I think there’s kind of a renewed appreciation for the audiences that do still engage in broadcast programing, and a recognition that one of those audiences are Black women, and this was a way to serve that audience,” says Elana Levine, a University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee professor and author of “Her Stories: Daytime Soap Opera and US Television History.”

Victoria Rowell’s “Young and the Restless” character, Drucilla Barber Winters, was introduced in 1990 as “an illiterate thief,” she says. Rowell worked with co-creator and then-head writer, William J. Bell to give the character dimension.

Drucilla became a ballet dancer, like Rowell herself, a storyline that showed “it is possible to be in a lower socioeconomic environment and be aspirational.”

The feeling, Rowell explains is, “Oh my God, I can be a ballet dancer through Drucilla, a pull-up-by-the-bootstraps kind of chick that’s rough around the edges and that can learn how to read and write, perhaps, and meet a Neil Winters and get married and improve her life.”

Rowell says she always understood her role as “so much bigger” than an acting job. She recalls meeting with the then-editor of Soap Opera Digest to advocate for a cover featuring the Black cast members — and it ended up happening.

Rowell’s tenure with the show, though, has been up and down. She has only glowing things to say about Bell, who died in 2005. But she sued CBS and producers in 2015 after she says she pushed for the casting of more Black actors and wasn’t hired back on the soap as a result. They later settled. After “Beyond the Gates” was announced, Rowell says she received a letter from CBS acknowledging her place in the show’s DNA.

“I have been contacted with great respect from the powers that be at CBS, thanking me for all of my hard work, recognizing the work that I have done that has influenced this moment and I appreciate that,” she said.

She was “astounded” to be asked to audition for the matriarch role of Anita Dupree, but says she didn’t hear back after submitting her tape. The role went to Tamara Tunie, whom Rowell describes as “a brilliant actress.”

Darnell Williams was cast as teen Jesse Hubbard on ABC’s “All My Children” in 1981 to capitalize on younger fans who fell in love with Luke and Laura on “General Hospital.” His fan base exploded after Debbi Morgan was cast as Angie Baxter. Jesse and Angie are regarded as daytime’s first Black supercouple.

“Before that, we didn’t see Black love, and what message does that send? It said that it did not exist because it was not reflected,” said Sherri Williams, an assistant professor at American University who studies Black representation in media.

“I think about the first time we realized the impact we’d had on the audience, we had gone to a movie in Times Square one night, and after the movie, the lights had come back up and we heard this rumbling. We were looking around and all of a sudden we heard our names being chanted,” Williams said.

When he thinks about “Beyond the Gates,” Williams says he’s hopeful about the job opportunities the show can provide.

For years, Veronica Redd played Mamie Johnson — Drucilla’s aunt — on “The Young and the Restless.” When she tuned into the premiere of “Beyond the Gates,” what she saw got her attention, but what she heard blew her away.

“I was not prepared,” laughs Redd. It begins with a women driving a Mercedes-Benz through the gates of an exclusive country club. The Emotions’ “Best of My Love” is playing — something that told Redd the production value was top notch.

Daytime isn’t usually Redd’s favorite genre even though she acknowledges “it’s paid the bills for many decades.” “Beyond the Gates,” though, has earned a spot in Redd’s TV time.

If “Beyond the Gates” can open the doors to new conversation, that’s a good thing, says Kimberly McGhee, a Tennessee viewer.

McGhee appreciates how one of the main characters is a psychiatrist. Mental health can be viewed as taboo within the Black community and McGhee believes incorporating it into storylines could help beat the stigma.

The soap also addresses Black history: Clifton Davis plays the Dupree family patriarch, a civil rights activist whose advocacy efforts are often mentioned. Bringing in the civil rights generation is “pretty significant,” said Sherri Williams, but “not surprising” given the NAACP’s producing credit.

“The NAACP is a group that has been fighting for civil rights and for Black liberation for more than a century, and it’s also an organization that has been advocating for authentic images of Black people in television and film,” she explained.

Some have critiqued how the main cast primarily includes light-skinned Black actors, though.

“Now, of the people who auditioned, if they went with the best option, the best talent, totally understand that,” said Atlanta viewer Simone Umba. “But we can still have those talks in regards to colorism because that’s a recurring thing.”

“Black families have to have relatives of all shades, but we don’t see that in this nuclear family. This feels like a missed opportunity to truly be historic and represent Black people across the spectrum,” said Williams.

“Beyond the Gates” may have been created with a Black audience in mind, but a diverse one is tuning in.

Charlene Polite Corley, Nielsen’s vice president of diverse insights and partnerships, says 52% of the total audience is Black.

“It’s bringing folks along for this really unique story being told in a lot of ways for the first time. And so, yes, the Black audience is leading here, but there’s a whole lot of other kinds of folks who are tuning in, too,” she said.

A varied audience is “good for everyone,” says Elle Murasaki, a Black viewer from New Jersey who hosts weekly live chats on Instagram to discuss the show.

“There is this misconception that being for the culture is exclusive. That it’s Black-only and that we don’t want to include any other demographic into it,” she said. “While there is a majority Black cast telling this story, I think everybody can identify.”

“If you like a good storyline and if you like the genre of a soap opera and something that’s soapy and glitzy, then 100%, this is something that you should watch,” she said. “It doesn’t matter what color you are.”

‘Beyond The Gates’ Renewed For Second Season By CBS

The sudser from Michele Val Jean is up +67% in multiplatform viewership from last years’ time period and beats ABC’s General Hospital by 7% among women 25-54 on broadcast, according to Nielsen.

Beyond the Gates is set in a leafy Maryland suburb just outside of Washington, DC, in one the most affluent African American counties in the United States; a posh gated community with winding tree-lined streets and luxurious mansions to call home. At the center of this community are the Duprees, a powerful and prestigious multi-generational family that is the very definition of Black royalty. But behind these pristine walls and lush, manicured gardens are juicy secrets and scandals waiting to be uncovered. And those who live outside these gates are watching closely. These are the places where our characters live, love, work and play. Those who have “made it” and those who haven’t are all trying to navigate life … and some with more grace than others.

Beyond the Gates is a CBS Studios/NAACP Venture, led by Sheila Ducksworth, in partnership with P&G Studios, a division of Procter & Gamble. The series is created and executive produced by Val Jean. Additional executive producers are Ducksworth, Julie Carruthers, Tracey Thompson, Leon W. Russell, Derrick Johnson, Kimberly Doebereiner and Anna Saalfeld.

CBS Is #1 In Daytime For 39 Seasons

CBS’ weekly winning streak started on Oct. 3, 1988 (Ronald Reagan was president and floppy discs were still a thing), and the “weekly consecutive streak” was only interrupted from July 22-29, 1996, during the Summer Olympics held in Atlanta and broadcast on NBC. Since then, the network has maintained the #1 spot for the 1,500 consecutive weeks—approximately 28 years and eight months.

CBS is home to the top three daytime shows – #1 THE PRICE IS RIGHT, #2 THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS and #3 THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL and the daytime audience averages 2.76m viewers (Most Current, Season-to-Date).

For 13 consecutive seasons (since 2012-13), these shows have ranked as the top daytime programs for 571 of 615 weeks.

THE PRICE IS RIGHT has been the #1 daytime program in 691 of the last 701 consecutive weeks and this season averages 3.95m viewers (Most Current, Season-to-Date).

THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS has been the #1 daytime soap for more than 36 years and 1,878 consecutive weeks and this season averages 3.29m viewers (Most Current, Season-to-Date).

THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL this season averages 2.79m viewers (Most Current, Season-to-Date).

LET’S MAKE A DEAL this season averages 2.21m viewers (Most Current, Season-to-Date).

BEYOND THE GATES, the newest addition to the winning CBS Daytime lineup, is up +48% in broadcast viewership from last year’s time period and this season averages 1.82m viewers (Most Current, Season-to-Date).

Streaming viewership of every CBS soap is up year-over-year and streaming gains result in double digit lifts over the broadcast-only audience.

‘Beyond the Gates’ Star Karla Mosely Shares Her Journey with Queer Identity

Mosley spoke with the It Gets BetterProject about her journey with sexual identity.

(Video) When asked when she knew she was a part of the LGBTQ community, Mosley shared, “It's honestly something that's evolving for me. My first kiss was with a girl, but I just thought, ‘isn't everyone’s?’”

Mosley continued, “I grew up in a predominantly white area. This body wasn't the standard of beauty where I was growing up. I wasn't being asked to dances. I wasn't being seen in any kind of a sexually healthy way at that time. I just kind of shut any forms of sexual identity down. I was with one person from 16 to 34 and I realized when I moved out to LA and I started working on a show and I was kind of alone for the first time in my adult life that there was more to me that I just hadn't been connecting with. So, one of the reasons that I had to leave that relationship was because I realized that I'm queer, and that I wanted to experience being with many different kinds of people and just understanding what that was for me.”

Discussing her current relationship, the award-winning actress stated, “Today, I'm in a relationship that is sort of presents as heteronormative, monogamous, you know, and so I've been thinking about well if I left this other relationship because I felt like I wasn't being all of me how do I exist in what looks like a very similar style of relationship and yet incorporate this part of me that I know to be true that my partner knows to be true that you know most of the people who are close to me know to be true.”

When asked why it was so important for her to share this part of her publicly now, Mosley responded, “Because I took a long time to realize this truth about myself and really name it and share it out loud. In some ways it seems strange to talk about and there's a part of me that doesn't want to take up space in queer spaces, like this, for myself. Even though I know very clearly and deeply that it's my truth, there's the little voice that says, "Well why do you need to talk about it?" I kind of want to be the voice for people who might not have been able to name what they were feeling and experiencing at a younger age. Also to say that it's a journey that never stops. There's no timeline on when you have to decide who you are, there's no need to say anything to anyone. It can be something, a truth that you hold just in your own heart, or share with the people who you are intimate with. So I think that there's space for that too. As someone who can speak a little bit more publicly, I think it's important to take that opportunity to sort of claim space for this version of queerness.”

Mosley stars in the soap opera as a former supermodel Dani Dupree. The youngest daughter of Vernon (Clifton Davis) and Anita (Tamara Tunie) Dupree.

Beyond The Gates is developed and produced by CBS Studios and the NAACP in partnership with P&G Studios a division of Procter and Gamble. The series is the groundbreaking first hour-long black soap opera to premiere in daytime. The creation is the brainchild of award-winning showrunner Michele Val Jean, in association with executive producer Sheila Ducksworth, and is the first new soap opera to premiere since NBC debuted Passions back in 1999.

Beyond The Gates airs weekdays at 2 p.m. EST on CBS and streamed daily on Paramount Plus.

Beyond the Gates stars and showrunner break down 'diabolical' 3-part shocker: 'This changes everything'

The three-part arc that concluded with Monday's episode of Beyond the Gates has already transformed the show. Mother has been turned against daughter, husband against wife, and the Duprees — the powerful family at the core of CBS' historic new daytime soap — have been brought to their knees.

"We've had many climaxes in season 1 so far, but to me this is the first huge climax of the show," says Trisha Mann-Grant. Mann-Grant plays Leslie Thomas, the unpredictable villain at the eye of the storm that just crashed over the fictional town of Fairmont, and its elite gated community, Fairmont Crest.

Ambyr Michelle, who plays Leslie's conflicted daughter Eva Thomas, concurs, predicting, "this is going to elevate our show so much." Michelle, Grant, their costar Daphnée Duplaix, and Beyond the Gates creator and showrunner Michele Val Jean spoke to Entertainment Weekly about the bombshell revelations from the past three episodes, which, in Mann-Grant's words, "pivots everyone's world into a whole different aspect... this changes everything."

Nobody who's been keeping up with the Duprees since Beyond the Gates premiered in February expected to be surprised by the recent revelations. Indeed, Leslie has been at work for weeks on her scheme to reveal that Eva is the product of her secret affair with Ted Richardson (Maurice Johnson), the husband of Duplaix's character Nicole Dupree-Richardson, who also happens to be Eva's boss.

But her dropping that bomb during Nicole and Ted's anniversary party, while the happy couple were surrounded by family and friends? "That's diabolical," Val Jean jokes. "I don't know how I ever even came up with that."

The worst day of several characters' lives is just a Tuesday for Val Jean, however, a veteran of daytime TV who spent over a decade a piece writing for General Hospital and The Bold and the Beautiful, and was even staffed on Generations, the last and only other Black soap opera to air on a major broadcast network. "If you have a big secret that you want to drop to blow up somebody's life," Val Jean says, in the wise tone of a seasoned hitmaker, "you have to do it in front of the entire town, right?"

Heading into this run of episodes, Nicole seemed the perfect mother with the perfect job in the perfect relationship; Eva seemed the dutiful assistant, rising through the ranks thanks to Nicole's tutelage and Ted's kindness; and Leslie seemed the local crazy lady, donning new wigs each week with new aliases to match — the mysterious Anna, the mental patient Sherry, the coquettish Lulu.

But the seismic impact of Leslie's bombshell instantaneously turned all that to dust. The chivalrous Ted, Leslie reveals, not only pressured her to abort their child, but enlisted former brother-in-law Bill Hamilton (Timon Kyle Durrett) to threaten her to keep away. That leads to a chain of explosive arguments between Nicole and Ted; Ted and his son Martin (Brandon Claybon); Eva and Kat (Colby Muhammad), Martin's sister who's extremely reluctant to now call Eva the same; Eva and Leslie; and Leslie and the entire Dupree family.

"I legit cried as I was reading it. I was like, 'Oh my gosh, this is so powerful, and there's going to be so much pain," Michelle recalls. Eva has been trapped in one of the most difficult positions of any character on the show, torn "between two worlds," as Michelle puts it. "She loves her mom, but [Leslie's] also negative, and very controlling and manipulative. And she's starting to see there's a different way to be a different kind of woman. I think that's why she starts to love Nicole," the actress explains.

Duplaix also felt the pain (Val Jean says watching Duplaix "standing there in her dignity, in her pain, not saying anything... just made me cry"), but reading through the heated confrontation that ensues between Nicole and her cheating husband for the first time thrilled her. "As an actor reading it, I was like, 'Oh, now we get to play.' You want those roles as an actor, you want to dig deep, you want it to be meaty... I was just so excited to finally feel like Nicole is getting her turn."

Mann-Grant, meanwhile, was touched to be able to show that "deep down inside" Leslie, underneath the rage, "she's so hurt." The actress reflected, "Me personally, I was that mom struggling with two little kids by myself... I was mad, I was broke, Christmas shopping at the 99 Cents Store, buying them Christmas gifts, hoping they wouldn't know the difference. So I really could, in that scene, relate to what Leslie was going through."

Mann-Grant, Duplaix, Michelle, and Val Jean all believe that beyond whatever impact these episodes have on the show, what really matters is the impact on the fans.

"There are going to be so many people who can relate on a painful level to betrayal, infidelity, all those themes," Michelle says. Mann-Grant adds, "We're also thinking about how many mothers and daughters out there have problems. But they love each other, and there's all this stuff that they've got to work through to get to really have that true, pure relationship."

In a moment of striking resemblance to her abidingly empathetic psychiatrist character, Duplaix said of shooting Leslie's big reveal, "I remember being Daphnée, being Nicole, listening to her words and being like, 'F--- yeah. I get it, I'd be mad too!'"

After a round of laughter from her costars, Duplaix explained, "She's hurt. She's a woman scorned and she got left. She raised this child by herself and they're living paycheck to paycheck, which most women do." Reciprocating the gesture, Mann-Grant reasoned that Leslie wants to be Nicole as much as she wants to destroy her. "She wants to be a Dupree just as bad as she wants her daughter to be. Let's just keep it real. Leslie wants Eva in the community, but Leslie wants to be a part of the community too," she said.

But that doesn't mean Nicole's going to lie there and take it. After Leslie crashed the anniversary party, she went looking for the Duprees for a little more beef — and found everyone but Nicole. Mann-Grant promises that Beyond the Gates fans won't have to wait long for their eventual confrontation, and spoiler alert: the pendulum always swings back.

"Let me tell you something. Honey, you ain't seen nothing yet, because there is a scene down the road. She is going to let me have it!" Mann-Grant teases. "I have a feeling that everybody's going to stand up off their couches and their chairs and cheer when they see this moment that we have together. Because she has finally had enough of me. She's like, 'I'm over it. And you are going down.'"

When Val Jean is asked if she can reveal anything about what comes next for Leslie, Nicole, Eva, and the rest of Fairmont, she responds carefully. But with a wicked flair in her voice, she notes, "Nothing is going to go smoothly."

Beyond the Gates airs weekdays on CBS at 2 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT, and is also available to stream on Paramount+.

‘Beyond The Gates’ Casts Tide & Febreze In Recurring Roles “To Set The Vibe”

Two household products — Febreze and Tide — seem to have recurring roles on the drama about a wealthy family. And it goes beyond your typical product placement: the dialogue includes several references to the room freshener and laundry soap.

In one April scene featuring Tamara Tunie’s Anita and Daphnee Duplaix’s Nicole, the women discuss a new Febreze scent that is used to “set the vibe” of a party. A week or so later, a bedroom discussion about Tide evolves after Jacob (Libra Hordges) spills chocolate ice cream on a pillow.

Naomi (Arielle Prepetit) tells him not to worry, though, because she’s got a “secret weapon.”

Granted, there’s nothing remotely new or surprising about the integration of household products; after all, daytime dramas were first launched to sell soap (and Procter & Gamble was one of the first sponsors). And since P&G is a key partner and sponsor of Beyond the Gates, CBS has never hidden the fact that certain products will show up in the “everyday life” of the Duprees.

Viewers seem to be wondering the same thing. (CBS declined to comment — opting, instead, to send this reporter a big basket of Procter & Gamble products).

‘Beyond The Gates’ Casts Jason Vendryes In Mystery Role That Impacts Clifton Davis’ Vernon & Brandon Claybon’s Martin

Vendryes will begin recurring as Kenny on the CBS sudser starting in May. He begins watching Vernon and Martin but no one is sure what he wants.

Vendryes is currently appearing as Agent Slomkowski on the BET series Ruthless and will soon be seen starring opposite Paris Jackson, Blair Underwood and Shameik Moore in the feature film One Spoon of Chocolate written and directed by RZA.

His previous credits include the Tyler Perry series Too Close to Home, Amazon’s Living V and OWN’s Ambitions.

Beyond the Gates also stars Tamara Tunie, Karla Mosley, Alex Alegria, Lauren Buglioli, Timon Kyle Durrett, Sean Freeman, Ben Gavin, Marquita Goings, Jibre Hordges, Jen Jacob, Trisha Mann-Grant, Mike Manning, RhonniRose Mantilla, Ambyr Michelle, Colby Muhammad and Arielle Prepetit. It is produced by the CBS Studios/NAACP Venture, led by Sheila Ducksworth, in partnership with P&G Studios, a division of Procter & Gamble.

‘The Price Is Right’ Welcomes Back ‘Beyond The Gates’ Star Karla Mosley as Guest Model

The episode includes the fan favorite games Spelling Bee, Danger Price, Grocery Game, and Gridlock, and the Showcase is themed around Beyond The Gates.

Beyond The Gates is a soap opera set in the suburbs of Maryland, in one of the most affluent African-American counties in the United States. The Dupree family are at the center of this community. They are a powerful and prestigious multi-generational family that is the very definition of Black royalty. Juicy secrets and scandals are waiting to be uncovered behind the pristine walls. The show premiered on February 24, 2025. Mosley plays Danielle “Dani” Dupree, who is the daughter of Anita Dupree (Tamara Tunie) and Vernon Dupree (Clifton Davis). The series also stars Daphnee Duplaix and Maurice Johnson.

Aside from TPIR and Beyond the Gates, Mosley has also starred in The Bold and the Beautiful, Guiding Light, The Young and the Restless, and Hi-5.

The Price Is Right sometimes has guest models when other models are out sick or on vacation. The current everyday models are Rachel Reynolds, Amber Lancaster, Manuela Arbeláez, James O’Halloran, Devin Goda, and Alexis Gaube.

Be sure to catch Mosley five days a week on Beyond the Gates at 2pm est and on The Price Is Right on Monday, April 7 at 11am.

‘Beyond the Gates’ Ratings: How Is New Soap Outperforming ‘General Hospital’?

Beyond the Gates debuted on Monday, February 24, 2025, at 2/1c on CBS. It’s hard for any new show to find its audience upon a series premiere, but Beyond the Gates is proving there was sizable interest in a show like this from daytime fans. The Young and the Restless (CBS), The Bold and the Beautiful (CBS), General Hospital (ABC), and Beyond the Gates (CBS) are the four main soaps airing weekly. The latter two are often airing at the same time on weekdays (around 2/1c on ABC and CBS, respectively). According to viewership data for the week of March 3 through 7, 2025 (via Soap Opera Network), Beyond the Gates and General Hospital are neck-and-neck in viewership week after week.

General Hospital had slightly higher viewership than Beyond the Gates the week of March 3 through 7. GH raked in 1,882,000 for the week (up 30,000 from the week prior, but down 286,000 from the same week last year), while BTG got 1.74 million (down 70,000 from the week prior, last year’s numbers N/A). BTG, however, maintained its higher ranking among key demos. GH had an uptick in those ratings, while BTG‘s stayed the same since the previous week, but GH still ranks lower than BTG in these ratings.

BTG beat GH in the women 18 to 49 demo with 0.24 share, whereas GH has a 0.21 share in the same demo for the week of March 3 through 7. That 0.21 was still an increase of .02 for GH, indicating that it’s catching up to its new competitor in this demo. The numbers are similar in the key demo of women 25 to 54. BTG stayed at 0.39 in its second week on-air with this demo. GH increased by .05, from 0.28 to 0.33.

Y&R remains the most-watched and highest-rated among weekly daytime viewers, with its March 3 through 7 week bringing in 3,033,000 total viewers, a 0.29 rating in the women 18 to 49 demo, and 0.49 rating in the women 25 to 54 demo. B&B is in second with 2,617,000 total viewers, 0.27 rating for women 18 to 49, and 0.44 for women 25 to 54 that week.

