New Details Announced (TL; DR) - November 12, 2024:

• Beyond the Gates premieres Monday, February 24, 2025 on CBS. Stream Live and On Demand on Paramount+ with SHOWTIME subscription.
• The series will air weekdays at 2:00 p.m. ET/1:00 p.m. PT on CBS.

 

New Details Announced (TL; DR) - September 19, 2024:

• "The Gates" is now called "Beyond The Gates."
• Key Art/Logo for "Beyond The Gates" released.
• Soap alums Tamara Tunie ("As The World Turns"), Daphnee Duplaix ("One Life to Live," "Passions") and Karla Mosley are the first actors officially cast by the show.
• "Beyond The Gates" is a one-hour daytime drama.
• The series is set to premiere in early 2025. Previously, CBS announced it would debut in January 2025.
• CBS has formally announced the series will begin production later this fall in Atlanta; confirming the film location (city), but not studio.
• Robert Guza Jr. ("General Hospital," "Sunset Beach") and Julie Carruthers ("All My Children," "Port Charles") are officially confirmed as executive producers, joining a team led by creator, showrunner, and executive producer Michele Val Jean, and fellow executive producers Sheila Ducksworth, Leon Russell, Derrick Johnson and Kimberly Doebereiner.
• Anna Saalfeld is also a new addition to the executive producer team, having never been previously announced. This makes it eight executive producers behind "Beyond The Gates," the most for a daytime drama series ever.
• P&G Studios, a division of Procter & Gamble, remains on board as a partner on the series which is being developed and produced by the CBS Studios/NAACP Venture, led by Ducksworth.
• An official synopsis has been released for "Beyond The Gates."

For the full story, click here.

Note: "BTG" will be the official acronym used for "Beyond The Gates" on the SON Community. Posts/threads created should always start with "BTG:" going forward.

For reference, the current soap acronyms are "B&B" (The Bold and the Beautiful), "DAYS" (Days of our Lives"), "GH" (General Hospital") and "Y&R" (The Young and the Restless). "ALL" is for all shows, while "AMC" is for All My Children.

 

• Michele Val Jean’s CBS Daytime Drama ‘The Gates’ Retitled ‘Beyond The Gates’, Sets Early 2025 Launch

 

• Tamara Tunie Returns To Daytime Playing Family Matriarch In CBS Drama ‘Beyond The Gates’

 

• Soap Alums Karla Mosley & Daphnee Duplaix Join ‘Beyond The Gates’

Also, #BeyondTheGates is the official hashtag to be used on social media, per CBS.

Facebook and Instagram pages have been created, but are not active. Will share the link when they are officially available.

 

 

PREVIOUS:

https://www.soapoperanetwork.com/2024/03/cbs-studios-naacp-the-gates-daytime-drama-series-cbs

I am just still surprised that they would even consider this, at this day and age, where the remaining 3 soaps are still on a downward trend with their numbers. So the online viewing figures on these different platforms must be doing well enough for them to believe soaps are still quite profitable (obviously they are, otherwise they would cancel them, but it is one thing to keep these existing ones, and completely another thing to invest in a brand new one). 

Black viewers have been among the most loyal to these legacy TV networks, even when we rarely see our faces on screen (or seen them treated in the half-ass way that Y&R and B&B do), so it all makes sense.

Negativity creeps in for me when I think of how this has worked out for us in the past. The commitment is never there, and as soon as a shiny object pops up, the black programs are discarded.

It might be different now that the whole industry is facing an existential crisis, but it’s somewhat sad that we had to get here for a soap like this to emerge.

My hope is that they pay their actors and crew competitive wages. I’m curious about how large the canvas will be.

Edited March 7, 20241 yr by Faulkner

30 minutes ago, MichaelGL said:

I think CBS is taking note of the success (at least talk wise/watercooler discussions) of shows that are centered around African Americans. BMF, All American, heck even Tyler Perry produced written shows such as The Oval and All The Queen's Men; they all have an audience of sorts, one that every now and then are vocal online and social media. I think creating a black daytime soap, while surprising, when you look at the big picture it makes sense. 

