CBS and the NAACP are developing a new daytime soap opera under their content partnership.
The series, currently titled “The Gates,” would air on the CBS Television Network with the CBS Studios NAACP production venture producing in partnership with P&G Studios, a division of Procter & Gamble.
The official description of “The Gates” states that it “follows the lives of a wealthy Black family in a posh, gated community.”
Michele Val Jean will serve as writer, showrunner, and executive producer. Val Jean has been a writer for “The Bold and the Beautiful” since 2012 and has also written for shows like “General Hospital” and “Santa Barbara.”
Sheila Ducksworth will also executive produce along with Leon Russell, Derrick Johnson and Kimberly Doebereiner
“’The Gates’ will be everything we love about daytime drama, from a new and fresh perspective,” said Sheila Ducksworth, president of the CBS Studios NAACP venture. “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.’”
Val Jean was repped by Gersh in the deal with CBS and the NAACP.
Very few new daytime soaps get made these days, with networks relying on long-running series like “The Young and the Restless,” “The Bold and the Beautiful,” “Days of Our Lives,” and “General Hospital.” “Days of Our Lives,” however, now airs on the NBCUniversal streaming service Peacock.
It is also worth highlighting the involvement of Procter & Gamble in “The Gates,” as the company was one of the original backers of soap operas and were involved heavily in production for years.