CBS Studios and the NAACP have joined forces to produce a new daytime drama that would air on CBS, which already boasts two sudsers in its lineup, YOUNG AND RESTLESS and BOLD AND BEAUTIFUL. The new soap, which is in development, is titled THE GATES and will center around a wealthy black family residing in an upscale gated community. Michele Val Jean, the acclaimed Daytime Emmy-winning scribe and alum of GENERAL HOSPITAL and B&B, who only recently announced her exit from the B&B writing team, will serve as writer and showrunner, serving as executive producer alongside Sheila Ducksworth, Leon Russell, Derrick Johnson and Kimberly Doebereine.
“THE GATES will be everything we love about daytime drama, from a new and fresh perspective,” Ducksworth, president of the CBS Studios NAACP venture, said in a statement. “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. I’m excited to develop this project with CBS and P&G, two of the longest and most passionate champions of broadcast and daytime television, and the NAACP, whose enduring commitment to Black voices and artists is both powerful and inspiring. I also want to thank CBS’ George Cheeks, NAACP’s Derrick Johnson and P&G’s Marc Pritchard for their personal involvement and support to take our next step forward with THE GATES.”
THE GATES will be the first new soap on CBS Daytime since B&B’s debut in 1987. According to a press release, “The CBS Studios’ production venture and development deal with the NAACP was established to help elevate a diverse range of voices as well as increase the visibility of Black artists on broadcast and streaming platforms in an ever-evolving media landscape.”
