Black Daytime Soap Opera ‘The Gates’ Coming To CBS
Deadline first mentioned the news that CBS has ordered a new soap opera called The Gates. According to a news release, the new series will premiere in January 2025 on CBS. The specific time period, launch date and other series details will be announced at a later date.
What we know about the new soap opera “The Gates”
The series will follow the lives of a wealthy Black family in a “posh, gated community.” Michele Val Jean, who has written more than 2,000 episodes of daytime dramas and won multiple Daytime Emmy and WGA Awards for her work on THE BOLD & THE BEAUTIFUL and General Hospital, will serve as writer and showrunner. Val Jean will also be an executive producer alongside Sheila Ducksworth, Leon Russell, Derrick Johnson, and Kimberly Doebereiner.
The Gates was developed from the joint venture between CBS Studios and the NAACP. The series will be produced by the CBS Studios/NAACP venture in partnership with P&G Studios, a division of Procter & Gamble.
“The Gates will be everything we love about daytime drama, from a new and fresh perspective,” said Ducksworth as reported by Deadline. “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.”
Deadline also pointed out that it’s been years since one of the broadcast networks launched a new daytime soap opera. “There are only three still existence between CBS and ABC — B&B and The Young and the Restless on CBS, and General Hospital on ABC,” they said. They mentioned that CBS continues to rank No. 1 in daytime with its dramas but all three of the soaps are down in the key demos versus last year. Days of Our Lives is now streaming on Peacock. Since having moved from NBC to the platform in 2022.
Will this be the first Black soap opera?
You may be wondering if this is the first of its kind. But some people took to Reddit to share their excitement and reminisce about Black soaps they used to enjoy. “I haven’t watched the stories in a long time. The only Black centered soap I can remember was Generations. I never got into it and it didn’t last long,” someone shared. Generations premiered in 1989 on NBC and reportedly was the first soap opera that featured people of color as the main characters. Another person mentioned how you could find Black soaps on free networks like Pluto TV. They could be referring to the show Saints & Sinners that aired from 2016 to 2023.
The Gates will premiere on CBS in January 2025.
10 Black '90s Sitcoms to Stream Now
The 1990s had a plethora of sitcoms that celebrated the Black experience and launched several actors’ careers. A common theme that runs throughout all of the shows selected is family. Additionally, many of these series show the importance of a chosen family.
Shows like Living Single featured main characters living within the same building or across the street from one another. They created a community in which they take care of each other. While the main character’s family makes appearances on the show, their role is mostly used for context on the character’s development.
In a workplace sitcom like The Jamie Foxx Show, it is very relatable to everyday life. Let’s face it: We see our coworkers more than we see our families. The show can easily connect with that fact
but also how coworkers can be a lending ear to life’s problems as well as fostering a familial relationship.
A coming-of-age sitcom like Moesha shows how childhood and high school years play a pivotal role in our development of relationships inside and outside of the home. Specifically, in Moesha, the show explores how the loss of her mother affected her ability to accept her father’s new wife and ultimately changed the family dynamic she once had. Through her personal issues within herself, she is still managing how to navigate school, friendships, and romantic relationships.
Sibling relationships were also a common premise in the ’90s with shows like Sister, Sister and The Wayans Bros. While real-life siblings were used in the shows, their stark differences in character show that your closest confidant could be the person you share a parent with.
Now, with streaming available, you don’t have to wait for your favorite show to be played on late-night television. You can use your favorite app to relive all of your favorite moments from these hit shows.
Take a look at 10 Black 90s sitcoms you can stream now:
Kayla is the midday host on Detroit’s 105.1 The Bounce. She started her career in radio back in 2016 as an intern at another Detroit station and worked her way here. She's made stops in Knoxville, TN, Omaha, Ne and other places before returning to Detroit. She’s done almost everything in radio from promotions to web, creating content on social media, you name it.
She’s a true Michigander, born and raised. So, you can catch her camping or vacationing up north to exploring the downtown Detroit or maybe even catching a sports game. During her free time, Kayla enjoys watching movies, roller-skating, crafting, and music festivals. She and her husband together dip into many of the great things Michigan has to offer. Together they also like to travel.
A few hobbies of hers include wine and beer tastings, crafting, hiking, roller skating, movies, home improvement projects, gardening, and festivals. She’s always looking to take on more local events happening in the community.
She loves connecting with the community. When writing, Kayla covers topics including lifestyle, pop culture, trending stories, hacks, and urban culture.
