CBS is developing a new soap opera! The series, called The Gates, will focus on a wealthy Black family living in a gated community, and could become the first daytime TV drama with a predominately Black cast in decades, via THR. Keep reading to find out more… The Gates will be written by Emmy-winning daytime veteran Michele Val Jean, known for work on The Bold & The Beautiful, who will also serve as showrunner.
She has written more than 2,000 episodes of daytime TV. The last Black daytime soap was NBC’s short-lived Generations, which launched in 1989.
Fox’s 2015 hit drama Empire was considered by some as a soap opera, but it aired in primetime. “The Gates will be everything we love about daytime drama, from a new and fresh perspective,” said Sheila Ducksworth, president of the CBS Studios NAACP venture in a series. “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.
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