BTG: History, Behind the Scenes Articles & Photos

[Michael]

This is cool as hell. Just such insanely good news.

[DramatistDreamer]

Leon Russell is the chair of the board of the NAACP. AKA “Chairman of the Board”.

https://naacp.org/people/leon-w-russell

There really are no guarantees in life, no? But CBS is doing this jointly with the NAACP and Sheila Ducksworth is the head of that joint venture, she was name President of this joint venture four years ago, so this may very well have been years in the making, which is why it is launching in the first month of 2025, rather than spring, summer or fall.

A quote from 2020, from the President and CEO of CBS Entertainment George Cheeks (also the chief content officer of News and Sports at Paramount+(which could come in handy later)-

Something tells me that Ms. Ducksworth will not be bossed around.

[DRW50]

Considering that when I told someone about the show earlier today, they asked me why the show was called "The Gays," I tend to agree. 

(if anyone does want to start a soap called "The Gays," [not you, Ryan Murphy], I'll support it)

[Soapsuds]

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I'd love to be a soap called "The Gays". Come on CBS!

Edited April 16, 2024 by Soapsuds

[Khan]

Trust me: all the parties involved - MVJ, CBSD, NAACP, P&G - will do their best to get this one right, if only because of the "blacklash" they will receive from the African-American community if they don't.

Uh, no, lol.

Edited April 16, 2024 by Khan

[j swift]

As long as it's not My Gays ,I'd consider it.  But, I'm still recovering from The Real Gays of Weho.

[Soapsuds]

The SON Gays

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[Khan]

Wait, is "Gays of Our Lives" officially dead, lol?

[DRW50]

I too wish we could have had a 30 minute soap, or potentially two 30 minute soaps. I suppose that's too cost-prohibitive, and a 60 minute soap makes more sense financially, but I genuinely am not sure if a public now trained to watch ass-shaking on tiktok for 10 seconds can watch a 60 minute soap.

I'm going to be as positive and supportive as I can be, unless MVJ decides to do her own version of the Passions Princess Diana moment, because this role is so groundbreaking and Michele has such a long history in the industry worthy of respect. It's also been so long since we have had a soap that isn't choked on decades of malaise, we have to have a whole new approach to this show.

Edited April 16, 2024 by DRW50

[Paul Raven]

So much to speculate on.

Will the show follow the traditional soap format eg x number of sets and performers per ep and being told in 'real time' or will they go for a faster pace?

will we have some primetime 'names' in there or unknowns or a mix?

[ReddFoxx]

So happy we have a debut date. That isn't all that far away so things must be moving along well.

[Taoboi]

And HERE...WE...GO!!!

 

Once THE TALK made its announcement, I hoped...but now it's official. Excited to see it.

 

Yasss!!! Let the fun begin!!!

Exactly! That was how I felt when I heard the NAACP was involved originally. They know what's 'at stake' so they are going to try to put out the best project possible. 

[Vee]

I will never stop suggesting it for AMC and OLTL. And I still think Edge and GL are strong ideas if this goes well for CBS, but I don't expect them to return per se.

I also have mixed feelings on an hour slot, but it's what the network has and I think it can work.

Edited April 16, 2024 by Vee

[ReddFoxx]

An hour means more ad dollars and the producers, network, etc. probably didn't want to have a soap opera with a Black cast limited to just a half hour because a lot of Black viewers might feel like "so they only gave us 30 minutes?" even though CBS is home to a half hour soap already.

[te.]

They gave it an hour slot because that's the show that's being replaced (The Talk). It was either that or try and develop a companion piece, which in itself would be riskier than just doing a hour show. Personally, I think the soap format - especially with the gigantic growth on streaming - probably works better as a half hour (or ~20 minutes). It makes for very easy catch up viewing at the very least.

 

That's just imho of course. But after watching old soap episodes I think a daily format works better shorter.