Overall, daytime’s newest soap has made a strong impression in its first two weeks, a good sign for all fans of the drama.

‘Beyond the Gates’: Timon Kyle Durrett Dives Deep Into His ‘Shark’ Alter Ego Bill Hamilton

For Durrett, who had racked up a slew of primetime credits over the course of his 25-year career, including playing disgraced basketball star Davis West on OWN’s Queen Sugar, the opportunity to join the new daytime soap was a welcome call. “A lot of people say I get typecast as the bad guy,” Durrett notes. “I don’t know if this guy’s a bad guy, but when I saw some of the material, I said, ‘Yeah, I want to play this guy.’ It was exciting. I’m the opposite of who Bill is. Anyone on set will tell you I’m the big jokester, I tell crazy stories and dad jokes and stuff, and then I transform into him.”

While Bill hasn’t won any husband of the year awards for leaving Dani Dupree (Karla Mosley) to marry their daughter’s pal, Hayley Lawson (Marquita Goings), Durrett appreciates the inner workings of his new character. “Bill is a bit of a shark of a man,” he observes. “You know how a shark will circle its prey and put the fin out of the water and let you know I could take you down? He has no problem with asserting himself and I can’t do it in real life, but to be able to play it in the world of Beyond the Gates is so much fun. And I like Bill. He has soft spots for his daughters and his wife, but for everyone else, man, this dude is sandpaper and thorns. He can be a bit abrasive and aggressive if he needs to be. He definitely mixes it up.”

Durrett screen-tested with Mosley, who plays Bill’s ex, Dani, and the two had an immediate connection. “She’s a consummate professional,” he lauds. “She’s like a supercomputer the way she retains information, and she can come on the fly and has all these levels and all these different flavors that she adds to her performance. Karla and I met on this show, but there’s a connection that Timon and Karla have created for Dani and Bill, and it’s magical, it seems. It’s like two tennis players who have never played against one another, but they’re both professionals and they’re very good. If we’re going at each other, she knows how to do it with a level of balance and charisma and energy and spite and spunk. It’s like she’s the master chef in the scene,s and it’s refreshing to work with someone who just knows how to play.”

As for Bill’s current wife, Hayley, Durrett worked with her portrayer in the 2019 film, Everyday but Christmas, but didn’t know she was in the casting pool for BTG. “We had to test read together on Zoom, and when I saw her name pop up, I said, ‘Marquita Goings. I don’t know if there’s more than one,’ ” he explains. “But it was just cool and fun, because on the film, I had just met her, but we were already having fun, and I’m being the big, goofy, silly guy that I can be. We just reconnected, and it’s like we were in a time capsule, and we started right where we left off.”

Prior to joining BTG, Durrett’s only other daytime experience was playing an orderly on The Young and the Restless in 2004, which turned out to be a memorable gig for unforeseen reasons. “I had read for Young and the Restless before, and when I went in, the casting assistant said, ‘Have a seat, [the casting director will] be right in,’ ” he recalls. “I sat down, she came in, we read, and she was like, ‘Oh, my God! You’re perfect for this part. I’m calling your agent right now.’ And I stood up and she said, ‘Oh, no! How tall are you?’ I am 6’5” but I tried to play it and said, 6’4”, and she’s like, ‘This isn’t going to work,’ because the actress — I don’t know who it was —was only 4 feet, 10 inches tall.”

Fortunately, that wasn’t the end of his Genoa City journey. “They called me back because they needed a bigger guy to play an orderly, because I had to actually pick up one of the actors on the show, and it was a lot of fun. But that was the same year that Ronald Reagan passed away, and when the episode was airing, breaking news! I was trying to record it, and I only got to see a part of it, and then the rest got cut off. I said, ‘Man, this is my first time I’m on daytime, there’s more people watching, it’s a bigger audience … and unfortunately, the former President passed away. I have not seen the rest of that episode at all.”

But it’s a full circle moment to be back on the network where he started his soap journey. “There’s an amalgam of feelings,” Durrett reflects. “It’s a feeling of accomplishment, of welcome. We are the seed that’s going to make the tree of Beyond the Gates grow, and that’s probably the most special part of it, because it doesn’t go any further back than us. We’re at the beginning of it, and it’s exciting.”

As the story continues to unfold, Durrett promises that Bill’s motivations will become clearer. “I do enjoy the angst that Bill causes the fans,” Durrett muses. “People say, ‘Does it bother you?’ I’m like, ‘No, I want them to feel like they don’t know how to feel about Bill.’ He’s an opportunist, but he’s not necessarily a bad person. Bill has a bad temperament because of some things that have happened. I can’t say much, but things have happened with Bill and the Duprees, and he is angry, but for a reason, and he’s having a hard time reconciling and letting it go. It’s not that he’s just this innate jerk.”

And when that revelation comes to light, Durrett teases, “I will say, the bigger they are, the harder they fall.”

‘Beyond The Gates’ Adds Keith D. Robinson As Series Regular In Recasting

Robinson is taking over the role of Dr. Ted Richardson, currently played by Maurice Johnson. His first episodes are scheduled to air in May. Recastings are not uncommon in daytime soaps. Richardson is a brilliant plastic surgeon, married to Dr. Nicole Richardson (Daphnee Duplaix).

Beyond the Gates is set in a leafy Maryland suburb just outside Washington, D.C., and one of the most affluent African American counties in the United States. Here you’ll find a posh gated community with winding tree-lined streets and luxurious mansions to call home.

The drama stars Tamara Tunie, Clifton Davis, Karla Mosley, Alex Alegria, Lauren Buglioli, Brandon Claybon, Timon Kyle Durrett, Sean Freeman, Ben Gavin, Marquita Goings, Jibre Hordges, Jen Jacob, Trisha Mann-Grant, Mike Manning, RhonniRose Mantilla, Ambyr Michelle, Colby Muhammad and Arielle Prepetit.

Beyond the Gates is developed and produced by the CBS Studios/NAACP Venture, led by Sheila Ducksworth, in partnership with P&G Studios, a division of Procter & Gamble. It is the first-ever one-hour Black daytime soap and the first daytime drama to premiere since Passions in 1999.

A strong ratings driver, in its first week on air, Beyond the Gates reached over 5.2M unique viewers.

Robinson’s credits include a recurring role on ABC’s A Million Little Things and features Dreamgirls and All Eyes on Me. He’s repped by Pakula/King and Vault Entertainment.

Jon Lindstrom’s Novel ‘Hollywood Hustle’ To Be Adapted By AETH Entertainment

Hollywood Hustle follows a fallen Hollywood star fighting for redemption when the cost of fame turns deadly.

“From the opening pages, Hollywood Hustle grabs you and doesn’t let go — it’s a natural fit for an electrifying cinematic experience,” AETH CEO Eric Woods said.

“So much of my career has been spent in and around the film industry, and I wanted Hollywood Hustle to capture the look and feel of that world behind the camera that most people don’t see,” said Lindstrom in a statement to Deadline. “I’ve had the chance to play so many great characters imagined by other writers. It’s going to be a thrill to see the characters I created come to life on the screen.”

The deal was brokered by Gilbertson Entertainment and Independent Artist Group, who represent Lindstrom, along with Liza Royce Associates. AETH is represented by Gersh.

Lindstrom is a four-time Daytime Emmy nominee for his work on General Hospital and As the World Turns. He played twin brothers Dr. Kevin Collins and Ryan Chamberlain on ABC’s General Hospital. He recently joined the cast of the CBS/Paramount+ soap Beyond the Gates. He also starred on Bosch and True Detective.

‘Beyond The Gates’ Viewership Bests ‘The Talk’ By 78%; L+7 Day Viewing For Premiere Lures 3 Million

CBS says L+3 streaming provided a boost of 13.6 percent over the show’s linear only audience, which was better than The Young and the Restless (10.9%) and The Bold and the Beautiful (12.6%).

L+7-day viewing for the premiere episode averaged 3.0M viewers, higher than the last daytime drama debut, which was Passions on July 5, 1999 (2.96M).

In its first week on air, Beyond the Gates averaged 5.2m unique viewers (6 mins of viewing). It was in a virtual tie with General Hospital among total viewers (vs. 2.02m) and finished ahead of the long-running ABC drama in key demos (A25-54).

The Gates audience is 55% Black, higher than Y&R (29%), B&B (30%), and GH (22%).

CBS also notes that the premiere of Gates had a 9 share while Passions back in 1999 had only a 7.

Michele Val Jean is the creator, showrunner and executive producer of Beyond the Gates. Sheila Ducksworth, Robert Guza Jr., Julie Carruthers, Leon W. Russell, Derrick Johnson, Kimberly Doebereiner and Anna Saalfeld also executive produce.

Jon Lindstrom’s Beyond the Gates Debut Date Revealed!

Lindstrom actually made his daytime debut back in 1984 playing Brady Chapin on the short-lived syndicated soap Rituals. He then played Mark McCormick on NBC sudser Santa Barbara from 1985-86 and Paul Jarre on Generations in 1989. But he became a full-fledged soap star when he joined the cast of General Hospital in 1992 as the villainous Ryan Chamberlin and the following year also playing his good twin, Kevin Collins.

From 1997-2003, Lindstrom brought Kevin over to the GH spinoff Port Charles, and from 2008-10, he took over the role of Craig Montgomery on CBS soap As The World Turns. In 2013, the actor returned to GH again and continues to appear on a recurring basis even as he adds another role to his resume.

“Joey comes from the other side of the tracks,” Lindstrom said during a press junket for BTG. “He has fought his way up in many ways but he’s never lost his charm. Joey runs a casino, which, if you’ve ever been inside a casino, you know a casino is kind of like what a bar is to an alcoholic. So people can get into a lot of trouble around Joey and Joey doesn’t like trouble. He knows how to end trouble, but he doesn’t like trouble.”

If you haven’t jumped in on the ground floor of CBS’s newest daytime addiction, you can easily get caught up by binging all the episodes on Paramount+ so you can be ready for Lindstrom’s shady character to show up on Friday!

The Bold and the Beautiful Alum Karla Mosley Reveals Why She 'Stepped Away' from Role: 'Truly Inappropriate'

Mosley starred as fashion model Maya Avant on CBS' The Bold and the Beautiful from 2013 to 2019, and Maya came out as transgender in an episode that aired in March 2015. Her latest groundbreaking role is the divorced ex-model and mom-of-two Dani Dupree on Beyond the Gates, the first hour-long soap opera led by a Black cast.

Reflecting on her time as Maya in an exclusive interview with PEOPLE, Mosley, 43, says she had been portraying Maya for three or four years when the character came out as transgender. Initially, Mosley was hesitant to continue in the role.

"When my boss asked me if I would do this story, I first was going to say no because it felt inappropriate for me to play that role as a cis woman," she explains. "I do identify as queer, but I’m not transgender."

She adds that Maya's storyline premiered after Caitlin Jenner came out as a transgender woman, shining a brighter light on the trans community. "It was crazy weird, literally at the same time. It was wild the way that it panned out. So it was a very specific time," Mosley says.

When considering if she would continue portraying Maya, she sought advice from friends who told her, "‘If you don’t accept this story, this story won’t be told,' " Mosley recalls.

The actress says she was so invested in how her role was received, that after the episode of Maya coming out aired, she logged onto social media to answer any questions viewers had for her. "I just fielded questions for hours. I was like ‘Here’s a resource, here’s what this means.’ It was such a powerful moment."

"I am so grateful for that character because people who loved Maya and then had issues with what she said had to ask themselves like, even with a family member, ‘Well, if I loved her yesterday, why don’t I love her today?’ I actually had to grapple with that question, and I had so much feedback around healing that was able to happen within families and communities because of that storyline."

"At a certain point it really became truly inappropriate for me to play that role," says Mosley of Maya. "That’s why I stepped away from it. So no, I will not be playing another trans role."

"I would love to play a role with the kind of gravitas and importance that Maya had for sure," she says.

On Beyond the Gates, Mosley's Dani, the younger daughter of the Dupree patriarch and matriarch, appears to be that kind of character. The lead cast also features Clifton Davis as Dani's father, Vernon Dupree; Tamara Tunie as Dani's mother Anita Dupree; and Daphnée Duplaix as Dani's sister, Dr. Nicole Dupree Richardson.

The Duprees are the most affluent family in Fairmont Crest, a leafy suburb just outside of Washington, D.C., and one of the most upscale African-American communities in the nation. Though the neighborhood touts country clubs and five-star restaurants, it's laced with secrets and scandals that the Duprees are forced to navigate.

For Mosley, a soap opera vet, Dani is a welcome twist on the "nice girl" characters she's portrayed in the past.

"I’ve always played the nice girl. I think Maya got to delve into her saucy side for a couple of months, and then she sort of flipped back to being this heroine, sometimes a damsel in distress," Mosley says. "Although all my characters were very strong — that’s important to me to always find strength in whomever I’m playing. But Dani is such a wild card; that is the role that everyone wants to play in their life."

"To have the opportunity to play someone who is audacious, you don’t know where she’s going next," Mosley continues. "I don’t even know. Sometimes I get the scripts, and it gives me anxiety because I’m such a nice girl and a follower and Dani is not at all. But it’s fun. It’s fun to dig into that.”

"It’s really nice to be in a place where so many different kinds of Black folks are celebrated," she says. "I just feel very valued in this cast and in this space. I think that’s true for everyone who walks in. It’s a really warm environment."

Beyond the Gates' Daphnée Duplaix 'Started Crying' the First Time She Saw Soap's Times Square Poster

The Passions alum, 48, stars as Dr. Nicole Dupree Richardson on CBS' new soap opera Beyond the Gates, the first hour-long soap opera led by a Black cast, and the second Black daytime soap in 35 years (following Generations, which ran from 1989 to 1991).

The series focuses on the Dupree family and their lives of affluence, served with a side of messy scandals. The main quartet — patriarch Vernon (Clifton Davis), matriarch Anita (Tamara Tunie), and their daughters Dani (Karla Mosley) and Nicole (Duplaix) — head the most influential and upscale family in Fairmont Crest, a leafy Washington, D.C., suburb and one of the wealthiest Black communities in the country.

Ahead of the show's Monday, Feb. 24 premiere, Duplaix exclusively told PEOPLE about the wave of emotions she experienced as the "unprecedented" impact of the series hit her.

Duplaix couldn't hold back tears after seeing herself and her costars on the Beyond the Gates poster live in Times Square.

"I had a moment in Times Square yesterday with the billboard, and I started crying," she says. "I feel so proud to be a part of this show, what we’re doing for the culture, what we’re doing for the industry as far as soaps are concerned. I keep saying we aren’t reinventing the wheel, we’re elevating it."

Duplaix hopes that although Beyond the Gates is "the first" of its kind, it won't be "the last."

"This genre should have a resurgence. And what the show is going to stand for for the African-American community, it’s powerful."

Like some of her costars (Tunie starred on As the World Turns and Mosley on The Bold and the Beautiful), Duplaix isn't a newcomer to the soap-opera genre. However, Duplaix, who portrayed Valerie Davis on Passions from 2004–2008 and Rachel Gannon on One Life to Live, tells PEOPLE her Beyond the Gates experience is undeniably unique.

"On One Life to Live, I was a secondary character, so I really didn’t work as much, and I wasn’t seen as much," she says. "It was a wonderful experience and having been an ABC soap fan pretty much my entire life, it was awesome. You know, doing scenes with people I watched for 30-plus years and admired as an actor."

"But this, I mean, it’s a whole different level," she adds, noting how the network and its collaborator, the NAACP, are "championing so hard for this show."

"It’s unprecedented," Duplaix continues. "We say it all the time. We have commercials in the middle of football games and for the Grammy Awards. I was like, this is unreal. It’s nothing like I’ve seen before. It’s a wonderful ride."

She says the more seasoned costars are "making sure the young actors" understand that "this is not normal. Not for soaps anyway."

As for what fans can expect from Nicole this season, Duplaix describes her as "seemingly perfect, empathetic" and a "grounding force" for the Duprees. She "wears her heart on her sleeve but doesn't take no mess."

She teases that Nicole and Tunie's Anita are quite the dynamic duo, summing it up with a subtle warning: "You don’t mess with [Nicole], and you surely don’t mess with the Dupree sisters."

And if you ask Duplaix, each cast member can hold their own when delivering a pearl-clutching performance.

"You’re going to fall in love with everyone, or you’re going to love to hate them," she continues. "It’s going to be exciting, all the twists and turns. Everything you’d expect from a soap: the messiness, the sexiness, all of those things. It’s fresh and it’s current. It’s relevant as far as the topics we’re discussing, but it’s real life. It’s rooted in real life."

She's optimistic that an affluent Black family being represented on daytime television five days a week will help "normalize" the notion of "Black excellence."

"We know it’s never been done. When Generations was around, that was a 30-minute show. There was an African-American family and a Caucasian family, but they didn’t dive deep into those stories," Duplaix explains. "And it was short-lived."

"I’m proud that, just like us, we all started watching soaps when we were young. Our little Brown and Black girls and boys are gonna watch with their grandmas, with their aunties, with their mamas, and see themselves in this beautiful light. And for those younger generations to be like ‘I can do that. She did that, I can do that. She looks fabulous, I can do that. I want to be a therapist, I can do that.’ "

‘Beyond The Gates’ Cast & Character Photos: Who Plays Who In CBS Daytime Soap?

Beyond the Gates is set in the leafy Maryland suburb of Fairmont Crest, just outside of Washington, D.C., one the most affluent African American counties in the United States. Here you’ll find a posh gated community with winding tree-lined streets and luxurious mansions to call home. At the center of this community are the Duprees, a powerful and prestigious multi-generational family that is the very definition of Black royalty. But behind these pristine walls and lush, manicured gardens are juicy secrets and scandals waiting to be uncovered.

The series stars Tamara Tunie, Clifton Davis, Daphnee Duplaix, Karla Mosley, Alex Alegria, Lauren Buglioli, Brandon Claybon, Timon Kyle Durrett, Sean Freeman, Ben Gavin, Marquita Goings, Jibre Hordges, Jen Jacob, Maurice Johnson, Trisha Mann-Grant, Mike Manning, RhonniRose Mantilla, Ambyr Michelle, Colby Muhammad and Arielle Prepetit.

Beyond the Gates was created by Michael Val Kean who also serves as an executive producer and showrunner alongside executive producers Sheila Ducksworth, Julie Carruthers, Robert Guza Jr., Leon W. Russell, Derrick Johnson, Kimberly Doebereiner and Anna Saalfeld.

The drama was developed and produced by the CBS Studios/NAACP Venture, led by Sheila Ducksworth, in partnership with P&G Studios, a division of Procter & Gamble. The series is distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution.

Beyond the Gates airs weekdays at 2 p.m. ET and 1 p.m. PT on CBS and streams on Paramount+.

Scroll through the photos below to know the cast and characters of Beyond the Gates.

(Photo) Karla Mosely as Dani Dupree: Anita’s daughter, and a former model turned momager who gave up her career for love. Dani was the Dupree family wild child. Free-spirited, headstrong and uninhibited, she dropped out of school to pursue a high-flying modeling career and she has always marched to the beat of her own drum.

(Photo) Tamara Tunie as Anita Dupree: The matriarch of the family. A famous singer back in the day, Anita worked hard for her success, and raised two daughters with her now-retired senator husband. But underneath her glamorous and refined exterior is a fierceness she gained from her humble beginnings in Chicago.

(Photo) Timon Kyle Durrett as Bill Hamilton: Dani Dupree’s ex-husband and father to Naomi and Chelsea. Bill is an opportunist, publicity hound and narcissist, according to his ex-wife, Dani. He is a charismatic and calculated criminal defense attorney who is well-connected, well-received and gets what he wants by any means necessary.

(Photo) Daphnee Duplaix as Dr. Nicole Dupree: Daughter of Anita, and Dani’s sister, Dr. Nicole Dupree Richardson is a high-achieving and competitive philanthropist and psychiatrist, and exudes warmth, empathy and compassion. Nicole’s success in life extends to her marriage to her surgeon husband. She has the perfect life … from the outside.

(Photo) Clifton Davis as Vernon Dupree: The Dupree family patriarch married to Anita and father to Dr. Nicole Dupree Richardson and Dani Dupree. A venerable former senator, Vernon is gentle, humble and generous with his knowledge and experience. Retired now, Vernon was at the forefront of the civil rights movement.

(Photo) Marquita Goings as Hayley Lawson: A paralegal at Bill Hamilton’s firm. Hayley is gorgeous, intelligent, charming, witty and the new fiancée of Dani Dupree’s ex-husband, Bill Hamilton. Considered a husband-stealing tramp in Dani’s circle, Hayley is nothing if not confident. With time, patience, charm and effort, she will try to win them over – and if not, so what? Hayley has what matters: Bill.

(Photo) Maurice Johnson as Ted Richardson: Dr. Nicole Dupree Richardson’s husband and father to Martin and Katerine “Kat”. Ted is a brilliant plastic surgeon with an ultra-exclusive private practice and women clamor to put their faces and bodies in what they call his blessed hands. Ted has created an impeccable life with his wife – whom he loves passionately – and sleeps well at night, secure that his past will never disrupt his perfect world.

(Photo) Brandon Claybon as Martin Richardson: Dr. Nicole Dupree Richardson and Ted Richardson’s son and older brother of Katherine “Kat” Richardson. Martin is a congressman who lives outside “the gates” in a Washington, D.C., brownstone with his husband and two adopted children. Following his grandfather’s path into politics, he has ambition to be the first openly gay Black President.

(Photo) Mike Manning as Bradley “Smitty” Smith: Husband to Congressman Martin Richardson and father to teenagers Tyrell and Samantha. A former political reporter turned househusband, Smitty is a fantastic dad who has guided his children with warmth and good humor. Smitty is thinking of resuming his writing career but is hesitant to tell Martin, who likes their home life the way it is.

