CBS Studios and the NAACP are partnering in development on a new, Black-centered daytime soap opera from “The Bold and the Beautiful” Emmy winner Michele Val Jean.
“The Gates” will follow the lives of a wealthy Black family in a posh, gated community.
“’The Gates’ will be everything we love about daytime drama, from a new and fresh perspective,” Sheila 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 multidimensional characters, juicy storylines and Black culture front and center, ‘The Gates’ will have impactful representation, one of the key touchstones of the venture.”
Ducksworth continued in the Wednesday announcement, calling CBS and producing partner P&G Studios, a division of Procter & Gamble, “two of the longest and most passionate champions of broadcast and daytime television,” the heralding the NAACP for its “enduring commitment to Black voices and artists.”
“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 is best known for writing over 2,000 episodes of daytime dramas and winning multiple Daytime Emmy and WGA Awards between “The Bold and the Beautiful” and “General Hospital.” Serving as writer and showrunner on “The Gates,” she will executive produce with Sheila Ducksworth, Leon Russell, Derrick Johnson and Kimberly Doebereiner.
“The Gates” will be produced by CBS Studios/NAACP in partnership with P&G Studios.
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