CBS has officially given the green light to the daytime soap opera "The Gates," marking a significant development in the television landscape, as reported by Variety. Developed under CBS Studios' content partnership with the NAACP, the series delves into the lives of a wealthy Black family residing in an upscale, gated community.
Michele Val Jean, writer known for her work on "The Bold and the Beautiful," will take on multiple roles as the writer, showrunner, and executive producer of "The Gates." Joining her as executive producers are Sheila Ducksworth, Leon Russell, Derrick Johnson, and Kimberly Doebereiner. The production will be a collaborative effort between CBS Studios/NAACP and P&G Studios, a division of Procter & Gamble.
Scheduled for a January 2025 debut, "The Gates" is poised to fill a void in the daytime soap opera genre, which has seen few new additions in recent years. The impending conclusion of CBS's long-running talk show "The Talk" has sparked speculation about the potential slot for "The Gates," although no official announcement has been made regarding its placement in the network's lineup.
The announcement of "The Gates" comes at a time when traditional daytime soap operas face challenges in an evolving television landscape. While stalwarts like "The Young and the Restless," "The Bold and the Beautiful," and "General Hospital" continue to captivate audiences, the genre has seen a decline in new productions. "Days of Our Lives," once a fixture of daytime television, now finds its home on the NBCUniversal streaming service Peacock.