(Photo) Trisha Mann-Grant as Dana “Leslie” Thomas: Eva Thomas’ mom and a long-time waitress and bartender. Dana “Leslie” is not wrapped all that tight and intense, but she’s charming and easy out in the world. The only person who sees what’s disturbing about her is her daughter, Eva, and very soon all will see what is unsettling about her, too.

(Photo) Sean Freeman as Andre Richardson: The sophisticated nephew of Ted Richardson. Andre tragically lost his parents in a plane crash and inherited a double fortune, which allows him to live his bliss as a photographer. Nicole and Ted stepped up for Andre when his parents died, and he depends on their support and wise counsel. A playboy who is smooth on the surface, there is something elusive about Andre that occasionally makes people question his intentions.

(Photo) Jibre Hordges as Jacob Hawthorne: Naomi Hamilton Hawthorne’s husband and a robbery/homicide detective with the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia. Jacob hails from a family of law enforcement. He is proud of his wife, the family he comes from, serving the community and seeking justice for victims.

(Photo) RhonniRose Mantilla as Chelsea Hamilton: Dani Dupree and Bill Hamilton’s youngest daughter and Naomi’s younger sister. Chelsea is a social media influencer and has been a successful but reluctant high fashion model since she was 18. Her career expertly guided by Dani, Chelsea is charged with recreating the life her mother gave up, which doesn’t fit her own life vision. She has a lot of money, which allows her to follow her dream of designing a line of purses and building her brand. Chelsea indulges in the good things in life, like beautiful people, parties, her new condo in D.C. and the freedom to experiment.

(Photo) Ambyr Michelle as Eva Thomas: Dana “Leslie” Thomas’ daughter and Nicole Dupree Richardson’s new assistant, who vibrates with intensity and purpose. Eva is determined to right a grievous wrong done to her mother as soon as the opportunity presents itself.

(Photo) Arielle Prepetit as Naomi Hamilton Hawthorne: Dani Dupree and Bill Hamilton’s oldest daughter and Chelsea’s older sister. Naomi lives outside “the gates” in Washington, D.C., where she humbly serves as a civil attorney. She’s whip smart and the only one in the Dupree family who inherited her grandmother Anita Dupree’s gift for singing, which bonds them.

(Photo) Colby Muhammad as Katherine “Kat” Richardson: Dr. Nicole Dupree Richardson and Ted Richardson’s miracle baby. She is the younger sister of Martin Richardson and lives in her parents’ guest house. Kat’s been indulged all her life, which has made her spoiled, entitled and dismissive of those she considers beneath her. She’s confident and secure and has never doubted herself or her privileged position in the world. She doesn’t like to share but doesn’t know that the day when she is forced to may be fast approaching.

(Photo) Ben Gavin as Derek Baldwin: A devoted firefighter in a relationship with Ashley Morgan and best friend to Jacob Hawthorne. Derek is fearless, holds nothing back and goes into a zone when he fights fire – which is almost personal for him rather than just a professional calling. Incredibly handy, Derek can fix almost anything.

(Photo) Jen Jacob as Ashley Morgan: Naomi Hamilton Hawthorne’s best friend, who is the only child of a young single mother. Ashley was a latchkey kid who has never been afraid of rolling up her sleeves. She is a nurse at Washington D.C.’s Garland Memorial Hospital and has the perfect temperament for her profession – positive, cheerful, brisk, resourceful and independent. She can be serious but is also fun-loving with a smile that lights up a room.

(Photo) Alex Alegria as Tomas Navarro: A handsome and confident young attorney at Bill Hamilton’s law firm. Tomas has an eye for Katherine “Kat” Richardson.

(Photo) Lauren Buglioli as Vanessa McBride: A high-end real estate agency owner who specializes in luxury property and is neighbors with Dani Dupree and best friend to Dr. Nicole Dupree Richardson. The mother of twins, Vanessa is in a loveless marriage with her high school sweetheart.

Procter & Gamble Works Up New Lather for Soap Operas With ‘Beyond the Gates’

When “Beyond the Gates” debuts Monday afternoon on CBS, it will mark a return by the company, one of the world’s biggest makers of household staples such as laundry detergent, deodorant and floor cleaner, to the world of soap operas. In a different era, Procter was a producer of some of the genre’s longest-running examples, including “Guiding Light” and “As the World Turns,” and they were as important to Procter as Mr. Clean, Pampers and Tide. P&G is teaming up with a joint venture between CBS and the NAACP to produce the show.

“Gates” centers on members of the fictional Dupree family, who live in an affluent community outside the nation’s capital. Its launch marks the arrival of the first soap opera to feature a predominantly Black cast since the short-lived “Generations” appeared on NBC in 1989, and the first new traditional soap introduced on broadcast TV since “Passions” debuted on the same network a decade later.

Such twists are what Sheila Ducksworth, an executive producer of “Gates” and president of the venture between CBS Studios and the NAACP, hopes will spur a new generation of viewers to make soaps a regular habit, something more people no longer do. She recalls getting into the programs when she was ten years old, then keeping up with them each weekday at college at a Yale University hang-out, the Durfee Sweet Shoppe. In most soaps, she says, characters from diverse backgrounds number only a small handful among the cast and by and large are on the periphery.” Now, she says, “Gates” will feature a cast that is “more reflective of the society we all live in” and is grounded in an actual group of tony, gated enclaves that lie outside Washington D.C.

Still, the soap opera continues to fall out of favor on TV. In 2022, NBC moved the long running “Days of Our Lives” to its Peacock streaming service. ABC is down to just one soap opera, the venerable “General Hospital.” CBS still airs “The Young and the Restless” and “The Bold and the Beautiful,” but many standards of the genre, including P&G’s “Guiding Light” were cast off many years ago. TV networks have found viewers are less centered around a daytime TV schedule, and as a result, aren’t forming the soap habit that their grandparents or parents did at a younger age. Besides, media executives know they can replace pricey daytime scripted shows, syndicated series and soaps with lower-cost news programming.

“Only the special soaps are going to survive,” said Leslie Moonves, the former head of CBS in 2009, when the network canceled “As the World Turns” after more than half a century on air. “It’s certainly the end of the client-owned soap”, he told The New York Times. “All good things come to an end, whether it’s after 72 years or 54 years or 10 years. It’s a different time and a different business.”

Nearly two decades later, has the business changed again? That’s what the “Gates” builders hope.

Soaps never went away, argues George Cheeks, the co-CEO of CBS parent Paramount Global. Viewers still like high drama on Bravo’s “Real Housewives” series and in many other programs. A new daytime soap, he says, will “appeal to the core CBS audience,” but “can find a younger, unduplicated” fan base in streaming. Research shows “how much these soap operas over index with Black women,” he says. “That’s an underserved audience. There’s a business opportunity here.” Indeed, CBS canceled its afternoon roundtable program, “The Talk,” to make room on its schedule for “Gates” — a reversal of current TV trends.

Procter & Gamble sees an opportunity to tout products to a group of viewers who are not always represented in TV programs. Plans are already in the works to have “Gates” characters use Tide detergent and Febreze air freshener during several episodes, says Kimberly Doebereiner, an executive producer of “Gates” and head of P&G Studios, and more product cameos could be on the way.

“We all want this to succeed as an outstanding piece of drama and content. That’s our first priority,” she says., And if that goal is met, the company can weave its products into examples of everyday use on the show. “We have families with kids. They have to do laundry. There’s one time when one of the women is throwing a party and Febreze is going to help set the stage with the scent.” Rather than forcing products into the plots, she says, “It’s actually just authentic use of our products where they matter, showing performance in the daily lives of our consumers.” P&G gets “first look” to determine if it wants to weave its products into the show, says Cheeks.

“Gates” opens as more advertisers are trying to be more a part of the content that brings viewers to their favorite screen, rather than the old-school commercials that interrupt it. That may mean teaming up with the Lifetime cable network to produce a 15-minute vignette that has all the hallmarks of one of the outlet’s sudsy romance movies, yet is meant to promote visits to the Chili’s restaurant chain and trying its signature margaritas. Or it may result in a move to create ads that play off the content of specific programs, as some markets have done in recent months with shows such as “Yellowstone” or “Saturday Night Live.”

That may have driven P&G to get back into the content game. After the cancellation of its CBS soap operas, says Doebereiner, the company asked if it really needed to be in the business of producing TV programs. These days, “our focus is not ‘Are we a producer of TV?’ Our focus is how we partner to be part of cultural conversations.” P&G may have some things to say about casting and storylines for “Gates,” she says, but it’s more likely to focus on finding authentic methods of pitching its products to viewers without getting in the way of the entertainment.

Having actual, well-known goods like hair-care products and floor cleaner on sets can only help the production, says Duckworth: “It was important that we feel not just current, but that we also were really real as well.” Judging whether Procter & Gamble’s help makes for good — as well as economically feasible — TV may well be one of “Beyond the Gates” most intriguing storylines.

'Beyond the Gates' is the 1st hour-long network daytime soap centering a Black family

That's because, as much as the cast and crew of CBS' new soap opera Beyond the Gates enjoys cracking jokes between scenes, they film a lot of script pages every day. Sometimes, they get to as many as you might see in the entire screenplay for a short movie.

For the crew, that means quickly choreographing how four different cameras will navigate every scene, while the director – who often sits in a separate control room during filming – pops onto the set to help shape the proceedings. Staff on set also have to keep an eye on how the actors will move through each scene – making sure the shadow of a large boom microphone doesn't creep into a camera's field of vision.

For the actors, it means learning lots of lines for scenes where they may only get one or two real chances – or "takes" in industry-speak – to get it right.

It's all in service of a massive project: The first new daytime soap opera on network TV in 25 years, and the first hour-long daytime soap with a predominantly Black cast on network TV. (The last daytime soap focusing on a Black family was NBC's half-hour show Generations, which debuted 1989.)

Star Tamara Tunie says everyone working on the show is well aware of the ground they are breaking with Beyond the Gates.

"We're in Atlanta, where no one has really done daytime drama like this, and it's a big learning curve," says Tunie, relaxing in her dressing room shortly before she'll face the cameras draped in high fashion for her role as Anita Dupree, matriarch of the wealthy Black family at the heart of Beyond the Gates.

She knows her way around the genre, with more than 15 years spent on the CBS soap opera As the World Turns over an acting career that also includes roles on Broadway, in movies and on NBC's crime drama Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.

"We've had to teach camera operators how to shoot it, we're teaching lighting designers how to light it, as well as actors who have never done soap opera before," she adds. "We're shooting for [getting scenes done in] one take … So you really have to come in prepared. Not just [by] knowing your lines, but knowing the intention of the character."

Set in a fictional suburb in Maryland known as a home for wealthy Black families, Beyond the Gates features Tunie's Anita Dupree, a once-famous singer married to retired Senator Vernon Dupree, played by Clifton Davis. The couple and their family are clustered in a fictional gated community called Fairmont Crest – based on real-life enclaves outside of Washington, D.C. – featuring all kinds of soap opera-appropriate drama.

Tunie says she's enjoyed having a hand in developing her character in a way she couldn't in her previous soap opera work. "When I joined As the World Turns, back in the late '80s, it was already a well-oiled machine," she adds. "This is really … creating something new and fresh. It's 2025, and this is not your grandmother's soap opera, OK?"

Clifton Davis, whose resume includes Broadway and TV shows like Amen and Madam Secretary, says he's excited to bring a new type of Black family to television.

"Sometimes we get lost in the stereotypical images that we see on television," he adds. "[Black characters] are the hoodlums, the hustlers and those kinds of things, which is all a part of life. But you haven't seen there are communities in the United States where African Americans are tremendously affluent. And it's those kinds of stories we're touching on that haven't been told before."

Executive producer Sheila Ducksworth shows off the show's sprawling array of different sets – ranging from a hospital waiting room to the tony interior of a country club – like a proud parent. She heads a production partnership between CBS Studios and the NAACP that has produced Beyond the Gates – an idea inspired by a lifelong love for soaps that has included watching ABC's General Hospital and NBC's Generations, the first soap opera to feature a Black family from the beginning.

"Literally, that was one of the things that made me say, 'I want to do a soap opera that shows folks that look like us and do things like us,' and really hang a lantern on the cultural aspects that I thought were missing in soaps," Ducksworth adds.

After taking the job with CBS and NAACP in 2020, Ducksworth's first pitch was a soap opera featuring a wealthy Black family. She enlisted soap veteran Michele Val Jean, whose writing credits include Generations, General Hospital and The Bold and the Beautiful, to create the series and serve as showrunner and an executive producer. And, in another first for the soap world, most of the show's other department heads are Black as well.

Non-white actors often tell horror stories about working on projects where the hair and makeup staff don't know how to style Black people. Stevie Martin, who leads the makeup department in Beyond the Gates, says the presence of Black stylists can help actors feel more secure.

"When you see somebody that looks like you, it automatically creates that trust factor," she explains. "When you have the same skin tone or a variety of it, then I know [that] you know what to look for and what not to do."

As she talks, Martin is working on actress Karla Mosley, who plays one of Vernon and Anita's daughters on the show. Mosley, who has appeared on soaps like The Guiding Light and The Bold and the Beautiful, says knowing that the show's behind-the-scenes technicians realize how to make performers look their best helps the actors deliver better performances.

"It's so comforting, because this is where you come first," Mosley adds, gesturing around the makeup room. "If you have a traumatic experience before you get on set, then it's really hard for you to focus. So it's truly a delight to sit here and know that you're taken care of."

Costume designer Jeresa Featherstone, an Emmy-winner for her work on The Bold and the Beautiful, says she brings an understanding about the families depicted in Beyond the Gates that goes beyond race.

"It goes deeper than being Black," she says. "I also lived in the [Washington, D.C. metropolitan area] … I know this family. They go to my home church. I know these people, so it feels more personal."

Davis says Beyond the Gates can send a message at a time when the Trump administration is attacking federal diversity and inclusion efforts – and corporations are backing away from them.

"There's an effort to eliminate or erase or modify Black history … [so] it's important for us to keep making Black history," he says.

"We're adding on this end. You may be swiping us off on the back end, but we're still coming … And we're going to keep on making history."

Karla Mosley Says ‘Beyond the Gates’ Is ‘Best of What Soaps Have to Offer’

Daytime alum Karla Mosley, who played Guiding Light‘s Christina Moore Boudreau and The Bold and the Beautiful‘s Maya Avant, is proud to be a part of the production as feisty Dani Dupree.

“We had Generations [the NBC soap that ran from 1990-91], but this is a very different thing because it centers around a Black family, and it’s an hour long, and it’s been 25 years,” Mosley points out. “We really are making something that’s never been done before, and it’s the best of what soaps have to offer — it is dramatic, but it’s also funny. It touches your heart. You want to be with these people, you care about them, you hate them. We’ve never been able to sit with the various types of Black folks for this long the way that you get to in a soap opera, and that’s special. It feels like a privilege to be a part of telling those stories.”

But Mosley admits she wasn’t initially on board to move to Atlanta to film the series even though the pitch from creator Michele Val Jean thoroughly dazzled her. After talking to Lawrence Saint-Victor (Carter Walton, B&B), her former costar on both B&B and GL, and pal Tina Huang (Melinda Trask, Days of our Lives), Mosley reconsidered. “I sent Michele a message, and I said, ‘What you’re doing is incredible. I would love to work with you, and for you, I’m open.’ And then she sent the script, and I texted her, and I said, ‘Damn it, Michele, I’m in.’ And so that’s how that ball started rolling and here I am on set in Atlanta and loving it.”

Her partner, John Rogers, and daughters, Aurora, 6, and Willa, 3, are still in Los Angeles, but she hopes that will change in the coming months. “It’s long distance for now, which is very challenging, but we’re thinking at the end of the school year, they’ll all be coming this way,” she says. “Both [girls have] been in my belly on soap sets. That’s the most special thing. I thought Willa was going to miss it, and then they called me to do Y&R [filling in for Mishael Morgan as Hilary Curtis in 2021] for that six week-stint.”

Mosley says her past soap experience proved invaluable in the months leading up to the launch. “It’s been pretty vital. I don’t think any of us realize quite how much,” she notes. “But when you have not only most of the actors who are new to the soap world, but most of the crew, it really has been a learning curve. We’ve been in it together. There have been some days that have felt like 20 days in one, but we all love it. We are taking the best of what this genre has already built and now building on it with fresh eyes.”

Being a part of BTG marks Mosley’s fifth role in CBS daytime. “Before I was cast on Guiding Light, my manager had me do background on As the World Turns,” she reveals. “Tip for anyone who’s interested — get on a soap set and observe how it works because it’s different from other sets. So, I’ve technically been on five, which is unbelievable. Little Karla never could have imagined this. And it’s so cool. I feel like each one of the shows I’ve been on are so historic in their own specific way. Each role that I’ve played has been important in its own specific way, and I’m just really excited to continue that journey.”

She is already a fan of her new alter ego, former fashion model Dani, whose husband left her for their daughter’s best friend. “I love playing this character,” Mosley declares. “She’s a truth teller. She doesn’t care about pressing people’s buttons; in fact, she kind of likes it and gets off on it. That is such a fun person to play. Sometimes when I read the scripts, it gives me anxiety, how kind of mean and judgy she can be, but then also it gives me joy when I get to see her be so free. She’s that person who, yes, you can’t stand her, but she’s the first person you invite to your party.”

Mosley reports that she and her on-screen family clicked right away. “We were bonded pretty much from the beginning,” she shares. “We have this WhatsApp group and are just constantly lifting each other up, excited. Daphnée [Duplaix, Dr. Nicole Dupree Richardson] and I play sisters, and we all keep remarking about how these roles feel real when we’re on set. When I’m on set with my daughters, it feels alive. When I’m on set with my mom and dad, it feels real. It feels like these connections are very deep and we are so enjoying the experience.”

As the show is set to debut on Monday, Mosley enthuses, “We’re all so excited. There is this little sweet spot that we’re in right now where we’re just creating, and no one has anything to say about it, and it’s like our little baby. But part of being an artist is that we have to share it, and we have to put it out into the world. So there’s always a nervous excitement that comes with that. It’s daunting, but I think what we’ve created is something that people are going to love in a way that we might not even fully comprehend. I hope that people who already love soaps feel excited about having new stories and new people to get involved with and dig into.”

Beyond the Gates Producer Promises a 'Rooted' Soap with an 'Accomplished Black Family' That's 'Messy as Hell'

Touted as the first Black daytime soap in over 35 years (and the first-ever, hour-long soap led by a Black cast), the explosive drama, which premieres Feb. 24 on CBS, follows the prestigious, multi-generational Dupree family and their lives in a leafy Washington, D.C., suburb, one of the most affluent African-American counties in the nation.

But behind the upscale gated community of Fairmont Crest, with its five-star dining and exclusive country clubs, the Duprees' seemingly picture-perfect lives are laced with secrets and scandals.

The cast includes Tamara Tunie (As the World Turns) as matriarch Anita Dupree, Clifton Davis (Amen) as patriarch Vernon Dupree, Daphnee Duplaix (Passions) as Dr. Nicole Dupree Richardson and Karla Mosley (The Bold and the Beautiful) as Dani Dupree.

"You certainly have not seen these characters before on daytime [television]," Michele Val Jean, Beyond the Gates' creator, showrunner and executive producer, exclusively tells PEOPLE. "They are a really close-knit, accomplished Black family, and they’re messy as hell. It’s not like they’re perfect; they’re messy as well."

Val Jean adds that like many other Black families, no matter how "messy" things get, the Duprees will always have each other's backs.

"When push comes to shove, they could be mad at each other, not speaking to each other, but when someone in that family is in trouble, the other ones are going to be there to get them out. That’s the foundation of the show," says Val Jean. "That’s the foundation of most soap operas, all of the drama, but it’s gotta be rooted in something. And this show is rooted in family."

Though the Duprees are known to bring the drama, there are a few soap tropes that Val Jean plans to avoid — at least for now.

"I think my show is going to be more grounded than that. I don’t think we’ll be seeing any.… Well, it’s hard to say sometimes. I don’t want to say ‘never’ if it works. For the most part, we’re not going to have aliens or anything like that. It’s grounded in family."

For Val Jean, writing a soap opera about "rich Black people who were messy" has been a decades-long dream. She got her start on Generations, the first soap opera to display a Black family. It aired on NBC from 1989 to 1991.

Val Jean calls the experience her "training ground," which prepared her for the manifestation of Beyond the Gates after being approached by Sheila Ducksworth, President of the CBS Studios/NAACP Venture.

Ducksworth, who also serves as an executive producer, says her desire to portray a family like the Duprees on daytime television stems from the lack of Black representation in the genre.

"It’s just something I felt was missing, something that I haven’t seen before," she tells PEOPLE.

"We would get our one, two or three characters out of 40 in a soap opera that were culturally and racially diverse, and that was it," says Duckworth. "I always wanted to see more of a reflection of real life. So it was really important from a very young age, specifically, to see a soap opera where more people looked like me."

"I think for people around all corners of the world to see that this is yet another look at Black life in America, I think it’s going to be important," she adds. "It’s highly aspirational, yet attainable, and that’s what we want to put on display."

Beyond the Gates features a multi-generational cast that also includes White, Asian and Latinx actors as well as characters with varied sexual identities. Ducksworth says viewers can expect it to encompass "everything."

At the same time, she notes that the landmark series peels back the layers and gives the world a unique look at the Black experience.

"We have it set in a place where this is the mecca. This is the place where I’d say has the greatest concentration of Black wealth in all of the country. Yet there’s never really been a spotlight put on it. These aspects are real, [and] we’re incorporating [them] in our show to reflect the greatness and the brilliance of Black culture in America."

One example is the series' fictional version of HBCU (historically Black colleges and universities) Howard University called Banneker University. The name is a nod to mathematician, astronomer and author Benjamin Banneker and his contributions to Washington, D.C.

While the national political and racial climate is an ongoing conversation, Val Jean is excited for viewers to let Beyond the Gates serve as an escape to "transcend all of that."

