CBS Announces 'The Gates': A New Drama Series Following the Lives of a Wealthy Black Family

CBS to Launch 1st New Soap Since The Bold and the Beautiful

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Daytime TV is welcoming a new soap opera after many years. CBS Studios and the NAACP revealed on March 6 that they are working on a new daytime drama called The Gates. This show will focus on a wealthy Black family residing in an upscale, gated community. P&G Studio, a branch of Procter & Gamble, will be co-producing the series, bringing their experience from working on popular shows like As the World Turns, Guiding Light, and Another World.

The Gates will be the network's first new soap opera since The Bold and the Beautiful premiered in 1987. It will also be the first new daytime soap on broadcast television since Passions debuted on NBC in 1999. The genre has seen a decline in popularity over the past two decades, especially with the rise of streaming services offering more daytime viewing options.

Soap opera veteran Michele Val Jean, with over 2,000 episodes of daytime drama under her belt, will be the scriptwriter for the series. Her impressive resume includes work on General Hospital, The Bold and the Beautiful, and Santa Barbara. Additionally, she was part of the team behind Generations, the first Black soap opera to air on daytime television from 1989 to 1991 on NBC.

Sheila Ducksworth, CBS Studios’ NAACP venture president, will co–executive produce the series alongside Leon Russell, Derrick Johnson and Kimberly Doebereiner.

Ducksworth expressed excitement about the upcoming series, stating, “The Gates will be everything we love about daytime drama, but from a new and fresh perspective.” She believes the series will cater to an audience that has historically been overlooked, potentially making a significant impact on broadcast television.

CBS to Launch 1st New Soap Since The Bold and the Beautiful

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CBS Studios and the NAACP teamed up in 2020 to create both scripted and unscripted content for television and streaming platforms. CBS Entertainment Group President George Cheeks expressed his excitement about the partnership, stating, “There is no better partner than the NAACP — the leading civil rights organization in our country — to collaborate with us in creating diverse and inclusive stories.”

The Gates, the initial program to come out of this collaboration, aims to bring these inclusive narratives to daytime television.

"I am thrilled to be working on this project with CBS and P&G, who have a long-standing dedication to broadcast and daytime television, as well as the NAACP, known for their strong support of Black voices and artists," Ducksworth expressed.

Ducksworth also provided a sneak peek of what viewers can anticipate from The Gates, stating, "The show will feature complex characters, intriguing storylines, and a spotlight on Black culture. It will offer meaningful representation, a fundamental aspect of this collaboration."

CBS currently airs two out of the three remaining daytime soap operas, which are The Bold and the Beautiful and The Young and the Restless. General Hospital can still be watched on ABC, while Days of Our Lives has made the move from NBC to Peacock.

In February, CBS decided to renew The Young and the Restless, which has been on the air for 51 years, for another four years.

Editor's P/S:

The announcement of a new daytime soap opera, "The Gates," is an exciting development for the genre and television as a whole. The show's focus on a wealthy Black family in an upscale community brings a fresh perspective to daytime television, which has historically lacked diversity in its programming. The involvement of veteran soap opera writer Michele Val Jean and the collaboration between CBS Studios and the NAACP further demonstrates the commitment to creating inclusive and meaningful content.

The decline of soap operas in recent years is a trend that "The Gates" aims to reverse. The show's emphasis on complex characters, intriguing storylines, and a spotlight on Black culture could attract a wider audience and revitalize the genre. The partnership between CBS and the NAACP is a testament to the growing recognition of the importance of diverse representation in television, and "The Gates" has the potential to make a significant impact in this area.