*In the current landscape of the entertainment industry, it’s not exactly a bold move, but it’s an interesting one, nonetheless,” CBS is in the process of developing “The Gates,” a soap opera about a wealthy family that could become the first daytime TV drama with a predominately Black cast since 1989.
“The Gates,” will delve into the lives of a wealthy Black family living in a posh, gated community.
The new soap will be a collaborative effort between CBS Studios/NAACP production venture and P&G Studios, a division of Procter & Gamble. The series will be penned by Emmy-winning daytime veteran Michele Val Jean (“The Bold & The Beautiful”), who will also assume the role of showrunner, having authored over 2,000 episodes of daytime TV.
NBC’s short-lived “Generations,” which premiered in 1989, and Fox’s 2015 hit “Empire” were the last notable Black-centric soaps. Note: “Emjpire” aired in prime-time.
Sheila Ducksworth, president of the CBS Studios NAACP venture, expressed enthusiasm: “The Gates will be everything we love about daytime drama, from a new and fresh perspective.”
Meanwhile, Michele Val Jean’s involvement in “The Gates” is particularly noteworthy, given her history with daytime’s first Black family-centric soap (“Generations”). Her extensive experience in crafting narratives for diverse audiences sets a promising direction for the new series.
Duckworth and Val Jean will join Leon Russell, Derrick Johnson, and Kimberly Doebereiner as executive producers of “The Gates.”
The decline of daytime soap operas due to dwindling ratings and competition from streaming platforms has made the launch of any new soap a rare occurrence.
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