"We’re trying to produce and write the most entertaining show possible and take you out of all of that for an hour," she says. "The world’s not going away. It’s going to be there when you turn off the show. And it’s still going to be out of your control. But for the time you’re sitting there watching the show, you can forget all that and just get into these people and their shenanigans. That’s my goal in this turbulent era."

"I want to tell stories that feel fresh and utterly contemporary. One of the biggest aspects that has been in the DNA from the very beginning is aspiration," Duckworth adds. "It’s present, it’s strong, it’s real in the soap, and I’m excited about that because what’s better than hope quite frankly? For people to see if this is something you aspire to, there are people out there who have it. And we think with that comes just basically a lot of feel-good that people can enjoy in watching it. Not only is it just aspiration, not only is it just hope, it’s the reality that these lifestyles do exist."

Though Beyond the Gates' debut comes as classic soap operas are facing cancelations, Val Jean and Duckworth are hopeful it will make its mark for decades to come.

"I can’t see why we can’t be on for 100 years," Duckworth says. "It’s an amazing time for TV, not even just daytime TV — just television. It’s an amazing, amazing time, and we can’t wait to get started and bring the world what is fresh, new, different and truly one of a kind."

‘Beyond The Gates,’ First Daytime Drama Centered On A Black Family, Features All-Star Creators And Cast

This statement is from Tamara Tunie as she talks about her work on the new series Beyond the Gates.

The first daytime drama to premiere in over 25 years, Beyond the Gates is set in the leafy Maryland suburb of Fairmont Crest, just outside of Washington, D.C., one the most affluent African American counties in the United States. Here you’ll find a posh gated community with winding tree-lined streets and luxurious mansions to call home. At the center of this community are the Duprees, a powerful and prestigious multi-generational family that is the very definition of Black royalty. But behind these pristine walls and lush, manicured gardens are juicy secrets and scandals waiting to be uncovered.

The series stars Tunie, Clifton Davis, Daphnee Duplaix, Karla Mosley, Alex Alegria, Lauren Buglioli, Brandon Claybon, Timon Kyle Durrett, Sean Freeman, Ben Gavin, Marquita Goings, Jibre Hordges, Jen Jacob, Maurice Johnson, Trisha Mann-Grant, Mike Manning, RhonniRose Mantilla, Ambyr Michelle, Colby Muhammad and Arielle Prepeti

Tunie, who has done everything from daytime drama to primetime television to live theater, made her ‘bicycle’ remark to remind everyone that while she’s most recently known for her role as medical examiner Dr. Melinda Warner on the long running series Law & Order: SVU, she actually began her career on the soap opera As the World Turns as attorney Jessica Griffin.

Tunie explains, “I spent 15 years on As the World Turns so that muscle memory and that alacrity to be able to produce a new hour long show every single day was cultivated back then.”

Speaking about the inspiration she uses for her character, Tunie points out that, “First and foremost, Anita Dupree is my mother, Evelyn Gigi Tunie. She is fierce, a ‘Mama Bear,’ righteous and talented.”

Tunie quickly adds, “But also, I had the privilege of working with Lena Horne when I first came to New York in her Broadway show, and Lena remained a force in my life. And also, I had the privilege of knowing Miss Diane Carroll, and of course, Dominique Devereaux [Carroll’s character on the long-running series Dynasty] is one of the iconic classic forces in soap opera.”

Behind the scenes, a cadre of soap opera veterans are shaping the series, with Michele Val Jean as the creator, executive producer and showrunner. Val Jean has written more than 2,000 episodes of daytime drama and won seven Daytime Emmy Awards and five Writers Guild of America Awards. Alongside Val Jean are executive producers Sheila Ducksworth, president of CBS Studios/NAACP Venture, Julie Carruthers, who’s worked on All My Children, Port Charles and Santa Barbara, and Robert Guza Jr., former General Hospital head writer, among other soap opera vets.

Val Jean says that, “when I first started writing, there were 13 [daytime dramas] on the air, now there are only four, and one is on a streaming platform. So when Sheila came to me with this project, I said, ‘sure, I’ll write that.’”

She admits that she wasn’t sure how to create the world, but she figured it just would be a nice project to work on during Covid.

“I never expected it to go anywhere, because networks were not green-lighting soaps, [instead] they’ve been canceling them. So nobody was more surprised than I was when Sheila called and said [that we got picked up],” she admits.

Many daytime fans point out that there was a series back in the day featuring a Black family, entitle Generations.

However, as Val Jean remembers, “Generations had a black family, but there was still a white family [at the center of the series]. And our show is based around a Black family. Everything comes from the Duprees — Anita is the matriarch, Vernon is the patriarch. There’s the daughters, their kids. It's multi-generational and it's a very diverse canvas, but you have not seen this many black people in the middle of the day.”

Given all of this, Val Jean can’t help but feel positive about the series, saying, “The support that I have felt from the daytime community [is amazing]. Everybody is so excited and so happy that this new soap is launching because It’s good for the genre, And, it's about time something came along that was good for the genre.”

For Tunie, she’s happy that ‘the buzz is happening,’ as she puts it, but more than that. “For me, it’s like coming home, so, yeah, it's good.”

‘Beyond the Gates’ premieres Monday, February 24the on the CBS Television Network, and is available to stream live and on-demand on Paramount+

Tamara Tunie and Daphnée Duplai on how "Beyond the Gates" is making history

The daytime drama will focus on the Duprees as they navigate their lives. The series is also the first daytime soap opera to be greenlit in over 25 years.

Actor Tamara Tunie — who stars in the series and was also on "As The World Turns" — appeared on "CBS Mornings" on Thursday and said she decided to return to soap operas because of their universal message.

"The only thing that would bring me back is this show because of its historic nature, the focus of the African American family being the central family on the show, which has never happened," said Tunie. "The family being an affluent family, a politically connected family, a loving family. You know, a supportive family. And the show is multicultural. We have Asian, we have Hispanic, we have everyone represented on the show."

"You know, so having spent so many years in television, where I have more often than not been the only black person in the building, you know, it's very, very, very comforting to walk into a space where you recognize, where you see yourself in the people that are working with," said Tunie.

Daphnée Duplai, who also stars in the series, praised the series for normalizing Black excellence.

"Black excellence is it's not just our rappers and our entertainers and athletes. We don't have to be affluent to be Black excellence," she said. "It's our service people, it is our community leaders, it's our caregivers."

While focusing on a Black family, "Beyond the Gates" features universal themes and storylines.

Making Soap Opera History with CBS’s Beyond the Gates

Jon Lindstrom & Cady McClain Join ‘Beyond the Gates’ — Plus, More Scoop on the New Soap

In addition to the previously announced talent — Tamara Tunie (ex-Jessica Griffin, As The World Turns) as Anita Dupree, Clifton Davis as Vernon Dupree, Karla Mosley (ex-Maya Avant, The Bold and the Beautiful; ex-Christina Moore Boudreau, Guiding Light) as Dani Dupree, and Daphnée Duplaix (ex-Rachel Gannon, One Life to Live; ex-Valerie Davis, Passions) as Dr. Nicole Dupree Richardson) — popular soap favorites Jon Lindstrom (Kevin Collins, General Hospital) and three-time Daytime Emmy winner Cady McClain (ex-Dixie Cooney, All My Children; ex-Rosanna Cabot, ATWT; ex-Kelly Andrews, The Young and the Restless; ex-Jennifer Horton, Days of Our Lives), have been tapped to join the star-studded roster.

“I’m just so thrilled to be a part of this incredible cast and this amazing show,” says McClain, who will play Pamela Curtis. “I think it is so exciting. It’s such a beautiful production and such amazing actors, and I have the great pleasure of getting to work a great deal with Karla. We have so much fun —probably too much fun. We play very, very, very, very, very dear old friends, and we get up to a bit of trouble.”

As for what drew Lindstrom, who will play Joey Armstrong, to the project, he says, “Michele Val Jean. Everybody knows that Michele is the best writer in the business, and they don’t want to admit it, especially if they’re another writer, but she is the very best in the business. And to be able to come down here to this brand-new studio and every day, every single member of this cast — this incredible cast — and this crew, who are so happy to walk through those doors every day and be a part of something, I think it is so groundbreaking. That’s the most special part of it all.”

Val Jean, who has toiled on a host of shows, including B&B, Generations, and GH, has been working on Beyond the Gates for decades, so to see it finally make it to air is a surreal experience. She credits Sheila Ducksworth, President, CBS/NAACP Production Venture, for helping to make her dream of a Black soap a reality. “The origin was over 20 years ago when I met Sheila Ducksworth through Vivica [A.] Fox [ex-Stephanie Simmons, Y&R],” Val Jean relays. “I’d created a nighttime pilot about a rich Black family, and Sheila read it, and she really liked it, and she said, ‘You know, I can’t do anything with this right now, but you and I are going to work together one day.’ So fast forward all these years later, she became the president of the CBS/NAACP Venture, and she called me and she said, ‘This is the time.’ And I said, ‘You know, I’m not sure I know how to do that.’ And she says, ‘Yeah, you do. You just don’t know you do.’ So, I didn’t think anything would come of it, because we all know how soaps have been canceled, not greenlit, so, I just figured it would be a nice COVID project. I kept writing my scripts for Bold and the Beautiful, and I worked on the Bible. And four years later, here we are, amazingly enough.”

Ducksworth says she was excited about the project from the moment she heard the pitch from Val Jean all those years ago. “What I really loved about the idea of this premise is that I love to work with things that are real and authentic,” she explains. “And many people don’t know that the DMV area — Washington, D.C., Maryland, Virginia — is one of the most affluent areas for Black Americans in the entire country. And it’s a place where many Black Americans are living in gated communities, on big, park-like grounds. I’m not a writer. That is Michele, writer, and creator. But the idea of a big sprawling Black family, in this area in the DMV where we could explore the upstairs and the downstairs of it all, and have it be really real and authentic and something that people can check the demographics and say, ‘This exists,’ was important in that regard. And yes, Michele was the only person that I really felt could capture that world, and she did it in a huge way.”

After getting the go-ahead for the series, casting began and Tamara Tunie — who hadn’t been on a soap scene since a brief appearance as Judge Weston on Days in 2011, but had great success in primetime on shows like Law & Order: SVU — was tapped to play matriarch Anita. “Back in September, end of August, I got a call from my rep saying, ‘There’s this new African American soap that they’re going to be shooting in Atlanta, and they’d like to offer you the role of the matriarch of the show,’” Tunie recalls. “And I said, ‘Well, let me read something, and then let me sleep on it.’ And so I woke up the next morning, and what was uppermost in my mind was the historic nature of this project, and the glass ceiling breaking of this project — to have an affluent African American family lead a daytime drama for the first time in history was very, very enticing to me.”

Tunie asked to speak to Val Jean and Ducksworth before she officially got on board, and when she heard who was in consideration to play her husband, she was even more intrigued. “Over a period of a week or two, whatever it was, we came to an agreement, and I joined the family,” she says. “And as soon as I joined the family, I sent an email to Michele and Sheila and said, ‘By the way, I just spent five days with Clifton Davis in Winston-Salem at the International Black Theater Festival. And if you’re still talking to him about Vernon Dupree, just know that we’ve connected, we’re friends, we’ve got a nice chemistry, and I’m just throwing it out there,’ and I left it at that. And so, a week or so after that, Clifton and I did a camera test together over Zoom, which was fun. And then the next morning he was Papa Dupree.”

TV and film veteran Davis had to do some quick shuffling to make it to the set on time. “I got the call to confirm the role on Thursday, and I had to be in Atlanta on Monday,” he shares. “So I had to organize myself to find a hotel, to get an apartment, to start life in Atlanta. And with my darling wife’s assistance, Monica, I was able to do it and to show up. And I got to tell you, at my age, to get a job is a wonderful thing. My first television show was the Melba Moore-Clifton Davis Show in 1972. I remember starting the first day of That’s My Mama on ABC in 1974. I remember starting Amen in 1986. I remember getting the recurring role that lasted five years on Madam Secretary in 2014.

“And here we are in 2024, 2025, doing another television show. That brought tears to my eyes just to look back and see how this business has advanced since those first days when African Americans’ jobs on Broadway and in television were few and far between. And to look around and see Black crew, Black writers, Black actors, and everything, it was overwhelming. And I am so humbled by this, and I’m so proud of what we’ve accomplished. And as many years as I can give you, that’s what I’m going to do.”

For Karla Mosley, who lives in Los Angeles, her past relationship with Val Jean played a role in her accepting the part of Dani. “I have been friends with Michele since working on Bold and the Beautiful, and when she was working with Vivica [Fox], on Ambitions, she was always saying, ‘I’d love to rope you in on something,’ ” Mosley recalls. “You hear that in the industry time and time again, but then I saw her at her birthday party, and she said, ‘It’s happening, Karla, it’s really happening.’ And I was just over the moon for her and so excited. And she said, ‘It’s shooting in Atlanta.’ And I was like, ‘I’m not moving to Atlanta.’ But then, a couple months later when they were contacting people, they sent a script, and I read the script, and I read Dani, and I texted her, and I was like, ‘Damn it, Michele.’ And here I am.”

Duplaix says she waited weeks to find out whether she booked the role of Nicole — “I felt like I was being tortured,” she jokes — but when her team reached out with the news, it was worth the wait. “My manager sent me a test and he said, ‘Pop a bottle. It’s yours,’ ” she relays. “Just being an actor in this business, you want to do great work. It’s what we do. It’s what we have a passion for. And then when I really thought about the magnitude of what we were creating, what Sheila and Michele had put together, I was like, ‘Oh, my God, this is big. This is really big.’ And so I’ve just been so excited and so proud to be a part of this groundbreaking show.”

Seeing the production go from the page to the stage was an overwhelming moment for Tunie and Co. “I’ve spent 40 years in this business, and the majority of that time, I’ve spent being the only Black person on a set,” Tunie concludes. “And so to walk into this production, which is not exclusively Black, but is predominantly Black, and to be shooting it here in Atlanta when there’s such a wealth of incredibly talented Black practitioners, whether it’s hair and makeup, whether it’s acting, whether it’s camera operating, whether it’s crew — to walk into the studio and see all of these extraordinarily beautiful Black faces and to walk into Black excellence on the level that this is overwhelmed me. It brought tears to my eyes, and all I could feel was absolute joy.”

Beyond the Gates will premiere on CBS on February 24. From February 17-21, CBS will air a five-part special, Beyond the Gates: Welcome to the Neighborhood, in BTG’s future time slot, 2 p.m. ET. Hosted by Sheryl Underwood and Entertainment Tonight‘s Kevin Frazier, the special will go behind the scenes and show how the new soap came to life, showcase the cast and sets, offer a sneak peek of what’s ahead and so much more.

Beyond the Gates, Series Premiere, Monday, February 24, CBS, Check Local Listings.

Beyond the Gates Bio: Arielle Prepetit

Her television credits include the Starz crime drama “BMF” and the NBC procedural drama “Found.”

Her film credits include “Bull Street,” written and directed by Lynn Dow and starring Loretta Devine and Amy Madigan; “The System,” opposite Tyrese Gibson and Terrence Howard; and “About My Father,” with Robert DeNiro and Kim Cattrall.

Prepetit discovered her love of dance at 5 years old. During childhood, she appeared in local productions and commercials, including performances at Walt Disney World and Universal Studios. At 17, she began studying acting with a focus on scene study and the Meisner technique, and later moved to Atlanta to pursue acting.

Prepetit is a first generation Haitian American, born and raised in Orlando, Fla. Her birthday is April 2. Follow her on social media @arielleprepetit.

Talk Show Appearance

Morning Show Appearance

Talk Show Appearance

Beyond the Gates Bio: Colby Muhammad

Muhammad’s additional television credits include “Doing It Wrong,” “Family Mixtape,” “For My Man” and “Centerfold.”

A proud graduate of the University of San Diego’s acting MFA program, Muhammad also holds a BFA in musical theatre from Howard University. Additionally, she is an alumna of the Chautauqua Theatre Company’s Acting Conservatory.

When she’s not performing, Muhammad enjoys dancing, skating and rock climbing.

Muhammad is from Richmond, Va. Her birthday is Sept. 29. Follow her on social media @colbynatasha.

Daytime Emmy Exec Explains New Acting Category That Could Have Your Favorite Newcomer Taking Home the Gold

TV Insider spoke exclusively with Rachel Schwartz, Head of Daytime and Children & Family Emmy® Awards to get the scoop.

How did the new Daytime Emmy category come about – Emerging Talent in a Daytime Drama Series? It sounds exciting.

Rachel Schwartz: Absolutely, and I’m glad to hear that you’re excited about this new category because we are also excited about this new category. Last year, we unfortunately had to make the decision to get rid of the younger performer category. There just were not enough entries to consider it a viable category any longer. But it was never really our desire to remove a chance for some of the amazing on-screen talent in daytime to receive an Emmy.

So, this is going to be a new category specifically for people who are on their first daytime contract, so there is not necessarily an age parameter with it. Although, I do imagine that some of the people that enter into the category will be on the younger end of the spectrum.

There will be a limitation that you can enter the category for the first 2 years that you are on the program, and then at that point you’re no longer going to be considered “emerging,” and you also, if you win the category, then you can no longer enter it as well.

One of the inspirations for the category was actually a couple of months ago, the passing of Helen Gallagher, who, of course, was a three-time Daytime Emmy-winner for her role as Maeve Ryan on Ryan’s Hope. Before she started there, Helen was already a two-time Tony Award winner and was well-known to New York theater audiences. She then transitioned to becoming a very well-known, well-respected daytime performer.

Do contenders have to be contract? Shows have used performers in front burner stories with actors who may not be on contract for economic reasons.

You need to have a speaking role and you need to have at least one continuous story arc in order to be eligible for this new category.

How recently – or how far back — can a performer have joined a show to be eligible?

They can be on the show for up to two years and also enter the category for those two years – unless they win. Then, they will be, of course, still eligible to enter the lead or supporting categories if they remain on their program.

Not right now. Our contract with CBS expired last year. Switching the Daytime Emmys to October was mainly driven by our desire to move other Emmy awards – news and documentary – to earlier in the year.

Talk Show Appearance

Beyond the Gates Bio: Ambyr Michelle

Michelle co-starred in the Netflix comedy series “#BlackAF,” opposite Kenya Barris and Rashida Jones. Her television credits include the FX drama series “Snowfall,” HBO’s “Insecure” and BET’s GAMES PEOPLE PLAY. Recently, she recurred on the Amazon series “The Runarounds.” Her additional television credits include Mindy Kaling’s new Netflix series “Running Point,” slated to air later this year.

Michelle wrote, produced and starred in her first short film, “Right Where You Need to Be.” The film won Best Drama at the Festigious International Film Festival, Honorable Mention for Best Drama Short at the Independent Shorts Awards and Short Script Finalist at the California Women’s Film Festival. She wrote, directed and produced her second short film, “The Little Girl Inside.” Michelle continued to expand her repertoire by writing, directing and producing her first feature film, “Little Reminders,” which is available on major streaming platforms.

Michelle has appeared in numerous commercials for Walmart, McDonald’s, The Home Depot, Propel by Gatorade, StateFarm and more.

Michelle is a trained dancer and a graduate of the performing arts program at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Her birthday is May 17. She is from Omaha, Neb., and now lives in Los Angeles. Follow her on social media @ambyrmichelle_.

Beyond the Gates Bio: RhonniRose Mantilla

RhonniRose Mantilla is an accomplished American actress, singer and dancer. She makes her network television debut as Chelsea Hamilton in BEYOND THE GATES.

This past year, she made her Broadway debut in “Harmony the Musical” as an ensemble cast member. Additionally, her regional theater credits include “Into the Woods” at the Great Lakes Theater & Idaho Shakespeare Festival, “The Notebook” for the Chicago Shakespeare Theater, “The Wiz,” “A Chorus Line,” “Jesus Christ Superstar” and “Buddy Holly Story” at the St. Louis Municipal Opera Theatre.

She also created, directed, edited and produced “Stardust,” a musical story and showcase of her dance capabilities.

Mantilla holds a Bachelor of Music in music theatre from Baldwin Wallace University.

She is from St. Louis, Mo. Her birthday is Feb. 15. Follow her on social media @Rhonnirose.

Tamara Tunie Inspires Future Leaders at President’s Lecture Series

Having grown up in a close-knit community in nearby Homestead, Tunie credits the strong work ethic instilled in her by hardworking parents and the rigorous education she received at CMU for fueling her journey from a little girl who loved to act, dance and sing to becoming a celebrated figure in the entertainment industry.

Best known for portraying medical examiner Dr. Melinda Warner for 23 seasons of “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” Tunie has appeared on television, on Broadway and on stages around the world. Daytime drama fans remember her as the longstanding character Jessica Griffin on the CBS soap opera “As The World Turns,” for which she received two NAACP Image Award nominations and two Soap Opera Digest award nominations. She is a Tony Award winning producer and has appeared in films alongside such acting legends as Denzel Washington, Samuel L. Jackson and Al Pacino.

Tunie emphasized the importance of being prepared and resilient in the face of rejection on what was ultimately her journey to self-acceptance. She said she learned to focus on her unique qualities rather than trying to fit others' expectations, which liberated her as an artist.

“It took me many years to understand that what I bring into the room is uniquely mine and to stop trying to figure out what they want, because more often than not, they don't know what they want until you show it to them,” she said. “But all actors will tell you that rejection is alive and well and always lurking just around the corner. We have to have thick skin and a strong belief in ourselves and our abilities to regularly be told you're not enough and keep pushing forward.”

One of her most memorable experiences as a New York actor was juggling three jobs in 24 hours: starring as Calpurnia in the Broadway revival of "Julius Caesar" with Denzel Washington, filming "Law and Order: SVU" overnight, and then shooting "As the World Turns" the next morning.

“It was challenging and exhilarating and only in New York City was it even possible. But this would never have worked if I had not done my part, been where I was supposed to be. Prepared and on point. Ready to deliver. And I always was,” she said.

