vanguard

I'm really liking some of the character names. Sam, the brilliant plastic surgeon runs a private practice with his friend and fellow plastic surgeon by the name of Lester Fine. He's a plastic surgeon and his last name is FINE? Lol. Their place on the show also reminds me of that former show called Nip/Tuck.

To me, the character descriptions is making this show sound kind of Tyler Perry-ish. Is that good, bad, or neutral?

I'm interested in Sam the successful plastic surgeon. His description is somewhat vague but he has an impeccable wife whom he cherishes. Stacy and whomever her husband is are no longer IN LOVE with each other, but they're still married. Marriage of convenience? Business arrangement? Open marriage? Swingers? Can't wait to find out. I wonder whose wife's pants Luis the dashing lothario is trying to get into?

I'll be honest though. They might as well had gone ahead and set it in Atlanta. Some of the character descriptions sound kind of Tyler Perry-ish. Like it's going to be somewhat melodramatic and over the top. One of these female characters is described as "not wrapped too tight". Who is she, the black Sheila Carter? I like it though.

Right! That has been what's been stated so far. It's taped in Atlanta and set in DC.

More character descriptions. How wonderful. Oh, and MARCUS has a HUSBAND........HEE HEE HEE.

The choice of Jasmine Guy reminds me of when she played that catty role on Melrose Place all those years ago. I really liked her on there so her as a candidate for Betty is very sound.

I like it. It's not a super flashy name at all but that's why it works. This rich glamourous black queen with a most ordinary name.

I think of Betty as a Dominique Devereaux type. Dominique did sing a tune a couple of times on Dynasty but it wasn't an overwhelming occurrence. I suspect they'll incorporate a song or two into Betty's space from time to time. Perhaps even create a whole storyline to involve her singing ability.

Or this chocolate rascal right here.......scheming to make Betty his suga momma.

The Jacksons!!!! Related to Martin and Doreen Jackson a la Generations? Nah, just kidding. It's going to be wonderful to hear about the non-related characters as the news wears on. I think we've all deduced that these rich black folks ain't gonna be the only game in town.

I think they can do both. Listen to at least some of the chatter while working towards a quality product. Sometimes the audience really do have wonderful ideas. Great choice as Betty. Beautiful and glamorous, Ms. Williams is precisely how I would envision Betty. Oh, and Ms. Williams is a singer which helps out the character.

Finally! And this is all I was asking for, just a tidbit more of what's going on with the creation of this show. Atlanta for taping? THANK YOU! I wholeheartedly approve and it's what I wanted all along. This almost reminds me of that Tyler Perry show. The one that tapes at his Atlanta studio but is set in DC. ETA: The Oval.

I really can't wait to see what kind of vibe this show gives off. Will it be old-fashioned soap tropes or something remarkably fresh and new? Maybe a combination of both? I suppose the NAACP is involved as a consultant. They'll assist with storyline ideas while MVJ and her team puts it on script. I suspect this will be more interesting than we know.

I still don't think it would've hurt to receive a "small snack" of The Gates, so to speak, preferably during the Daytime Emmys. As it was pointed out, save the casting info for later, but a small continued acknowledgement of the show would've been nice.

And it's bad enough, in my opinion, that they didn't offer even a tiny tidbit of The Gates during the Daytime Emmys. That was the moment. Promoting a new endeavor as early as possible, and keeping it in the limelight every step of the way, is always key.

Still waiting for a new round of news. How would y'all feel if The Gates was being offered up as the new Edge of Night? Not literally, of course, but adopting that same crime/soap format? Like, this rich black family serves as the main characters who stick around long-term while an entire slew of expendable characters exist and interact with and around them. Would this work?

THE GATES is going to win. I feel that it's just going to be different in a good way.

YES! It seems that I may have posted with vagueness. That's on me. But yes, everything you say here is exactly what I was trying to convey.

Waiting so patiently to see, but I stand by what I say. Not about to get into some girly argument with you either, so DEUCES.

The Gates will not have six months to work out it's kinks or anything else. It's not fair, but I think it's just where we are. It's futile to talk about what was done with ALL soaps. That was a different time, a time that no longer exists. The Gates will have to produce sooner, rather than later.

The Daytime Emmys was definitely the moment to give us something about The Gates. Just a tiny little tidbit is all it would've taken. Shame!

See, this is why it's so important for MVJ and her team to have all of their ducks in a row. RIGHT NOW!!!! Debuting this show on a weak note is not what they want, I promise you. The results will show, instantly.

Well if you go by the article that was first written for the show, this is exactly how it sounds. That she's pushing for something different, but to what extent is the question.

Something that hooks and intrigues the viewers instantly is the ONLY way to go in this day and time for any new show. Those days of slow-building a series are long gone. Viewers are not what they used to be.