CBS Developing First Black Daytime Soap Opera In 35 Years

On Wednesday, CBS and the NAACP announced that the first Black daytime soap opera in 35 years is currently in development for the network.

CBS is creating The Gates, a daytime soap opera with a predominantly Black cast, focusing on the affluent lives of a Black family in an exclusive, gated community.

“The Gates” will be produced through a partnership between CBS Studios/NAACP and P&G Studios, with Emmy-winning daytime veteran Michele Val Jean, known for her work on “The Bold & The Beautiful” and a portfolio of over 2,000 daytime TV episodes, serving as both the writer and showrunner.

“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. 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.”

The last Black daytime soap was NBC’s short-lived series Generations in 1989, which was the first U.S. soap centered around a Black family. Additionally, some considered Fox’s 2015 hit drama Empire a primetime soap opera.

Starting a new daytime soap would end a long streak, as the genre’s popularity has dropped due to declining ratings and competition from streaming. NBC last launched a soap, Passions, in 1999, and CBS introduced The Bold & Beautiful in 1987.

Currently, only three daytime soaps are airing on broadcast TV: The Young & the Restless, Bold & the Beautiful, and General Hospital (with Days of Our Lives on Peacock).