Tunie was on track to becoming a doctor before she chose to play one on TV instead. Sharing the highs and lows of navigating life’s challenges and triumphs, she expressed her pride in choosing to inspire others through storytelling rather than trying to please others, whether it was a casting director or a member of her own family.

“I’ve had so many Black women tell me they, or their daughter, or their sister, were studying forensic medicine because of my role on SVU,” she said. “My uncle wanted me to be a doctor and was quite angry with my parents for allowing me to go into theater, but I have been thrilled to play a doctor on television and impact the lives, goals and dreams of multitudes of women everywhere — and I became my uncle’s biggest brag.”

Feb. 24 marks her return to television in the premier of the new CBS daytime drama “Beyond the Gates," in which she plays Anita Dupree, the matriarch of an affluent Black family.

Tunie said she’s enjoyed plenty of “pinch myself” moments throughout her career, moments like sharing the Broadway stage with the iconic Lena Horne when she was in awe of where life had taken her and she cried out “I can’t believe this is my life!” But there were also heartbreaking moments when she found herself uttering those same words in disbelief.

“If I have learned nothing else on this journey, I've learned to keep it moving,” she said.

Tunie graduated with a BFA in musical theater from the School of Drama in CMU’s College of Fine Arts. She currently serves on the university’s Board of Trustees. She is a founding member of Black Theater United and serves on the board of directors at Harlem Stage. Both are nonprofits that are devoted to supporting the performing arts in New York City.

BEYOND THE GATES: WELCOME TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD

“Beyond the Gates,” Is the Debut Project from the CBS Studios/NAACP Venture, in Partnership with P&G Studios, Premieres Monday, Feb. 24 and Will Air Weekdays on CBS

CBS announced today BEYOND THE GATES: WELCOME TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD, an ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT special, to air Monday, Feb. 17 through Friday, Feb. 21 (2:00-2:30 PM, ET; 1:00-1:30 PM, PT) on the CBS Television Network*. The five-part news special, hosted by ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT’s Kevin Frazier and comedian and television host Sheryl Underwood, airs in the week leading up to the series premiere of BEYOND THE GATES, Monday, Feb. 24 (2:00-3:00 PM, ET; 1:00-2:00 PM, PT) on the CBS Television Network, and streaming on Paramount+.

Filmed on location on BEYOND THE GATES’ stages in Atlanta, BEYOND THE GATES: WELCOME TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD goes behind the scenes to see the journey of bringing the new daytime soap opera to life, from its powerful representation of Black culture and history, to the 27 meticulously designed sets that create the world of Fairmont Crest, a wealthy gated community with leafy tree-lined streets and luxurious mansions. With footage from the cast’s first table read, on-set interviews and never-before-seen moments, the special offers a front-row seat to the making of a series set to change the game. Through exclusive behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with the executive producers, cast and crew, discover how BEYOND THE GATES balances authenticity, representation and storytelling to craft a series unlike any other.

Episode One: Unveiling Fairmont Crest – airing Monday, Feb. 17 (2:00-2:30 PM, ET; 1:00-1:30 PM, PT)

In the premiere episode, BEYOND THE GATES: WELCOME TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD opens its doors to Fairmont Crest, a world rich with history, culture and secrets waiting to be uncovered. Get to know the cast and creative minds behind this groundbreaking series as they share what makes BEYOND THE GATES a first-of-its-kind storytelling experience – both in front of and behind the camera.

Episode Two: Creating the Cast – airing Tuesday, Feb. 18 (2:00-2:30 PM, ET; 1:00-1:30 PM, PT)

Episode two dives into the making of BEYOND THE GATES, revealing the dedication and vision that brought this epic series to life. Meet the Dupree family, the heart of Fairmont Crest, and uncover the intricate stories that shape their world. Go inside the casting process that built the show’s powerhouse ensemble, with over 40 dynamic characters brought to life by an extraordinary lineup of talent.

Episode Three: Fashion and Flair – airing Wednesday, Feb. 19 (2:00-2:30 PM, ET; 1:00-1:30 PM, PT)

In episode three, step behind the curtain to explore the artistry of BEYOND THE GATES’ wardrobe, hair and makeup departments. Take a tour of the show’s high-fashion wardrobe, where every look is meticulously curated to reflect each character’s personality, status and story. Get the inside scoop on the secrets behind the show’s stunning hair and makeup, including a peek inside the wig cabinet housing more than 40 custom-designed wigs.

Episode Four: A Day in the Life – airing Thursday, Feb. 20 (2:00-2:30 PM, ET; 1:00-1:30 PM, PT)

Episode four shows viewers a day in the life of the fast-paced world of BEYOND THE GATES, where the cast tackles an intense filming schedule – shooting up to 100 pages a day. Discover the stamina, skill and dedication it takes to bring Fairmont Crest to life, from memorizing lines to delivering powerhouse performances under pressure. Plus, meet the leading men and women of BEYOND THE GATES and get an inside look at what really goes into filming those steamy love scenes.

Episode Five: Sneak Peek and Guest Stars – airing Friday, Feb. 21 (2:00-2:30 PM, ET; 1:00-1:30 PM, PT)

In episode five, get ready for an exclusive first look at BEYOND THE GATES’ explosive premiere. With high stakes, deep secrets and unforgettable drama, this sneak peek sets the stage for a season filled with twists and surprises. Plus, hear directly from the cast and creators about what’s in store for Fairmont Crest. Then, unlock the ET Vault to revisit where we first met the stars of BEYOND THE GATES and where you may have seen them before.

Don’t miss a special behind-the-scenes look at BEYOND THE GATES’ exciting guest stars – including ET’s own Nischelle Turner! Go on set as she steps into Fairmont Crest for a must-see cameo, giving fans a glimpse of the fun and surprises still to come.

Also, following their premieres, BEYOND THE GATES and BEYOND THE GATES: WELCOME TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD will be available alongside other popular soap operas, such as THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL and THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS, on Paramount+.

Beyond the Gates Bio: Mike Manning

Mike Manning is a two-time Daytime Emmy-winning actor, writer and producer. In 2021, he won a daytime Emmy for Best Supporting Actor on the series “The Bay” on Peacock and Amazon, as well as a nomination for an Indie Series Award.

On television, Manning is most known for Disney’s “Cloud 9,” MTV’s TEEN WOLF, the popular drama series “This Is Us” and the long-running soap “Days of Our Lives.”

His feature film credits include “Son of the South” executive produced by Oscar winner Spike Lee, the third installment of the faith-based blockbuster “God’s Not Dead,” “The Call,” “Slapface,” “The Engagement Dress,” and “Eyes in the Trees,” which Manning also co-wrote.

Behind the camera, Manning has produced dozens of films including the documentary “Lost in America,” highlighting stories of homeless youth in the United States. The film features Oscar winner Halle Berry, Grammy winner Jewel, Rosario Dawson and Tiffany Haddish.

In his spare time, he works with nonprofits that advocate for the poor, the environment and equal rights. In 2010, Manning lobbied Congress on behalf of The Human Rights Campaign. He’s on the board of Boo2Bullying, Legacy Youth Leadership and the world’s largest youth-led clean water organization, Thirst Project.

Beyond the Gates Bio: Trisha Mann-Grant

Award-winning actress and author Trisha Mann-Grant continues to impress directors and producers with her amazing versatility, vitality and uniqueness.

A former Miss Black Chicago, Mann-Grant appeared in Ebony and Jet, has been seen on billboards and in commercials and toured for hair care company Luster Products. Mann-Grant soon became recognized as a writer, producer, motivational speaker, print and runway model.

Her television credits include THE FAMILY BUSINESS, “Love Thy Neighbor,” COLD CASE on the Network, “The Parkers,” “Eve,” “All About the Andersons,” “Mind Your Business,” “Jupiter Jones,” “Haus of Vicious” and “Method and Red.”

Mann-Grant’s feature film credits include “Reunion,” “The Last Fall,” “Because We’re Done,” “The Man in 3B,” “Big Bag of Money,” “Who Can I Run To,” “Santa Games,” “Section 8,” “Lord All Men Can’t Be Dogs,” “The Lying Truth” and “A Royal Christmas Surprise.”

Her theater credits include “The Great Women of Color,” “The Visit, An Evening of Shakespeare with Charles Dutton,” “Jeffery’s Plan,” “Say Amen” and “Souled Out.” Additionally, she shared the stage with Stephanie Mills and the late Tommy Ford in the national tour of David E. Talbert’s “His Woman His Wife.” Mann-Grant received noteworthy reviews for “If You Don’t Believe: A Love Story” as a big sister to Tatyana Ali, and was nominated by the NAACP for her performance in the musical. She also toured nationally in “The Clean Up Woman,” “Mrs. Independent” and “Mama’s Boy.”

Mann-Grant produced, directed and wrote songs for her own God-inspired play, “Mama’s Will”; Ted Lange’s “Washington’s Boy”; “Hope Runs Eternal”; “Eddie Lee Baker Is Dead,” with Wendy Raquel Robinson; and “Unbound,” which she also co-produced.

Also, she is the creator and host of “Mann Talk” and the author of Amazing Testimonies, found on Amazon.com.

She attended Chicago’s Roosevelt University for music education, with a scholarship in voice performance, in early pursuit for recognition in a variety of creative talents. Mann-Grant is a Chicago native and resides in Los Angeles. Her birthday is Nov. 3. Follow her on social media @TrishaMannGrant621.

Beyond the Gates Bio: Maurice Johnson

Maurice Johnson is a versatile actor known for his captivating performances across film and television. He caught the acting bug when he appeared in his first stage play, Thomas Meloncon’s “Diary of Black Men,” directed by Dr. Wendy Coleman at Albany State’s Billy C. Black Auditorium.

Since then he has taken on lead roles in feature films such as “Operation Aunties,” “Jones Plantation,” “What Lies Under the Trees,” “The Crickets Dance,” “Joyful Noise,” “When the Bough Breaks” and “Billionaire Boys Club,” which showcases his dynamic range and commitment to his craft. Also, he has delivered memorable supporting performances in films like “The Perfect In-Laws” and “Titanic 666.”

On the small screen, he has earned recurring guest star credits on popular television series including HAWAII FIVE-O for the Network, “Chicago Fire,” “Good Girls,” “To Catch a Killer” and “Vampire Diaries.”

Johnson has won several awards including the Culture and Diversity Film Festival, Judges Award 2020 for Best Ensemble for “The Crickets Dance” and the New York International Film Awards - April Monthly Award 2021 for Best Feature Film, “The Anthology of Julius, the Nigerian Immigrant.” He has received nominations from the North Europe International Film Festival (Fusion Film Festival) - Jury Prize (Nominee) 2021 for Best Lead Actor in “The Crickets Dance” and the Sweden Film Awards - April Award 2021.

Johnson is engaged in the community with a focus on empowering youth, volunteering and giving to various homeless shelters. He was born in Augusta, Ga., and received a football scholarship to Albany State University, from which he graduated with a degree in speech and theatre. He is a notable member of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. initiated at the Chi Epsilon chapter at Albany State.

Beyond the Gates Bio: Jen Jacob

Jacob’s additional television credits include FBI: MOST WANTED, BULL and BLUE BLOODS, all on the Network.

Additionally, she has held recurring roles as Denis Leary’s wife on “Law & Order: Organized Crime” and Harlan Coben’s “Shelter” and “Gravesend,” both on Amazon. Jacob’s guest roles on television include “New Amsterdam,” “Master of None,” “Girls,” “The Jim Gaffigan Show,” “Top Five” and “Begin Again.”

Most recently, Jacob starred in the Netflix feature film “The Union,” opposite Mark Wahlberg and Halle Berry. She has also appeared in commercials for Bud Light, Kia, Olive Garden, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and more.

Outside of acting, Jacob is a talented writer, musician, baker and an advocate for women’s health and eating disorders.

Jacob is also an avid marathon runner in honor of her late sister Lindsay who passed away from cancer. Jacob has run over 10 marathons raising funds for Fred’s Team, the official running program of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center.

Jacob grew up in Bucks County, Pa., and Greenwich, Conn. She moved to New York City to attend NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and the Stella Adler Studio of Acting.

Recently, she moved to Atlanta, Ga., with her husband. Her birthday is Feb. 13. Follow her on social media @jen.jacob.

Beyond the Gates Bio: Ben Gavin

Gavin made his feature film debut in J.J. Abrams’ “Super 8” playing Deputy Milner. He went on to star alongside Matthew McConaughey in the adaptation of Stephen King’s “The Dark Tower.”

His additional film credits include “A Place Called Home,” “My Christmas Love,” “Missing at 17,” “Going for Two” and “Winterset.”

Gavin received a Division 1 baseball scholarship to the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, but it was his growing passion for acting that led him to switch gears and pursue a drama major.

Beyond the Gates Bio: Lauren Buglioli

Lauren Buglioli is a talented and versatile actress who has seen consistent success on television with roles in Apple TV+’s “Bad Monkey” with Vince Vaughn and the Netflix hit series “Florida Man.”

Buglioli’s film credits include Tyler Perry’s “A Jazzman’s Blues,” HBO’s “The Great Lillian Hall” and the independent feature “Cinnamon.”

In addition to her work on stage and screen, Buglioli holds a degree in early childhood education, which she put to good use as a teacher while developing her acting credits.

Giving back to others, particularly to youth and those with special needs, has been an additional area of focus for Buglioli. She’s worked directly with Heart Gallery and Atlanta’s Chastain Horse Park.

Buglioli is also passionate about working with actors as a career and audition coach. She helps performers with their mindset to foster a love of the creative process and encourages them to feel empowered and inspired while navigating the industry.

Buglioli was born in Los Angeles, where her passion for entertainment began as a small child. After relocating to London for middle school and high school, she soon began working as an actress in film, television, radio and theater.

Buglioli made the transition back to the U.S. to continue her education at NYU, Stella Adler, Lee Strasberg and UCB.

Buglioli is the proud owner of two offensively cute dogs, Vixen and Beverly Hills Cop II, adopted from Lifeline Animal Project. She will be thrilled if you ask to see photos of them.

Beyond the Gates Bio: Alex Alegria

Alegria’s television credits include CSI and INTELLIGENCE on the Network, and GOSSIP GIRL for the CW. His feature film credits include “A Score to Settle.”

Outside of television and film, Alegria’s hobbies include salsa dancing, martial arts and taking a ride on his motorcycle, Lola.

Alegria studied at Stony Brook University and has a background in physical therapy. While in college, he discovered his love of acting after taking a required theater class.

Additionally, Alegria has an interesting historical connection. His great-great-great-great-grandfather, Rafael Núñez, was a former president of Colombia who authored the national anthem.

Alegria grew up in Queens, N.Y., and Colombia. Currently, he resides in Los Angeles.

A New Soap Opera Looks to Rekindle the Past While Breaking New Ground

She had grown up watching her stories. “Generations,” the NBC soap opera that debuted in 1989 and the first to highlight a Black family from its inception, became must-watch television while she was in college. She saw herself in the characters, and she yearned for the 30-minute show, ultimately short-lived, to be stretched into a daily hour like most other soaps.

Ducksworth started a career in television production with the idea of one day producing a soap opera even as they began to disappear from the airwaves. In 2020, with her treasured daytime serials still front of mind, she agreed to lead a new partnership between CBS and the N.A.A.C.P., and immediately set out to resuscitate the faltering genre.

That doggedness will result in something that has not occurred this century: a daytime soap debuting on a major television network. “Beyond the Gates,” premiering on Feb. 24, will be the first since NBC introduced “Passions” in 1999. And it will be the first ever that’s completely centered on a Black family.

“This is really almost a 30-year passion, the point of getting this made,” Ducksworth said from Assembly Atlanta, the studio complex where the show is filmed, as cast and crew careened from scene to scene filming the story that centers on the Dupree family in suburban Maryland.

At their peak in the 1970s and 1980s, soap operas were foundational fixtures in daytime lineups, with names that even non-viewers would recognize: “All My Children.” “One Life to Live.” “As the World Turns.” They were where budding actors and future stars like Demi Moore, Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman landed some of their first roles. They lured, clutched and dangled the collective attentions of housewives, nighttime shift workers, children home sick from school and workers playing hooky.

That viewership included a dedicated demographic that Ducksworth and the co-creator of “Beyond the Gates,” Michele Val Jean, will aim to attract.

“There is an audience out there that for decades had not been represented or catered to, to say, ‘This is for you,’” said Tamara Tunie, who will serve as the matriarch of the fictional, affluent and very messy Dupree dynasty. “And this is the Black audience. And the Black audience has been very loyal to daytime drama for decades and decades and decades. The Black dollars are very strong and waiting to be spent. I think that this show is being provided for that constituency.”

Historically, soap operas did not just baptize lifetime viewers. Devotion was familial, passed down like genetic material, one generation to the next. Allegiances were pledged and honored, similar to fandom for a preferred sports team.

“You didn’t change,” Val Jean said. “My mother and my grandmother and I, we were an ABC family. We watched ‘Ryan’s Hope,’ ‘All My Children,’ ‘One Life to Live,’ ‘General Hospital.’”

The alluring, tawdry stories arrived as frequently as the reliability and promptness of that day’s mail: Would Sami be saved from death row? What would happen at Luke and Laura’s wedding? Did Erica Kane really just do that?

Over time and with improved technology and new formats, viewership habits shifted and fractured.

So-called reality trumped fantasy. Soap operas had presented what people always wanted to say but never could. Reality television came along and suddenly people were saying (and throwing) what had previously been left unsaid (and untossed).

The O.J. Simpson murder trial 30 years ago may have initiated soap’s free fall when it diverted daytime eyeballs to the televised trial of the century. “Jerry Springer” free-for-alls quickened the decline. The rise of the Kardashian and Real Housewives era of reality television signified that viewership appetites had completely changed.

In 2022, NBCUniversal moved “Days of Our Lives” to Peacock after a nearly 60-year run on the flagship network. The decision left only three soap operas — ABC’s “General Hospital” and CBS’s “The Young and the Restless” and “The Bold and the Beautiful” — airing on daytime TV. There were seven soaps on the networks as recently as 2010.

When soaps thrived, it was because of the ritual and routine they offered viewers. The connection came through watching characters love, fight, cheat, argue, age every … single … weekday.

“People who are watching ‘The Young and the Restless’ today probably grew up watching Victor Newman and Victoria Newman for over 40 years,” said Barbara Irwin, a soap opera expert who has written books about the genre and served as an audience researcher. “There’s a parasocial relationship that viewers establish with soap opera characters, where these people come into their homes every day for decades and they come to love these characters or love to hate the characters.”

“You’re not just watching reruns, every day is new so you’re literally living the life of these characters and experiencing their experiences every day,” said Julie Carruthers, an executive producer of “Beyond the Gates” and a veteran of the genre whose work dates back to NBC’s “Santa Barbara” nearly 40 years ago.

Like many, Carruthers thought the soaps were expiring. “Beyond the Gates” is happening, she said, because “Sheila made it happen.”

Ducksworth has done a little bit of everything in television. Before CBS, she headed scripted television and production for Will Packer Media and ran her own production company. She found a soap ally in the CBS president and chief executive George Cheeks, who had also been thinking about the potential for a new daytime serial.

“I really do believe that the genre may not look the way it looked before — in terms of every network has three soap operas, every single day — but there’s still an audience for it,” Cheeks said.

He values their predictability in sustaining audiences. The genre, to him, never left, but rather converted to “unscripted soap operas” like Bravo’s “Below Deck” and “Real Housewives” franchise.

“If you’re going to go see something staged, why not see people who can really deliver in a way that’s skillful and that pulls on your heartstrings in an intentional way, but also allows for fun and warmth?” said the actress Karla Mosley, who will portray one of the daughters of Tunie’s character.

Ducksworth’s initial meeting with Cheeks led to years of pitch meetings to secure partnerships. “Beyond the Gates” marks Procter & Gamble’s reintroduction into soap operas as a production partner with CBS. The consumer goods company offered the genre its name and populated radio and TV airwaves for 70 years before exiting in 2009 with the cancellation of “As the World Turns.”

The series is also the first product in the joint venture between CBS and the N.A.A.C.P. Derrick Johnson cited the need for the organization to become better a storyteller when he became president and chief executive in 2017.

“The history of this country has always told us that how people are seen onscreen are oftentimes how they’re treated in public policy,” he said. (In fact, one of the organization’s earliest initiatives was to fight the showing of “Birth of a Nation” at the White House during Woodrow Wilson’s presidency.) “We’ve always been in a space where we’ve been in a reactive posture. Our goal, in this case, was to be in a proactive posture.”

While others are cutting them, CBS is betting big on soaps. “Beyond the Gates” is replacing the daytime gabfest “The Talk,” canceled after 15 seasons. Last year, the network renewed “The Young and the Restless” for four additional seasons, securing it through 2027-28 as the network’s longest-running series. In addition to airing on CBS, “Beyond the Gates” will be prominently featured on the network’s streaming platform, Paramount+. Enthusiasm does not guarantee success, though.

“It is really hard to launch a new soap and to build the kind of loyalty that the others now have,” said Elana Levine, author of “Her Stories: Daytime Soap Opera & US Television History.” “Even the youngest is nearing 40 years on air.”

The questions popped in Karla Mosley’s mind as she weighed whether to vie for a role on “Beyond the Gates”: Did she want to move from California to Georgia? Would her family come now or later? Would her daughters attend a new school or be home-schooled?

As Mosley contemplated family, the actress Daphnée Duplaix had nearly quit show business. The pace and commitment of a soap is unlike anything else in television. More than 250 episodes annually is still the norm in a landscape where eight-episode seasons of prestige television every other year is often the norm.

But none of the actors felt that they could say no to the opportunity. The series will depict all ages and races. And with two Black women in creative control, a collective mix of ownership, pride and excitement is palpable among the cast and crew.

“The weight of what we’re bringing to the table for audiences and what it means is giant,” Duplaix, who’ll play the eldest Dupree daughter, said.