It surprises me cause CBS doesn't seem to GAF about how their black characters are written for on YR and BOLD

4 minutes ago, dragonflies said:

It surprises me cause CBS doesn't seem to GAF about how their black characters are written for on YR and BOLD

Probably because they don’t have ownership in those shows, so change is slower to happen. This is an opportunity for them to do something fresh from the start and jump through less hoops (assuming the collaboration with the NAACP and P&G works out). 

 

2 hours ago, Faulkner said:

Black viewers have been among the most loyal to these legacy TV networks, even when we rarely see our faces on screen (or seen them treated in the half-ass way that Y&R and B&B do), so it all makes sense.

Recently, I watched one of those VICE docu-series ("Dark Side of the '90's," I think?) that expressed a similar sentiment: specifically, that African-Americans have always been staunch network TV viewers - as evidenced by the initial success of the FOX network; and later, The WB and UPN - due to habit/tradition and the fact that many African-Americans are from lower-income households who cannot afford cable TV, let alone internet service.

In a way, I think we have Tyler Perry and his ilk to thank for this.  God knows I have been down on that man and his godawful movies, plays and TV shows for YEARS, but as terrible as they are, they prove that there is an audience out there that is hungry for entertainment that speaks to and for them.

At the same time, no one is more HONEST about quality or lack thereof than African-Americans are.  If "The Gates" is crap, we'll let you KNOW it's crap and right away, regardless of track records.  So, if this show actually makes it all the way to production, TPTB better "bring it" or else.

4 hours ago, DramatistDreamer said:

Most posters probably either weren’t members back then or members don’t really remember this but does anyone remember several years ago when I posted that article about P&G/PGP wanting to dive into producing dramas colloquially known as “Choose Your Own Adventure” programming to sell their products? I stated the that it sounded so much like the basis of their entry into production of serial daytime drama.  Right then and there, that told me that they were receptive to producing entertainment again, dramas in particular. I knew than that if any entity was going to produce a daytime soap at that point, it would be the company that literally still sells soap.

Also, a few years ago, I posted a YouTube clip in the ATWT thread from P&G basically Bragg about their association with the first televised daytime serials. Initially I found it galling that after dumping AW, GL and ATWT, they had the gall to produce and post this mini documentary but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that they must have been mulling something over. People can say what they want but someone there must have remembered that at one time these serials were highly successful in moving their products and they brought a measure of prestige when they began to win awards.
The timing did surprise me, even when you think it’s going to happen, you’re never sure when. But the fact that it was them to decide to produce the first daytime television soap in how many years, doesn’t surprise me. Nor does the association with the NAACP. Someone at P&G is looking at the demos and sees where the highest potential viewership is.

I remember those vaguely. Hmmm to think they might have considering it all along.

 

 

29 minutes ago, Khan said:

At the same time, no one is more HONEST about quality or lack thereof than African-Americans are.  If "The Gates" is crap, we'll let you KNOW it's crap and right away, regardless of track records.  So, if this show actually makes it all the way to production, TPTB better "bring it" or else.

That’s something we also have to be fair about because most, if not all, daytime soaps have had growing pains to work through during their first year on the air. I expect this to be no different - however, they at least have to show that they’re making some effort and that the general premise makes sense and has an intriguing “hook.” Also, they better make sure the casting has very few, if any, missteps. Having charismatic and skilled actors will go a long way in covering up any initial bumps. 

I'm still just wrapping my mind about what this may mean about the genre being revisited and reexamined as viable post-streaming crash, which I suspected might happen but did not know would lead to a new soap. Procter and Gamble. I still can't believe that.

Wow, never thought I'd see this sort of development happen. So excited for the genre and all the folks potentially involved! 

For creative purposes and ease of keeping up with a new soap in these modern times, I hope it's a half-hour serial, but I understand the economics behind it if it's an hour.  

