CBS developing ‘The Gates,’ first Black daytime soap opera in 35 years
The scandalous antics of Black friends and families will no longer be relegated to primetime staples such as “Tyler Perry’s Sistas” and wildly popular reality shows such as “Married to Medicine.”
The daytime soap opera world will welcome its first new series starring a predominantly Black cast in 35 years.
CBS, in partnership with civil rights organization NAACP, announced Wednesday its development of “The Gates,” a soap centered on a wealthy Black family living in a posh, gated community.
The daytime drama will be written by Emmy winner Michele Val Jean, whose credits include more than 2,000 episodes of iconic soaps including “The Bold & The Beautiful” and “General Hospital.” The 72-year-old daytime veteran, who served as a script writer for the Black-led “Generations” in the early 1990s, will also serve as showrunner.
“The Gates will be everything we love about daytime drama, from a new and fresh perspective,” CBS Studios/NAACP president Sheila Ducksworth said in a statement. “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,” the former “Soul Food” producer added.
Once the dominating content of daytime, there are currently only three soap operas still airing on network TV: “The Young & the Restless” and “The Bold & the Beautiful,” both on CBS, and ABC’s “General Hospital.”
In 2022, “Days of Our Lives” moved exclusively to the Peacock streaming platform after 57 years on NBC.
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