Clifton Davis was pondering retirement after nearly 50 years of acting. A veteran of stage and screen, he’s happy he took one more role. “You ever go to work, and a smile bursts on your face when you’re walking in the door?” Davis asked. “You know that’s a good job.”

Actors and crew hustled — rehearsing, taping and finishing a scene before quickly moving onto the next. The goal is to film nearly 100 pages worth of script a day.

The costume designer Jeresa Featherstone anticipated receiving new actors who would begin the next day. She would shop for their outfits that evening. Before filming, Duplaix found comfort sitting in Wankaya Hinkson’s chair as the stylist worked on her hair. Hinkson said she hopes to have all textures of Black hair displayed on the show.

“I got to a point where I would always bring my makeup or my flat iron to fix, to just tweak it a little bit,” Duplaix said of past gigs. “I have yet to even feel like I need to do that.”

“This is a multicultural show,” said Tunie, who starred for years on “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.” “There are White people, Latin people, Asian people, and that’s groundbreaking, too, because it’s representing everyone. But this Black family is the central family, and everything springs from there. That’s very different than anything I experienced before.”

Val Jean wrote on “Generations,” the show Ducksworth once adored. “You know I wrote that cat fight, right?” she asked during an interview, a sly smile creeping across her face. That scene, in which the actresses Vivica A. Fox and Jonelle Allen punch and grapple with each for a full two minutes while bringing destruction to a fancy living room, has achieved status as a canonical moment in soap opera lore. But the show itself lasted just two seasons, signifying what the author Levine calls the genre’s “checkered history of centering Black characters.”

It was Fox who introduced Ducksworth and Val Jean more than 20 years ago. Ducksworth told her of her dreams of making a soap. Val Jean by that point was one of soap’s most prolific writers, most notably for “General Hospital” and “The Bold and the Beautiful.” As Ducksworth contemplated accepting the CBS job, she reached out to Val Jean and asked her to start imagining a world revolving around a sprawling Black family of influence.

“I wanted to see a big Black family that’s rooted in their love for each other, and they’re accomplished and they’re smart and they’re rich and they’re not downtrodden,” Val Jean said. Even as she built out the characters, it was hard to envision the show becoming a reality, despite Ducksworth’s reassurances.

Her enthusiasm swelled once production started. That was apparent to Tunie, who first appeared on “As the World Turns” back in 1987, and has seen her share of television productions in the almost 40 years since. “This,” Tunie promised, “is not your grandma’s soap opera.”

Beyond the Gates Bio: Jibre Hordges

Hordges’ television credits include “Grown-ish,” “9-1-1,” “The Resident” and a multitude of films.

He attended Georgia Southern University and obtained a B.S. degree in biology. Originally, he planned on becoming a doctor, but as life unfolded, he discovered new passions and talents and shifted gears to acting.

He was born and raised in Atlanta, Ga., and his birthday is June 14. Follow him on social @jibre.hordges.

Beyond the Gates Bio: Marquita Goings

Marquita Goings is a driven, charismatic and undeniable talent. Her incredible gift to bring life to complex and dynamic characters never fails to light up the screen.

Goings can be seen in the Hulu comedy series “Woke,” in the role of Hype; and in Tyler Perry’s “Zatima,” in the role of Valier, a successful realtor. Additional television credits include DYNASTY, “The Other Black Girl,” “Bruh,” “Council of Dads,” “Tales” and “American Soul.” Also, she appeared in the TV movies “Open,” “Twas the Chaos before Christmas” and “Cooking up Christmas.”

Feature film credits include “Freedom Hair,” “Strange Love,” “Everyday but Christmas” and “the Trap.”

Goings was born and raised in Athens, Ga. Her birthday is April 9. Follow her on social @marquitatenaya.

Beyond the Gates Bio: Sean Freeman

Freeman’s television credits include recurring roles in “Finding Happy,” “Tales,” “Bound,” “No Perfect Love” and “Boxed In.”

His theater credits include the original production of “Poor Girl, Rich Girl” in Harlem, N.Y., and “Selma the Musical.”

Additionally, he has starred in several independent films such as the acclaimed social drama “The Other Side,” and has appeared in commercials for Volkswagen and The Home Depot.

Keen to pursue a career in the performing arts, he enrolled at the prestigious New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts. This intensive training provided him with the foundational skills and techniques necessary to navigate the complexities of acting, honing his craft through various exercises, performances and mentorship from industry professionals.

He is from Alabama and his birthday is May 5. Follow him on social @Seanfreeman__.

Beyond the Gates Bio: Timon Kyle Durrett

Durrett paid his dues with bit parts in independent productions until he finally started to earn guest roles on flagship shows. Television credits include CSI: NY, GHOST WHISPERER, CSI: MIAMI, “Castle,” “Samantha Who,” “Heroes,” “Girlfriends,” “Eve” and “Cherish the Day.” Also, he had a recurring role of the controversial Quinn Davis in VH1’s first-ever scripted series, SINGLE LADIES.

On the stage he earned rave reviews for his role in the national tour of Tyler Perry’s hit play “The Marriage Counselor.”

Durrett’s feature film credits include the role of retired football star Dom Clayton in “Cheaper by the Dozen”; Davis West, the philandering husband and father fans loved to hate on “Queen Sugar”; and conflicted husband Luvell Burton on “Stuck with You.”

A native of Chicago, his birthday is July 12. Follow him on social @timonkdurrett.

Beyond the Gates Bio: Brandon Claybon

Claybon’s television credits include THE NEIGHBORHOOD, THE MENTALIST, TWO AND A HALF MEN and S.W.A.T. for the CBS Network. Additional TV credits include “Grey’s Anatomy,” “9-1-1,” “Stumptown,” “Shameless,” “How to Get Away with Murder,” “Zatima” and “General Hospital.” He also served as a host for BET.com.

In 2020, Claybon created his own digital YouTube talk show, “The Actors Break,” where he connects with Hollywood’s most promising actors.

Behind the camera, he produced “Free to Be,” directed by Ugenia Stokes, which has been screened in 27 film festivals around the world.

In his spare time, he gives back to the community, especially through the support of various charitable causes.

He is originally from Oakland, Tenn., and his birthday is Oct. 10. Follow him on social @brandonclaybon.

On TV: A Black History Month Special

The one-hour news special is hosted by Kevin Frazier and Nischelle Turner, the first Black co-hosting team for ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT. Filmed on location from the sets of CBS programs, the special guides viewers through a celebration of Black excellence in television. The hosts shine a spotlight on Black actors who are forging a path in daytime and primetime television. CBS stars share their personal stories and reflections on their time in the entertainment industry.

Damon Wayans, Damon Wayans Jr., Essence Atkins and Tetona Jackson (POPPA’S HOUSE)

Tamara Tunie, Clifton Davis, Daphnee Duplaix and Karla Mosley (BEYOND THE GATES)

The special also celebrates historic milestones, honoring trailblazers of the past, present and future, such as:

Isabel Sanford, the first Black actress to win a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy (1981)

Cicely Tyson, the first Black actress to star as a regular in a TV drama series (1963)

STAR TREK’s groundbreaking moment with the first interracial kiss on television (1968)

ALL IN THE FAMILY featured the first interracial married couple on television (1971).

Additionally, the show spotlights Black comedians who have shaped the industry, highlighting their cultural impact, including:

The Wayans family, known for their comedic legacy and impact across various entertainment platforms

Cedric the Entertainer and Tichina Arnold, who have brought laughter to millions through their roles on THE NEIGHBORHOOD

Inside "Beyond the Gates," TV's newest soap opera

CBS News Sunday Morning

Beyond the Gates Bio: Karla Mosley

Her additional onscreen credits include “Hi-5,” GUIDING LIGHT, HART OF DIXIE, GOSSIP GIRL, ANGEL FROM HELL, “Deadly Cheer Mom” and “Burn After Reading.”

In recent years, Mosley has prioritized her role as a mother to her two daughters. In 2019, she departed THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL to create space for a transgender actor to further develop Maya’s story.

Mosley’s writing and producing credits include “ROOM 8,” a web series that was featured on THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL. She also produced the original web series “Wed-Locked.” Additionally, Mosley published a book of micro poems titled “Short Poems for a Long and Happy Life.”

Mosley is passionate about the performing arts and social justice. She served as philanthropic director at the Ammunition Theatre Company in Los Angeles for six years. She has also held board positions with Covenant House and served as a celebrity ambassador for the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA).

Additionally, Mosley co-founded 1:1 Productions, a company dedicated to championing women of color in the entertainment industry Their most recent web series, “(Un)Claimed,” in which Mosley starred, premiered at Outfest in 2022.

Mosley graduated with honors from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, receiving a BFA in drama. She went on to study at the Roy Hart Vocal Institute in France. Her birthday is Aug. 27 and she was raised in Westchester, N.Y. You can follow her on Instagram @KarlaMose.

Beyond the Gates Bio: Clifton Davis

Davis began his acting career in New York City with the Broadway production of “Hello, Dolly!” After six years and five Broadway shows – including a Tony nomination for “Two Gentlemen of Verona” – he transitioned to Hollywood where his career flourished.

Davis would later return to the theater stage with starring roles in the acclaimed shows “Guys and Dolls,” “Pal Joey,” “Aladdin” and “Wicked.”

His television credits include 42 episodes of MADAM SECRETARY, BLUE BLOODS and his trailblazing role opposite Melba Moore in THE MELBA MOORE & CLIFTON DAVIS SHOW on the Network. Additionally, he starred in “Godfather of Harlem,” “Clipped,” “Iron Fist,” BILLIONS, “New Amsterdam,” THE GOOD FIGHT, “Political Animals,” “Mr. Box Office,” “The First Family” and “Murder in Manhattan,” among many others.

Davis’ feature film credits include “A Shot Through the Wall,” “Any Given Sunday,” “Halloweentown High,” “Kingdom Come,” “Max Keeble’s Big Move,” “Soldiers of Change,” “Prayer Never Fails” and “The Climb.”

Alongside acting, Davis found success as a Motown songwriter, earning a GRAMMY nomination for “Never Can Say Goodbye,” famously performed by The Jackson 5, and writing songs for the Supremes and the Miracles. He has a jazz vocal album, Never Can Say Goodbye, featuring the Beegie Adair Trio and Take 6.

Davis is a devoted advocate for social, civic and spiritual causes. He has received over 125 awards from organizations such as the SCLC, World Vision, UNCF and the NAACP. As a licensed Christian minister, his interdenominational ministry spans more than 35 years. For 26 years, he was a beloved host of TBN’s “Praise the Lord” and has hosted several notable gospel music specials, including “Gospel Superfest,” “Take It to the Bridge,” “The Stellar Awards,” “The Dove Awards” and “The Black Achievement Awards.”

Davis holds a BA in theology from Oakwood University and a Master of Divinity from Andrews University. He has received honorary Doctor of Letters degrees from Lincoln University, Paine College and Edward Waters College, a Doctor of Ministry from Trinity International University and a Doctor of Fine Arts from the University of Hartford.

Davis is originally from Chicago and was raised on Long Island, N.Y. His birthday is Oct. 4. Follow him on social media @thecliftondavis.

Beyond the Gates Bio: Tamara Tunie

In film, Tamara starred as Cissy Houston, mother of the great American icon Whitney Houston, in “I Wanna Dance with Somebody,” reuniting her with “Caveman’s Valentine” and “Eve’s Bayou” director Kasi Lemmons. Her additional film credits include Oliver Stone’s “Wall Street” with Michael Douglas; Harold Becke’s “City Hall” with Al Pacino; Taylor Hackford’s “Devil’s Advocate” with Keanu Reeves and Charlize Theron; and Robert Zemeckis’ “Flight,” opposite Denzel Washington, with whom she also starred on Broadway as Calpurnia in “Julius Caesar.”

Tunie triumphed on the London stage last season at the Old Vic in the critically acclaimed production of Mike Bartlett’s “THE 47th,” in which she starred as Kamala Harris opposite Bertie Carvel’s Donald Trump in a futuristic imagining of a presidential run-off between the two. Her additional award-winning stage works include the world premiere of “American Son,” a searing examination of race and class in which she originated the role of Kendra Ellis-Connor; and her Obie Award-winning turn as Marvelous in Danai Gurira’s “Familiar,” which grapples with identity, assimilation, tradition and the clashing of ideals of an African immigrant family.

Most recently, she starred as matriarch Florence Delva in the world premiere of “Bernarda’s Daughters,” another contemporary play that mines the effects of gentrification, police brutality and what it means to be “American” in a Haitian-American family in Brooklyn.

On television, Tunie is a seasoned soap actress who starred as Jessica Griffin in the daytime drama “As the World Turns” for over 20 years. Her additional television credits include challenged tribal chief Marie Van Der Veen in the Sundance TV series “The Red Road” opposite Jason Momoa; as Under-Secretary of State Eunice Clayton in the BBC/Netflix international drama “Black Earth Rising,” which scrutinized the West’s complicity in the destabilization of Africa; and as Julia in AMC’s “Dietland,” which explored the underbelly of the American beauty-industrial complex.

Tunie first gained an international following in the television role of medical examiner Dr. Melinda Warner on Dick Wolf’s “Law and Order: SVU.” Also, she was a series regular on the Netflix cult favorite “Cowboy Bebop,” and she appeared on two seasons of the Apple TV+ futuristic drama SEE as The Bank, opposite Jason Momoa and Alfre Woodard.

Tunie’s television guest roles include the hit shows BLUE BLOODS, ELEMENTARY, THE GOOD WIFE for the CBS Television Network and “Almost Family,” ‘Emergence,” “Better Call Saul,” “Billions,” “Alpha House,” “24” and “Survivor’s Remorse,” among others.

Tunie is a founder of Black Theatre United. She is chair emerita of the board of directors of Figure Skating in Harlem, a non-profit organization that supports academic excellence and instills life skills to young girls in the Harlem community through the art and discipline of figure skating to ensure they are champions “off the Ice!” She serves on the board of directors at Harlem Stage/The Gatehouse and City Theatre Company in Pittsburgh; and is on the advisory board of Hearts of Gold, a not for profit that supports women and their children in New York City shelters and helps them transition out of the system. In 2005, Mayor Bloomberg awarded Tunie the Made in New York Award from the City of New York, for her support and commitment to film, television and theater.

Tunie holds a BFA in musical theatre from Carnegie-Mellon University, and now serves on the executive board of trustees.

Her birthday is March 14 and she was raised in McKeesport, Penn., near Pittsburgh, and she roots for the Steelers. Follow her on social media @msttunie.

Beyond the Gates Bio: Daphnee Duplaix

On television, Duplaix was a series regular in the television soap opera “Passions,” playing Valerie Davis. Duplaix’s journey in the entertainment world reached a distinguished height during her seven-year stint on daytime soaps, most notably during which she received a NAACP Award nomination for her outstanding portrayal of Rachel Gannon on “One Life To Live.”

Having graced a variety of screens, Duplaix’s talent and dedication have garnered her 50 television and film credits. Her portfolio also includes over 70 national commercials.

In 2017, she made the pivotal decision to relocate to Colorado, where she prioritized her family and personal life. Now, with home bases in Atlanta and Los Angeles, she has enjoyed a triumphant return to both the big and small screens.

With a wealth of experience, an impressive body of work and an undeniable passion for her craft, Duplaix is poised and empowered as she embarks on the next exciting chapter in her acting journey.

Currently, Duplaix resides in Denver, Colo. She is originally from New York City. Her birthday is Aug. 18. Follow her on social media @theonlydaphneeduplaix.

Beyond the Gates is ready to showcase 'different side of the Black experience' with groundbreaking new soap

A posh gated community, flanked with luxe mansions and picturesque tree-lined streets (and filled with tantalizing scandals) is the setting for Beyond the Gates, a new daytime soap from Emmy-winning soap veteran Michele Val Jean.

Premiering Feb. 24 on CBS, the series is set in the Maryland suburb of Washington, D.C., one of the most affluent African American counties in the United States. At the center of the community are the Duprees, led by genteel patriarch Vernon (played by Clifton Davis), a retired senator, and fierce matriarch Anita (Tamara Tunie), a former singer. Alongside daughters Nicole (Daphnee Duplaix), a high-achieving philanthropist and psychiatrist, and Dani (Karla Mosley), a free-spirited former model-turned-momager, the multi-generational Duprees are considered a powerful and prestigious family and the “very definition of Black royalty,” per the show's logline — but beneath the opulence reside juicy secrets.

Notable firsts surround the new soap: It’s the first new entry of the genre since Passions premiered in 1999, and the first to center on Black characters since 1989’s groundbreaking Generations, which centered on two Chicago families, the white Whitmores and Black Marshalls and also counted Val Jean, whose expansive credits include General Hospital and The Bold and the Beautiful, as a writer. Gates was spearheaded by a determined Sheila Ducksworth, the president of CBS’ production partnership with the NAACP and an executive producer on the show, in a four-year effort to break new ground in the genre.

“We wanted to have a show on the air that spoke to a different side of the Black experience,” Val Jean tells Entertainment Weekly over a joint Zoom with Ducksworth. “Not the downtrodden, not the ghettoized. We wanted to show rich, Black people doing messy things.”

“I've long been fascinated with showing the side that we haven't seen a lot of,” says Ducksworth. “In these Maryland suburbs, there were some of the most affluent African American counties in all of America. So looking at that and the wealth of everything at Howard University, I felt that this was an area that was ripe for the picking. You get the upstairs, the downstairs of it all. It's true to life."

Breaking new ground is, of course, no easy feat, but it’s a department Val Jean is familiar with due to Generations, which was both her first staff job and daytime soap. “Sally Sussman created not only a wonderful show but a wonderful atmosphere,” she recalls of that period. “We were the little soap that couldn't, really, because we were opposite the last half hour of Young and the Restless.” Generations was very much ahead of its time, adds Val Jean. “When it got canceled, to me personally, it felt like a death because I was so happy there.”

It was Generations, too, that launched the 20-year friendship between Val Jean and Ducksworth that has led to this historical endeavor, thanks in part to an actress by the name of Vivica A. Fox. Perhaps you’ve heard of her? Fox played Maya Reubens, the onscreen daughter of Richard Roundtree’s Dr. Daniel Reubens, in the soap, and counts Ducksworth as a friend. “I told her that I wanted to make a soap, and she said, ‘Well, if you want to make a soap, you need to talk to Michele,’” recalls Ducksworth. “So she really put the two of us together.”

Two decades later, the duo are ready to present a new take on the genre — though it still contains all the hallmarks of a great soap. Expect “secrets and lies and betrayals and love and friendship,” says Val Jean. “The Duprees, they don't always agree. But when push comes to shove, that family will stick together, right, wrong or indifferent. That is basically the foundation of the show. There’s dysfunction, but at the end of the day, they love each other.” Adds Ducksworth, “It's a really complex web of people and places and things that all intersect in a way that you would never believe. It’s incredibly unpredictable and really fresh and new.”

Admittedly, Val Jean initially didn’t believe that their labor of love “would ever see the light of day.” “Networks weren’t greenlighting soaps, they were canceling them,” she explains. “When I started Generations there were 13 soaps on the air, now there are three and one on Peacock.” Getting the green light felt “revolutionary,” says Ducksworth. “Nobody is making soaps anymore. The courage and belief that there could be something new that hasn't been done in over a quarter of a century, it feels great that the people behind us recognized the need and wanted to make this happen.”

“This is a different kind of world,” says Val Jean of Gates. “The characters are different from anything that I've seen in daytime. That's what I'm excited about. We're presenting something that hasn't been done before."

Beyond the Gates debuts Feb. 24 at 2 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT, on CBS and will also be available to stream on Paramount+.

‘Beyond The Gates’ Teaser Shows How Dupree Family “Rules This Community” In New CBS Sudser

The teaser introduces the Duprees, a prominent Black family “who hold court over their affluent community in Maryland from Fairmont Crest, the country club at the center of their luxurious enclave filled with wealthy residents harboring deep secrets.” The new soap from the CBS Studios / NAACP Venture, in partnership with P&G Studios, is the first Black one-hour daytime drama to air on television and the first daytime drama to premiere since Passions in 1999.

The Talk will tape its final show December 20. CBS will run repeats of The Price Is Right in The Talk’s time period (2:00-3:00 PM, ET; 1:00-2:00 PM) for two months, until the slot is taken over by the Beyond the Gates, which is set in a Maryland suburb just outside of Washington D.C.

The series began production in Atlanta, Ga., in November and stars Tamara Tunie, Clifton Davis, Daphnee Duplaix, Karla Mosley, Alex Alegria, Lauren Buglioli, Brandon Claybon, Timon Kyle Durrett, Sean Freeman, Ben Gavin, Marquita Goings, Jibre Hordges, Jen Jacob, Maurice Johnson, Trisha Mann-Grant, Mike Manning, RhonniRose Mantilla, Ambyr Michelle, Colby Muhammad and Arielle Prepetit.

The series is distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution. Michele Val Jean is the creator, executive producer and showrunner alongside executive producers Sheila Ducksworth, Julie Carruthers, Robert Guza Jr., Leon W. Russell, Derrick Johnson, Kimberly Doebereiner and Anna Saalfeld.

Former ‘Days’ Head Writer Ron Carlivati Joins ‘Beyond the Gates’

Carlivati’s involvement made headlines on November 15 as sites like Michael Fairman TV announced the new soap’s writing staff.

Former General Hospital writer Michele Val Jean is the creator, executive producer, head writer, and showrunner of Beyond the Gates, with Sunset Beach creator Bob Guza Jr. as EP and co-head writer, according to Michael Fairman TV.

Susan Dansby (The Young and the Restless) will be Beyond the Gates’ script editor, and Michael Montgomery (Y&R) will be the continuity producer.

Judy Tate (As the World Turns), Danelle Paige (Days), Jazmen Darnell Brown (Days), Cheryl L. Davis (Days), and Lynn Martin (ATWT) will serve as script writers.