I felt that recent EW article about Generations and the Vivica A Fox / Jonelle Allen reunion so peculiar, and in the article it mentioned the whisperings of needing a soap like Generations to be revived, and here we are. 

In years past, many of us here talked about how in order for soap operas to survive in this new ever-evolving landscape, we need to cut ties from some of the old dinosaurs (i.e. GL, ATWT) and start fresh, but that always seemed like wishful thinking. It's amazing to see this actually develop. 

In this day and age of live viewers dropping dramatically as delayed viewing and streaming become more of the norm, it's the older demo that still enjoy watching programs live as they air, be it daytime or primetime. From that viewpoint, plus the strike, plus the pandemic, it's incredible to see this renewed energy and dare I say respect that soap operas are being given in the year 2024. 

Can't wait to see how this all continues to develop! 

 

Edited March 7, 20241 yr by Gray Bunny

13 minutes ago, Gray Bunny said:

felt that recent EW article about Generations and the Vivica A Fox / Jonelle Allen reunion so peculiar, and in the article it mentioned the whisperings of needing a soap like Generations to be revived, and here we are. 

Well...when you put it out into the Universe...  

Now with streaming and other online platforms, affiliates will have less power in terms of a soap making it or not.

Affiliates in the past caused the declines/endings of numerous soaps:

Edge of Night

Love of Life

Search for tomorrow

Ryan's Hope

Generations

Loving

Port Charles

Those are just off the top of my head.

I also think Days doing well on Peacock has helped a bit with networks being interested in soap development becoming a thing again.

I wonder if it will be a half hour or hour long soap...and I assume filming would be either in Calfornia or even Atlanta perhaps.

 

39 minutes ago, Vee said:

I'm still just wrapping my mind about what this may mean about the genre being revisited and reexamined as viable post-streaming crash, which I suspected might happen but did not know would lead to a new soap. Procter and Gamble. I still can't believe that.

It’s remarkable for sure - the network that pioneered soaps as a cornerstone of its daytime lineup with the production company that launched the medium to existence on television. Full circle moment in a way.

Not to mentioned being penned and created by a writer who many of us have been singing her praises for over 25 years, and who always deserved better from the soaps she lent her craft to.

I know a lot of us wanted her to go back to GH, but this is where she needs to be and lend her skills to in 2024. This will be MVJ’s legacy in daytime if all goes well - for her sake and ours, I am really rooting for it to succeed. 

MVJ’s talked a lot about how important mentorship is for developing writers - I really hope she gets the chance to nurture new and diverse writing and producing talent as opposed to recycling through the existing pool of elder statesmen in the daytime swamp. 
 

Edited March 7, 20241 yr by BetterForgotten

13 minutes ago, Soaplovers said:

Now with streaming and other online platforms, affiliates will have less power in terms of a soap making it or not.

Affiliates in the past caused the declines/endings of numerous soaps:

Edge of Night

Love of Life

Search for tomorrow

Ryan's Hope

Generations

Loving

Port Charles

 

March 5, 1979 was AW's first 90 minute show. That's when the affiliates turned on the show, hating the 90 minute iteration & thinking it had been the show's choice to do it. One fell swoop to go from The Darling of the affiliates to full-out disdain. 

And, Sunset Beach is another show that had problems with affiliates not airing it when they were "supposed" to. 

Another aspect to consider that the standards and expectations in terms of ratings anyway, are different than they were the last time a new daytime soap was created on network television. I think the standards in terms of cultural standards will be elevated and as @Khan said, if it falls short or there is any attempt to “cheapen” the aesthetic or quality of storytelling, people will be very vocal about it, but I am not sure that the ratings pressure will be as intense as the last time a daytime soap debuted, the median will be lower.

Also, time shifted viewing will be taken into consideration in a way it wasn’t decades ago.

I really hope the launch of The Gates is not rushed.  Give MVJ time to flesh out the bible and character bios. Take time to build a quality behind the scenes team with a combination of fresh talent and those who know how soaps work.  And cast the best and most suitable actors. 
 

This is very exciting!