CBS, NAACP To Develop New Daytime Soap Opera ‘The Gates’ About A Wealthy Black Family

CBS is creating a new Black soap opera as part of a joint venture with CBS Studios and the NAACP, in partnership with P&G Studios.

The NAACP said in a statement that ‘The Gates’ follows the lives of a wealthy Black family in a posh, gated community.

Veteran soap opera writer Michele Val Jean, who has won multiple Daytime Emmy Awards for her work on ‘General Hospital’ and “The Bold and the Beautiful,” will write and serve as the showrunner on the series.

What to expect on ‘The Gates’

“’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 a traditionally underserved audience, 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.’”

When will ‘The Gates’ soap opera premiere?

There has been no announcement about when the show will premiere or who will star in it.

The last daytime soap opera focused on Black characters was ‘Generations,’ which premiered on NBC in 1989 and ran until 1991. Currently, there are only three soaps on broadcast television: ‘General Hospital’ is on ABC, while ‘The Young and the Restless’ and ‘The Bold and the Beautiful’ are both on CBS. ‘Days of Our Lives’ can be streamed on Peacock.

Last month, CBS announced that ‘The Young and the Restless’ had been renewed for four more years through the 2027-2028 season.