And alongside Carlivati, other breakdown writers include Sara A. Bibel (Y&R), Christopher Dunn (Days), Teresa Zimmerman (Y&R), and The Bay creator Gregori J. Martin.

Commenters on the post chimed in Carlivati joining Beyond the Gates. “Well… if ReRon is involved, that makes this show less of a threat to GH at least,” one wrote.

Another wrote, “This list of writers is impressive to say the least. Yes, Ron and Bob are negatives to this writing team.”

On a Daytime Confidential post about the Beyond the Gates writing staff, other commenters reacted to Carlivati’s hiring.

One commenter rose to Carlivati’s defense, though, saying, “He’s had a pretty illustrious career so far. I’m sure he’s excited to be involved in a brand-new soapie. There aren’t many options for writers in this genre, and not too many know the soap business…”

Carlivati, a veteran of One Life to Live and General Hospital’s writing staffs, served as Days’ head writer from January 2017 to this July, when he was replaced by Paula Cwikly and Jeanne Marie Ford. He told TV Insider at the time of his Days exit that his seven-and-a-half-year tenure as head writer was “one of the great joys of [his] life.”

Beyond the Gates, premiering Monday, February 24, 2025, follows the Duprees, a powerful and prestigious multi-generational family living in an affluent Maryland suburb just outside of Washington, D.C. “Behind these pristine walls and lush, manicured gardens are juicy secrets and scandals waiting to be uncovered. And those who live outside these gates are watching closely,” CBS teases. “Those who have ‘made it’ and those who haven’t are all trying to navigate life… and some with more grace than others.”

Tamara Tunie and Clifton Davis star as Anita and Vernon Dupree, the matriarch and patriarch of the family. Other cast members include Daphnee Duplaix, Karla Mosley, Brandon Claybon, Timon Durrett, Sean Freeman, Marquita Goings, Trisha Mann-Grant, Maurice Johnson, RhonniRose Mantilla, Ambyr Michelle, Colby Muhammad, Arielle Prepetit, Mike Manning, Jibre Hordges, Alex Alegria, Lauren Buglioli, Ben Gavin, and Jen Jacob.

A First Look at Beyond the Gates!

The new soap recently launched its official Instagram and has already shared a first glimpse of the Dupree Family! The video clip features patriarch Vernon Dupree, played by veteran actor Clifton Davis, matriarch Anita Dupree, played by Tamara Tunie (Jessica, As the World Turns), as well as their daughters Nicole Dupree Richardson (Daphnee Duplaix, Rachel, One Life to Live) and Dani Dupree (Karla Mosley, ex-Maya, The Bold & The Beautiful).

“We are the Dupree Family,” Tunie announces. “And we are thrilled to announce the premiere of our new daytime drama, Beyond the Gates” Duplaix adds, “It’s coming to CBS so soon.” Then Mosley cuts in to say, “And, we can’t wait for you to see all the drama unfold.” Finally, Davis tells fans: “Be sure to tune in.”

Beyond the Gates films in Atlanta, GA both on location and in the studio. The Dupree family is one of the wealthy clans living in the private gated community and the small glimpse of their home looks beautiful. Not to mention how great the actors look in full makeup, hair, and wardrobe!

Make sure you mark your calendars for Monday, Feb. 24, so you can get in on all the drama, romance, and excitement from the very first episode of Beyond the Gates!

CBS Daytime Soap ‘Beyond The Gates’ Sets Premiere Date

The series began production in Atlanta, Ga., this month and stars Tamara Tunie, Clifton Davis, Daphnee Duplaix, Karla Mosley, Alex Alegria, Lauren Buglioli, Brandon Claybon, Timon Kyle Durrett, Sean Freeman, Ben Gavin, Marquita Goings, Jibre Hordges, Jen Jacob, Maurice Johnson, Trisha Mann-Grant, Mike Manning, RhonniRose Mantilla, Ambyr Michelle, Colby Muhammad and Arielle Prepetit.

BEYOND THE GATES is set in a leafy Maryland suburb just outside of Washington, D.C., and in one the most affluent African American counties in the United States. Here you’ll find a posh gated community with winding tree-lined streets and luxurious mansions to call home. At the center of this community are the Duprees, a powerful and prestigious multi-generational family that is the very definition of Black royalty. But behind these pristine walls and lush, manicured gardens are juicy secrets and scandals waiting to be uncovered. And those who live outside these gates are watching closely. These are the places where our characters live, love, work and play. Those who have “made it” and those who haven’t are all trying to navigate life … and some with more grace than others.

BEYOND THE GATES is developed and produced by the CBS Studios/NAACP Venture, led by Sheila Ducksworth, in partnership with P&G Studios, a division of Procter & Gamble. The series is distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution. This marks the first-ever one-hour Black daytime soap and the first daytime drama to premiere since “Passions” in 1999.

Michele Val Jean is the creator, executive producer and showrunner alongside executive producers Sheila Ducksworth, Robert Guza Jr., Julie Carruthers, Leon W. Russell, Derrick Johnson, Kimberly Doebereiner and Anna Saalfeld.

*Paramount+ with SHOWTIME subscribers will have access to stream live via the live feed of their local CBS affiliate on the service, as well as on-demand. Paramount+ Essential subscribers will not have the option to stream live, but will have access to on-demand the day after the special airs.

Beyond the Gates Begins Production!

Not only is this the first new daytime drama to premiere in 25 years (the last was NBC’s Passions back in 1999) but Beyond the Gates is also the first hour-long Black daytime soap (Generations was only 30 minutes).

With the main cast and executive producers gathered in front of a large backdrop of the key art for the soap, Val Jean and executive producer Sheila Ducksworth wielded the scissors that cut the big red ribbon and officially marked the start of production. After that, the backdrop opened up to reveal the soundstages although the sets have not yet been revealed.

Before the cast all sat down together for a table read of the very first episode of Beyond the Gates, they came together to sign scripts and pen letters to their future selves that were put into a time capsule and secured in the soap’s stages to be opened one day in the future. (When The Young & The Restless celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2023, they opened up a time capsule buried back in 1998 at the 25th anniversary!)

Beyond the Gates first announced the casting of three soap stars, Tamara Tunie, Karla Mosley, and Daphnee Duplaix, then shared the 10 actors who were rounding out the core families of the show. Finally, they revealed the final stars of the soap including veteran actor Clifton Davis as the Dupree family patriarch. The soap is slated to premiere in early 2025.

CBS UNVEILS FINAL CAST MEMBERS FOR “BEYOND THE GATES”

Clifton Davis stars as Vernon Dupree, the Dupree family patriarch married to Anita and father to Dr. Nicole Dupree Richardson and Dani Dupree. A venerable former senator, Vernon is gentle, humble and generous with his knowledge and experience. Retired now, Vernon was at the forefront of the civil rights movement. Clifton Davis is a veteran actor with a 60-year career that spans television, film, Motown and nine Broadway shows. His most recent recurring roles include the series “Clipped,” “Godfather of Harlem” and MADAM SECRETARY on the Network. Recently on Broadway he played Dr. Dillamond in “Wicked” and originated the role of The Sultan in “Aladdin.” Davis is a Tony Award nominee for “Two Gentlemen of Verona,” a Theatre World Award winner for the Gershwin Review “Do It Again” and a GRAMMY nominee for writing “Never Can Say Good-bye” for The Jackson 5.

Jibre Hordges stars as Jacob Hawthorne, Naomi Hamilton Hawthorne’s husband and a robbery/homicide detective with the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia. Jacob hails from a family of law enforcement. He is proud of his wife, the family he comes from, serving the community and seeking justice for victims. Jibre Hordges’ credits include “Grown-ish,” “9-1-1” and “The Resident.”

Mike Manning stars as Bradley “Smitty” Smith, husband to Congressman Martin Richardson and father to teenagers Tyrell and Samantha. A former political reporter turned househusband, Smitty is a fantastic dad who has guided his children with warmth and good humor. Smitty is thinking of resuming his writing career but is hesitant to tell Martin, who likes their home life the way it is. Mike Manning’s credits include “The Bay,” “Days of Our Lives” and “This Is Us.”

Jen Jacob stars as Ashley Morgan, Naomi Hamilton Hawthorne’s best friend, who is the only child of a young single mother. Ashley was a latchkey kid who has never been afraid of rolling up her sleeves. She is a nurse at Washington D.C.’s Garland Memorial Hospital and has the perfect temperament for her profession – positive, cheerful, brisk, resourceful and independent. She can be serious but is also fun-loving with a smile that lights up a room. Jen Jacob’s credits include “The Union” and “Law & Order: Organized Crime.”

Ben Gavin stars as Derek Baldwin, a devoted firefighter in a relationship with Ashley Morgan and best friend to Jacob Hawthorne. Derek is fearless, holds nothing back and goes into a zone when he fights fire – which is almost personal for him rather than just a professional calling. Incredibly handy, Derek can fix almost anything. Ben Gavin’s credits include “Super 8,” “The Dark Tower,” “My Christmas Love” and “Missing at 17.” His recent roles include the films “A Place Called Home,” “Going for Two” and “Winterset.”

Lauren Buglioli stars as Vanessa McBride, a high-end real estate agency owner who specializes in luxury property and is neighbors with Dani Dupree and best friend to Dr. Nicole Dupree Richardson. The mother of twins, Vanessa is in a loveless marriage with her high school sweetheart. Lauren Buglioli’s credits include “Bad Monkey,” “Florida Man” and “A Jazzman’s Blues.”

Alex Alegria stars as Tomas “Tom” Navarro, a handsome and confident young attorney at Bill Hamilton’s law firm. Tomas has an eye for Katherine “Kat” Richardson. Alex Alegria’s credits include CSI and “Gossip Girl.”

They join previously announced cast members including Tamara Tunie, Daphnee Duplaix, Karla Mosley, Brandon Claybon, Timon Kyle Durrett, Sean Freeman, Marquita Goings, Maurice Johnson, Trisha Mann-Grant, RhonniRose Mantilla, Ambyr Michelle, Colby Muhammad and Arielle Prepetit.

BEYOND THE GATES is set in a leafy Maryland suburb just outside of Washington, D.C., and in one the most affluent African American counties in the United States. Here you’ll find a posh gated community with winding tree-lined streets and luxurious mansions to call home. At the center of this community are the Duprees, a powerful and prestigious multi-generational family that is the very definition of Black royalty. But behind these pristine walls and lush, manicured gardens are juicy secrets and scandals waiting to be uncovered. And those that live outside these gates are watching closely. These are the places where our characters live, love, work and play. Those who have “made it” and those who haven’t are all trying to navigate life … and some with more grace than others.

BEYOND THE GATES is developed and produced by the CBS Studios/NAACP Venture, led by Sheila Ducksworth, in partnership with P&G Studios, a division of Procter & Gamble. This marks the first-ever one-hour Black daytime soap and the first daytime drama to premiere since “Passions” in 1999.

CBS’ New Daytime Soap Opera ‘Beyond the Gates’ Rounds Out Main Cast

Maurice Johnson stars as Ted Richardson, Dr. Nicole Dupree Richardson’s husband and father to Martin and Katerine “Kat”. Ted is a brilliant plastic surgeon with an ultra-exclusive private practice and women clamor to put their faces and bodies in what they call his blessed hands. Ted has created an impeccable life with his wife – whom he loves passionately – and sleeps well at night, secure that his past will never disrupt his perfect world. Maurice Johnson’s credits include “Chicago Fire,” “Good Girls” and “To Catch a Killer.”

Brandon Claybon stars as Martin Richardson, Dr. Nicole Dupree Richardson and Ted Richardson’s son and older brother of Katherine “Kat” Richardson. Martin is a congressman who lives outside “the gates” in a Washington, D.C., brownstone with his husband and two adopted children. Following his grandfather’s path into politics, he has ambition to be the first openly gay Black President. Brandon Claybon’s credits include “Grey’s Anatomy,” Tyler Perry’s “Zatima,” and “General Hospital.”

Colby Muhammad stars as Katherine “Kat” Richardson, Dr. Nicole Dupree Richardson and Ted Richardson’s miracle baby. She is the younger sister of Martin Richardson and lives in her parents’ guest house. Kat’s been indulged all her life, which has made her spoiled, entitled and dismissive of those she considers beneath her. She’s confident and secure and has never doubted herself or her privileged position in the world. She doesn’t like to share but doesn’t know that the day when she is forced to may be fast approaching. Colby Muhammad recently starred in the first national tour of the Broadway hit play “Jaja’s African Hair Braiding.”

Sean Freeman stars as Andre Hamilton, the sophisticated nephew of Ted Richardson. Andre tragically lost his parents in a plane crash and inherited a double fortune, which allows him to live his bliss as a photographer. Nicole and Ted stepped up for Andre when his parents died, and he depends on their support and wise counsel. A playboy who is smooth on the surface, there is something elusive about Andre that occasionally makes people question his intentions. Sean Freeman’s credits include “Finding Happy,” “Tales” and “Boxed In.”

Timon Durrett stars as Bill Hamilton, Dani Dupree’s ex-husband and father to Naomi and Chelsea. Bill is an opportunist, publicity hound and narcissist, according to his ex-wife, Dani. He is a charismatic and calculated criminal defense attorney who is well-connected, well-received and gets what he wants by any means necessary. Timon Durrett’s credits include “Cheaper by the Dozen,” “Queen Sugar” and “Stuck with You.”

Arielle Prepetit stars as Naomi Hamilton Hawthorne, Dani Dupree and Bill Hamilton’s oldest daughter and Chelsea’s older sister. Naomi lives outside “the gates” in Washington, D.C., where she humbly serves as a civil attorney. She’s whip smart and the only one in the Dupree family who inherited her grandmother Anita Dupree’s gift for singing, which bonds them. Arielle Prepetit’s credits include “BMF,” “Found” and “The System.”

RhonniRose Mantilla stars as Chelsea Hamilton, Dani Dupree and Bill Hamilton’s youngest daughter and Naomi’s younger sister. Chelsea is a social media influencer and has been a successful but reluctant high fashion model since she was 18. Her career expertly guided by Dani, Chelsea is charged with recreating the life her mother gave up, which doesn’t fit her own life vision. She has a lot of money, which allows her to follow her dream of designing a line of purses and building her brand. Chelsea indulges in the good things in life, like beautiful people, parties, her new condo in D.C. and the freedom to experiment. RhonniRose Mantilla recently starred in “Harmony the Musical” on Broadway.

Marquita Goings stars as Hayley Lawson, a paralegal at Bill Hamilton’s firm. Hayley is gorgeous, intelligent, charming, witty and the new fiancée of Dani Dupree’s ex-husband, Bill Hamilton. Considered a husband-stealing tramp in Dani’s circle, Hayley is nothing if not confident. With time, patience, charm and effort, she will try to win them over – and if not, so what? Hayley has what matters: Bill. Marquita Goings’ credits include “Woke” and Tyler Perry’s “Zatima.”

Trisha Mann-Grant stars as Dana “Leslie” Thomas, Eva Thomas’ mom and a long-time waitress and bartender. Dana “Leslie” is not wrapped all that tight and intense, but she’s charming and easy out in the world. The only person who sees what’s disturbing about her is her daughter, Eva, and very soon all will see what is unsettling about her, too. Trisha Mann-Grant’s credits include “Family Business” and “A Royal Christmas Surprise.”

Ambyr Michelle stars as Eva Thomas, Dana “Leslie” Thomas’ daughter and Nicole Dupree Richardson’s new assistant, who vibrates with intensity and purpose. Eva is determined to right a grievous wrong done to her mother as soon as the opportunity presents itself. Ambyr Michelle’s credits include “The Runarounds,” “Running Point” and “Snowfall.”

BEYOND THE GATES is set in a leafy Maryland suburb just outside of Washington, D.C., and in one of the most affluent African American counties in the United States. Here you’ll find a posh gated community with winding tree-lined streets and luxurious mansions to call home. At the center of this community are the Duprees, a powerful and prestigious multi-generational family that is the very definition of Black royalty. But behind these pristine walls and lush, manicured gardens are juicy secrets and scandals waiting to be uncovered. And those that live outside these gates are watching closely. These are the places where our characters live, love, work and play. Those who have “made it” and those who haven’t are all trying to navigate life … and some with more grace than others.

Major Casting Announcements for Beyond the Gates!

Duplaix is playing Dr. Nicole Dupree Richardson, and her husband, Ted Richardson, will be played by Maurice Johnson. Ted is a skilled plastic surgeon with an exclusive private practice but his past could turn his “perfect” world upside down. The actor’s previous credits include episodes of Chicago Fire and Hawaii Five-0 as well as films like The Skeleton’s Compass and Killer Beat.

Brandon Claybon will be playing the role of Nicole and Ted’s son, Martin Richardson, who lives outside the gates in Washington D.C. with his husband and two adopted children. A politician, he wants to be the first openly gay Black president of the U.S. Claybon has appeared in episodes of series like Grey’s Anatomy, 9-1-1, and S.W.A.T.

Nicole and Ted’s daughter, Katherine “Kat” Richardson, will be played by Colby Muhammad. Spoiled and entitled, Kat will soon find herself forced to finally share. Muhammad previously appeared in the series Doing It Wrong and starred in the first national tour of the hit Broadway play Jaja’s African Hair Braiding.

Moving over to the Hamilton family, Ted’s nephew, Andre Hamilton, is being played by Sean Freeman. After losing his parents in a plane crash, Andre used his sizable inheritance to live comfortably as a photographer. A charming playboy, there’s something going on beneath his cool surface. Freeman has appeared in the television series Boxed In, Tales, and Finding Happy.

Timon Durrett will be starring as Bill Hamilton, ex-husband to Mosley’s Dani, and father to Naomi and Chelsea. This well-connected and charismatic criminal defense attorney will do whatever it takes to achieve his goals. Viewers might recognize Durrett from his role as Davis West on OWN’s Queen Sugar, or appearances in shows like Stuck With You and Samantha Who?.

Bill’s daughter, Naomi Hamilton Hawthorne, will be played by Arielle Prepetit. Naomi doesn’t live in the gated community, and works as a civil attorney in D.C.. She is also close with her grandmother, Anita, played by Tunie. Prepetit’s credits include BMF, Found, and The System.

RhonniRose Mantilla will be playing Naomi’s sister, Chelsea Hamilton, who is a social media influencer and reluctantly following in her mother’s footsteps as a model. Mantilla recently starred on Broadway in Harmony the Musical.

Haley Lawson is a paralegal at Bill’s law firm and his new fiancée. Considered a man-stealing tramp by Dani and her friends, Haley is determined to cement her place and win everyone over. Haley is being played by Marquita Goings, who has appeared in episodes of Woke and Zatima.

Another family in Beyond the Gates is the Thomases. Trisha Mann-Grant will star as Dana “Leslie” Thomas, who works as a waitress and bartender. Though she appears cool and easygoing, she is hiding a disturbing secret. Mann-Grant recently starred as Dominique Leroux in The Family Business and has also appeared in A Royal Christmas Surprise and Because We’re Done.

Dana’s daughter, Eva Thomas, will be played by Ambyr Michelle, who has previously appeared in Snowfall and The Green Couch. Eva is working as Nicole’s new assistant and is determined to get justice for a grievous wrong done to her mother in the past.

Beyond the Gates is scheduled to premiere on CBS in early 2025 and will be the first new daytime soap to premiere since Passions in 1999. It will also be the first-ever one-hour Black daytime drama.

Karla Mosley Opens up About Being Cast on Beyond the Gates

Mosley is remembered by CBS daytime fans for her roles of Guiding Light’s Christina and The Bold & The Beautiful’s Maya and will now be playing Dani Dupree, a former model turned “momager” who gave up her career for love.

“It’s been a minute, but it’s time to get back to it,” Mosley enthused. “My gratitude could not be any deeper to the soap opera icon (and my dear friend), [Beyond the Gates showrunner and headwriter] Michele Val Jean for your vision, courage, and joy in creating this groundbreaking project. The first new soap in over 20 years, y’all!”

Also announced were One Life to Live alum Daphne Duplaix (Rachel) as Dani’s sister, Nicole, and As the World Turns’ Tamara Tunie (Jessica) as their mother, Anita Dupree. Naturally, Mosley is thrilled to be in such talented company. “To Tamara and Daphnee, my heart is just exploding,” the actress shared. “What a gift to be cast opposite both of you.

“To my CBS TV family, I am so proud to be back,” she continued. “To [casting agent] Kim Taylor Coleman, thank you, thank you, thank you. And to Creative Talent Company and Buchwald Talent, thank you for seeing me for so long. Let’s go!!!”

Mosley concluded her post by expressing her gratitude to her husband for his loving support. “Extra shout out to my partner in all things, John, for saying yes to this adventure. Big vision. Big changes. Big rewards. We are blessed.”

FIRST CAST MEMBERS AND NEW TITLE ANNOUNCED FOR THE NEW CBS DAYTIME DRAMA “BEYOND THE GATES”

Tamara Tunie stars as Anita Dupree, matriarch of the family. A famous singer back in the day, Anita worked hard for her success, and raised two daughters with her now-retired senator husband. But underneath her glamorous and refined exterior is a fierceness she gained from her humble beginnings in Chicago. Tamara Tunie is a seasoned daytime star appearing on “As the World Turns” for many years. Also, she originated the role of medical examiner Dr. Melinda Warner with a now landmark 23 seasons on the legendary series “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.” In addition, she has held recurring roles on shows including BLUE BLOODS, THE GOOD WIFE and ELEMENTARY for the Network.

Daphnee Duplaix stars as Dr. Nicole Dupree Richardson, daughter of Anita, and Dani’s sister, Dr. Nicole Dupree Richardson is a high-achieving and competitive philanthropist and psychiatrist, and exudes warmth, empathy and compassion. Nicole’s success in life extends to her marriage to her surgeon husband. She has the perfect life … from the outside. Daphnee Duplaix boasts an illustrious acting career that has spanned over two decades, most notably earning her an NAACP Award nomination for her outstanding portrayal of Rachel Gannon on “One Life to Live.”

