CBS is developing a new soap opera called The Gates, which could become the first predominantly Black daytime TV drama in decades. The show, written by Emmy-winning veteran Michele Val Jean, follows the lives of a wealthy Black family in a gated community. The last Black daytime soap was NBC's Generations in 1989.
“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."
Daytime soaps have declined in popularity, with the last new soap launching in 1999, but CBS is hoping to break that streak.