Karla Mosley stars as Dani Dupree, Anita’s other daughter, and a former model turned momager who gave up her career for love. Dani was the Dupree family wild child. Free-spirited, headstrong and uninhibited, she dropped out of school to pursue a high-flying modeling career and she has always marched to the beat of her own drum. Karla Mosley starred as Maya Avant Forrester on THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL, for which she was nominated for an NAACP Image Award. Additional credits include “Guiding Light,” “Gossip Girl,” “Hart of Dixie,” “Deadly Cheer Mom” and “Burn After Reading.”

BEYOND THE GATES is set in a leafy Maryland suburb just outside of Washington D.C., and in one the most affluent African American counties in the United States. Here you’ll find a posh gated community with winding tree-lined streets and luxurious mansions to call home. At the center of this community are the Duprees, a powerful and prestigious multi-generational family that is the very definition of Black royalty. But behind these pristine walls and lush, manicured gardens are juicy secrets and scandals waiting to be uncovered. And those that live outside these gates are watching closely. These are the places where our characters live, love, work and play. Those who have “made it” and those who haven’t are all trying to navigate life … and some with more grace than others.

Michele Val Jean is the creator, executive producer and showrunner alongside executive producers Sheila Ducksworth, Robert Guza Jr., Julie Carruthers, Leon Russell, Derrick Johnson, Kimberly Doebereiner and Anna Saalfeld.

‘The Gates’: Get Scoop on More Characters Coming to New CBS Soap Opera

Here are some more of the people who are going to inhabit the world of The Gates:

“Allison” is described as Black, female and in her mid- to late 20s. She’s the miracle baby that Jessica and Sam never thought they’d have. Not surprisingly, Allison has been indulged all her life. She’s spoiled, as a result. She can be dismissive towards those she considers beneath her. Confident and secure, Allison doesn’t like sharing. However, all that may change in the near future…

“Armand” is a Black male in his mid-30s. He works as a freelance photographer. Tragically, he lost both of his parents in a plane crash about a decade ago and then, he inherited his parents’ fortunes. Armand is philanthropic and is close to his uncle Sam (on his father’s side) and Jessica. They stepped up when his parents passed away, and Armand depends on their support and words of wisdom. Charming, worldly, and sophisticated, Armand loves women. He’s a fabulous dancer. However, there’s something elusive about Armand that makes some question his intentions. (Hmm…)

“Cheryl” is a Black female in her early 20s. She has been a successful fashion model since she was 18 even though she’s been reluctant to work in that field. Cheryl has been tasked with recreating the world that her mother, Sara, gave up. While modeling may not be her desire in life, Cheryl has made a good deal of money. She has a dream to design a line of purses, building her brand in the process, and eventually design a chic but affordable clothing line. Cheryl’s no stranger to coke, which she considers to be the perfect drug. Cheryl, however, can put it down whenever she wants…

“Rick” is a white male in his mid-30s. He grew up down the street from a fire station. Rick’s fascination with the men who work as firemen only grew when one of the men there took Rick under his wing and schooled him. Rick is fearless, but his captain wishes he’d show more caution. Described as “sexy as hell,” Rick should have no problem fulfilling his dreams of being married, having kids, and working till retirement.

“David” is a Black male in his 30s. He comes from a family of law enforcement. David adheres to the vow he made to “serve and protect.” That’s why he’s morally offended when a rogue group of cops and slick lawyers like Joseph step outside the law either legally or ethically. Diligent and detail-oriented, David may get a bit too personally invested in his cases – especially when minors are involved. David’s not only proud of his wife but also of the family he comes from.

“Katie” is described as a white female in her mid-30s. She’s an adult now but Katie was the only child of a young single mother. Katie’s never been afraid of rolling up her sleeves. Her temperament makes her a natural as a caring nurse. She’s brisk and efficient as well as quick on her feet. Katie’s desire to help others is genuine.

Big day for The Gates

Will ‘The Gates’ Feature a Gay Black President? Character Descriptions for CBS’s New Daytime Soap

“Patrick” is described as a Black male in his late 60s-70s. According to a casting description, Patrick is gentle, humble, and generous with his experience and knowledge. Patrick was in the thick of things during the 1960s civil rights movement. He marched alongside Dr. Martin Luther King. He kept on marching into an illustrious career as a Senator. Now retired, Patrick is living his best life as he enjoys his golden years in his beautiful home with his wife Betty. However, he’s also hiding a dangerous family secret!

“Elizabeth” is described as a Black female in her mid-30s. Described as gorgeous, intelligent, charming and witty, Elizabeth also holds an air of mystery about her. Elizabeth landed a job as a paralegal and began a love affair with Joseph, who was married at the time to Sara—the woman who suggested her husband hire Elizabeth!

Elizabeth and Joseph are on the verge of being married, but she is considered a “husband-stealing tramp” by women in her social circle. However, she is confident that with time, patience, charm, and effort, she can win these women over. If she fails, Elizabeth still has what she wants—Joseph’s love.

“Marcus” is a congressman who followed in his grandfather’s footsteps in politics. He doesn’t live in the prestigious Fairmont Estates but rather in a brownstone in Washington D.C. Marcus feels it’s important to live in the district he represents. Marcus is married to his husband, Daniel. Seven years ago, they adopted two biological siblings. The married duo met when Daniel was working as a reporter, covering the political beat in D.C. Daniel became a stay-at-home dad to raise their children. Marcus is ambitious; in fact, he has a burning ambition to be the first Black openly gay President.

“Sam” is a brilliant plastic surgeon. He works out of Garland Memorial and also runs an ultra-exclusive private practice that he opened with his long-time friend and fellow plastic surgeon, Lester Fine. Sam has created an impeccable life which includes having an impeccable wife whom he cherishes. They got through a rough patch, but now, Sam sleeps well at night. He’s secure that the past will never disrupt his current perfect world.

“Stacy” is a Black female in her 40s who owns a high-end real estate company that specializes in luxury property. While she has love for her husband, she is not in love with him—and hasn’t been for a long time. Her husband feels the same way. Regular sex ended years ago between these two, but Stacy continues to find her pleasure elsewhere…

“Courtney” is described as a Black female, aged 40s to early 50s, intense, charming, and “not wrapped all that tight.” After her husband’s death, Courtney had a chance encounter that both triggered and re-ignited the anger that had been under the surface all along. Initially, there’s only one person, “Diane” (keep reading to learn about her), who sees what’s disturbing about Courtney.

“Jillian” is described as a Black female in her late 20s who grew up surrounded by unattainable feminine beauty. Sure, Jillian’s pretty but she’s nowhere near “runway ready” like her mother Sara and her sister, Cheryl. Despite being insecure about her looks, Jillian is smart as a whip and she is the only one in her family who has inherited her grandmother Betty’s gift for singing. Jillian and her grandmother have bonded over singing. Jillian’s connection with her grandmother is as precious as her marriage to her policeman husband, David, is. He loves her unconditionally. Like her cousin Marcus, Jillian lives outside The Gates. She resides in Washington D.C. and serves as a humble attorney for the people.

“Diane” has two faces. The one that she shows to the world and one that is reserved for private moments. Described as a Black female in her late 20s, Diane gives off intensity and purpose. At first, she’s a bit of a mystery but it won’t be long before that mystery is revealed. When the time is right, Diane plans on righting a grievous wrong.

“Luis” is a Hispanic/Latino male in his 30s who is a very attractive personal trainer at the Fairmont Estates Country Club…with an eye on one of the married women who lives behind The Gates. Luis can be very charming and likable.

All roles are contract players and must be Atlanta residents. The show is set to commence taping in November.

The Gates Is Coming! Get to Know the Characters and Creative Geniuses

CBS Teams With NuTime Media to Sell Ads for New Soap Opera ‘The Gates’

The Paramount Global-backed network will work with NuTime Media, a Black-owned sales rep to sell national ad opportunities in “The Gates,” a new soap opera aimed primarily at Black audiences. NuTime struck a partnership with CBS in March of 2021 to represent many of CBS Media Ventures shows to advertisers hoping to reach Black audiences.

““We are thrilled to add ‘The Gates’ to our portfolio of products,” said Morris McWilliams, the executive who runs NuTime Media. “A daytime drama of this kind has not been on broadcast television in over 35 years, and we are certain it will fill that void and have positive appeal with African American audiences.”

“Generations,” an NBC soap opera that was first to feature a cast of largely Black actors, launched in 1989, but was canceled in 1991.

“The Gates” centers on a wealthy Black family in a posh, gated community. Michele Val Jean, who has written more than 2,000 episodes of daytime dramas and worked on “The Bold & the Beautiful” and “General Hospital,” will serve as creator, writer and showrunner. Val Jean will also be an executive producer alongside Sheila Ducksworth, Leon Russell, Derrick Johnson and Kimberly Doebereiner.

THE GATES was developed from a content partnership between CBS Studios and the NAACP, led by Sheila Ducksworth, and produced in partnership with P&G Studios, a division of Procter & Gamble. Over its history, P&G has been involved in the production of soap operas including “As The World Turns” and “The Edge of Night.”

Michele Val Jean Shares an Update on The Gates!

Unfortunately, all that is known about The Gates so far is that it will be a one-hour daytime soap centered around a wealthy black family living in a gated community. Details of storylines, characters, and casting have not yet been revealed as the show is still in development. However, headwriter and co-executive producer Michele Val Jean took to Twitter/X to share a positive update.

“You guys!” she enthused. “The team for The Gates is coming together and it’s [fire emojis]. I couldn’t be happier. Exciting announcements coming soon. Stay tuned!”

Val Jean knows her soaps, and recently attended the 2024 Daytime Emmy Awards as part of The Bold & The Beautiful’s Emmy-nominated writing team. She kicked off her career in daytime back in 1989 as a writer on Generations and has also written for Santa Barbara, General Hospital, and Port Charles. Her work on GH and B&B has earned her seven Daytime Emmy Awards over the years.

Fans have been eagerly awaiting any new information about The Gates, and when Val Jean posted on Twitter/X that May 13 “was a good day,” Ted King replied: “Yes, it was!” King has already appeared on numerous soaps like Loving, The City, GH, One Life To Live, and B&B, so many wondered if he was going to be one of the first cast members of The Gates to be announced. Unfortunately, he burst that particular balloon. “Not The Gates,” King revealed, “but considering a new film.”

There hasn’t been a new daytime drama since Passions debuted on NBC back in 1999, so the enthusiasm from fans at the idea of a new soap coming to CBS Daytime was heartening. “Just wanted to thank everyone who expressed support for The Gates,” Val Jean said. “I can actually feel your encouragement and it’s a beautiful thing.”æ×»^—‰.B”éš.ÿ0Ôõ¸ß.Öe¾)û0ØŸ›ë23A]&ž.=ê2í.ö+›ê2A}%ð/a]f

Is Obba Babatunde Joining The Gates?

@ObbaBabatunde: Tis the season and I am reminded of how 8 years ago today I was recognized for my work on ?@BandB_CBS and I am just as proud today as I was the evening I took this photo #excellence

@ObbaBabatunde: Yes and you were there and now together we have a chance to once again make magic.

Does this mean Obba is joining CBS' The Gates, we'll have to wait for official word.

CBS Orders ‘The Gates’ To Series; Daytime Sudser That Centers On A Black Family To Debut In January

The specific time period and launch date will be announced at a later date, but it seems certain the drama will take over The Talk‘s timeslot.

The Gates follows the lives of a wealthy Black family in a posh, gated community. Michele Val Jean, who has written more than 2,000 episodes of daytime dramas and won multiple Daytime Emmy and WGA Awards for her work on The Bold & The Beautiful and General Hospital, will serve as writer and showrunner.

Val Jean will also be an executive producer alongside Sheila Ducksworth, Leon Russell, Derrick Johnson and Kimberly Doebereiner.

The Gates was developed from the joint venture between CBS Studios and the NAACP. The series will be produced by the CBS Studios/NAACP venture in partnership with P&G Studios, a division of Procter & Gamble.

On Friday, CBS revealed that it had picked up The Talk for a 15th and final season and will wrap its run in December.

As Deadline first reported, the future of The Talk was cast in doubt in March when CBS announced plans to develop The Gates. The last time a broadcast network developed a daytime drama that centered on a Black family was in 1989, when NBC launched Generations. It lasted until 1991.

CBS TO OPEN “THE GATES” IN JANUARY 2025

CBS today announced the series order for the new daytime drama THE GATES for broadcast on the Network in January 2025. The specific time period, launch date and other series details will be announced at later dates.

THE GATES follows the lives of a wealthy Black family in a posh, gated community. Michele Val Jean, who has written more than 2,000 episodes of daytime dramas and won multiple Daytime Emmy and WGA Awards for her work on THE BOLD & THE BEAUTIFUL and “General Hospital,” will serve as writer and showrunner. Val Jean will also be an executive producer alongside Sheila Ducksworth, Leon Russell, Derrick Johnson and Kimberly Doebereiner.

THE GATES was developed from the joint venture between CBS Studios and the NAACP. The series will be produced by the CBS Studios/NAACP venture in partnership with P&G Studios, a division of Procter & Gamble.

The CBS Studios production venture and development deal with the NAACP was established to help elevate a diverse range of voices as well as increase the visibility of Black artists on broadcast and streaming platforms in an ever-evolving media landscape.

‘The Talk’ Renewed For 15th And Final Season, Sets December End Date On CBS

“The Talk broke new ground when it launched 14 years ago by returning daytime talk to CBS with a refreshing and award-winning format,” according to a joint statement from Amy Reisenbach, President, CBS Entertainment, and David Stapf, President, CBS Studios. “Throughout the years, it has been a key program on CBS’ top rated daytime lineup as it brought timely, important and entertaining topics and discussions into living rooms around the globe.”

“It goes without saying that hosting and producing a year-round talk show is no easy task, and we express our sincere gratitude to our amazing hosts Akbar Gbajabiamila, Amanda Kloots, Natalie Morales, Jerry O’Connell and Sheryl Underwood, our Executive Producer/Showrunner Rob Crabbe and the hardworking producing team and crew,” the statement continued. “We also want to acknowledge our former show hosts and colleagues who contributed throughout the seasons. We truly appreciate the skill, creativity, and dedication everyone involved brought to the show every day. And of course, we thank the numerous guests who appeared, and the millions of viewers who tuned in daily. For the final season, we plan to celebrate the show and give it the proper sendoff it deserves when it concludes in December 2024.”

No decisions have been made yet about how CBS will fill the daytime time slot after December.

As Deadline first reported, the future of The Talk was cast in doubt in March when CBS announced plans to develop The Gates, a new sudser that would follow the lives of a wealthy Black family in a posh, gated community. The network didn’t reveal where (or when) it would go on the schedule, should it earn a series pickup.

Canceling The Young and the Restless is out of the question since the Bell/Sony drama ranks No. 1 in daytime and just earned a four-season pickup. Same goes for The Bold and the Beautiful, the Bell serial that is the No. 2-ranked soap in daytime and has been renewed through fall of 2025.

Killing Let’s Make a Deal or The Price is Right doesn’t make sense, either, since both game shows have solid ratings, sound budgets, and frequently contribute much-needed specials for CBS primetime.

That led to speculation about the future of The Talk, which remains the lowest-rated show in the CBS daytime lineup. Produced by CBS Studios and now in its 14th season, The Talk recently underwent change by hiring Crabbe, the former executive producer of The Late Late Show with James Corden, to replace longtime EP Kristin Matthews.

Even though Crabbe made much-needed improvements, like extending the first act of the show and injecting more intimate interview segments, The Talk remains down double digits in persons and women 18-49, though it remains the third most-watched talker in daytime behind The View and Live! With Kelly and Mark. And most recently, CBS let go of The Talk‘s current executive, Laurie Seidman, as well one of the show’s PR reps as part of the company’s widespread layoffs.

The Talk, developed by actress and host Sara Gilbert, was first launched in 2010. Like The View, it was filmed in front of a live audience and programmed to air five days a week. The original panel featured Julie Chen Moonves as the chief news reader, along with Gilbert, Sharon Osbourne, Leah Remini and Holly Robinson Peete. Marissa Jaret Winokur also had a turn at The Talk table.

The panel would evolve over the years as some of the originals moved on. Aisha Tyler joined the show in 2011, followed by Eve in 2017 and Carrie Ann Inaba and Marie Osmond in 2019. The two men joined the show in 2021, along with Kloots and Morales.i

George Cheeks, the president and CEO of CBS and chief content officer for news and sports at Paramount+ on new Soap Venture

It’s super real. And just to give you a little bit of the backstory, when we hired Sheila Ducksworth to run the NAACP venture, she and I had multiple meetings talking about what different genres she was going to lean into, and we talked a lot about daytime. One of the things that the data made very clear to both of us is that daytime soap operas over index with Black women, and yet when you look at soap operas, it’s usually sort of a white-led family with supporting characters that reflect more of our society. So we just thought, wouldn’t it be interesting to flip that and make the core anchor family a Black family, and then make the other characters reflect more the broader scope of society?

She found this great writer, Michele Val Jean, who’s been in the soap opera space for 30 years. She came up with a pitch, and we loved it. We brought Procter & Gamble into it as well, because if there were going to be [product] integrations, we could do it more holistically and organically. All of that is to say, we did a lot of work on the front end to put this together. So while yes, it’s development, it’s accelerated development.

When do you think you’d move forward with a formal greenlight then, and how long until it’s on the air?

The actual timeline and when we’re going to do it is still uncertain, because we want to get this right. I mean, there hasn’t been a new soap opera launch since I can’t even begin to tell you when. But we have great success with Bold and the Beautiful and Young and the Restless, and so we think we’re the right folks to be launching a new soap. I wish I could tell you more about exact timing, but we’re so focused on getting it right, and that will dictate when we’re ready to launch it.

It’s been being developed as an hour, but I can’t say for sure. I don’t know yet.

Is CBS Daytime Poised For Shakeup? Soap ‘The Gates’ In Works Raises Questions For Future Of ‘The Talk’

Dubbed The Gates, the serial is from Michele Val Jean, who has written more than 2,000 episodes of daytime dramas and won multiple Daytime Emmys for her work on The Bold & The Beautiful and General Hospital. She will serve as writer and showrunner and will also executive producer alongside CBS Studios NAACP Venture President Sheila Ducksworth, along with Leon Russell, Derrick Johnson and Kimberly Doebereiner.

What CBS didn’t say, however, is how long each episode of the soap would be — though it’s looking to be an hour a day — and where (or when) it would go on the schedule should it earn a series pickup. Dropping The Young and the Restless is out of the question since the Bell/Sony drama ranks No. 1 in daytime and just earned a four-season pickup.

Same goes for The Bold and the Beautiful, the Bell serial that is the No. 2 ranked soap in daytime and has been renewed through fall of 2025.

Killing Let’s Make a Deal or The Price is Right doesn’t make sense, since both game shows have solid ratings, sound budgets, and frequently contribute much-needed specials for CBS primetime.

That leaves The Talk, which remains the lowest-rated show on the CBS daytime lineup. Produced by CBS Studios and now in its 14th season, The Talk recently underwent change by hiring Rob Crabbe, the former executive producer of The Late Late Show with James Corden, to replace longtime EP Kristin Matthews.

Crabbe has already made some much-needed improvements, like extending the first act of the show and injecting more intimate interview segments. But this is only Crabbe’s first season and he needs more time to make his mark. For now, The Talk is still down double digits in persons and women 18-49, though it remains the third most-watched talker in daytime behind The View and Live! With Kelly and Mark.

Most recently, CBS let go of The Talk‘s current executive, Laurie Seidman, as well one of the show’s PR reps as part of the company’s widespread layoffs.

The network has yet to announce a 15th season pickup for The Talk and for now, has no further information about the new soap’s timeline — much less where it would go should it earn that pickup.

The decision by CBS Studios to develop a new soap is the result of a partnership with the NAACP and P&G Studios. If picked up to series, The Gates, which Ducksworth has wanted to do since the NAACP formed the partnership with CBS, would mark the first time since 1989 that a daytime drama revolved around a Black family; the last time was the short-lived Generations on NBC.

There are only four soaps still in existence. Besides CBS’ winning lineup, ABC has General Hospital and Peacock has Days of Our Lives.t

CBS Studios NAACP Venture To Develop New Daytime Drama For CBS Called ‘The Gates’

Dubbed The Gates, the new daytime drama is from Michele Val Jean, who has written more than 2,000 episodes of daytime dramas and won multiple Daytime Emmys for her work on The Bold & The Beautiful and General Hospital. She will serve as writer and showrunner and will also executive producer alongside CBS Studios NAACP Venture President Sheila Ducksworth, along with Leon Russell, Derrick Johnson and Kimberly Doebereiner.

“The Gates will be everything we love about daytime drama, from a new and fresh perspective,” said Ducksworth. “This series will salute an audience that has been traditionally underserved, with the potential to be a groundbreaking moment for broadcast television. With multi-dimensional characters, juicy storylines and Black culture front and center, The Gates will have impactful representation, one of the key touchstones of the venture.”

“I’m excited to develop this project with CBS and P&G, two of the longest and most passionate champions of broadcast and daytime television, and the NAACP, whose enduring commitment to Black voices and artists is both powerful and inspiring,” continued Ducksworth. “I also want to thank CBS’ George Cheeks, NAACP’s Derrick Johnson and P&G’s Marc Pritchard for their personal involvement and support to take our next step forward with The Gates.”

It’s been years since one of the broadcast networks launched a new daytime sudser. There are only three still existence between CBS and ABC — B&B and The Young and the Restless on CBS, and General Hospital on ABC.

CBS continues to rank No. 1 in daytime with its dramas but all three of the soaps are down in the key demos versus last year. Days of Our Lives is now streaming on Peacock — having moved from NBC to the the platform in 2022.

The CBS Studios’ production venture and development deal with the NAACP was established to help elevate a diverse range of voices as well as increase the visibility of Black artists on broadcast and streaming platforms in an ever-evolving media landscape.

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