Not long ago, soap operas ruled daytime TV. The casts of shows like “General Hospital,” “All My Children” and “Days of Our Lives” became part of daily life in the United States.
For the first time in more than 25 years, a new daytime soap opera will debut and it is already making history.
“Beyond the Gates” focuses on the Dupree family, a prominent Black family living in a gated community outside Washington, D.C. Leading the cast are actors Clifton Davis and Tamara Tunie with Daphnée Duplaix and Karla Mosley portraying their daughters.
“It’s fresh, it’s innovative, it’s exciting,” Duplaix said during production in December.
“This is 2025,” added Tunie. “The writers came out swinging. The first episode is just like ‘Pfooom!'”
Those writers are making their own history with the show.
“It appears to be that we’re the first Black female executive producers in all of daytime drama,” said Sheila Ducksworth, an executive producer and president of this CBS/NAACP production.
Ducksworth partnered with Michele Val Jean, who serves as executive producer, head writer and showrunner.
“I’d say it’s been a couple of decades in the making that I’ve wanted to actually produce and make a soap opera,” Ducksworth said. “But what I felt was missing was one that centered on the Black experience.”
Val Jean shared a similar vision: “I just wanted to see people that looked like me. I didn’t want downtrodden Black people. I wanted rich, messy Black people that carry the stories.”
That inclusive approach extends behind the camera.
“I look around, and I see African American cameramen. I see the costumers, and lighting, and crew,” Davis said.
“The writers, the makeup, the hair,” Duplaix added.
During a December filming, a crew of more than 200 people worked around the clock to bring the show to life. Hair designer Wankaya Hinkson emphasized the importance of representation in the production.
“Bringing the culture to daytime television was very important to me,” Hinkson said. “I want everyone to be able to identify themselves on daytime television.”
Historically, hair and makeup departments often lacked people who knew how to work with actors of color, but “Beyond the Gates” has prioritized expertise in this area.
“We wear our hair many, many different ways,” Hinkson explained. “It’s a part of our Black girl magic. I wanted to make sure that I had different textures.”
The creators, cast and crew aim to deliver the dramatic storytelling that soap operas are known for while making content that resonates with everyone.
When asked how she hopes audiences will react, Tunie said, “I hope they fall in love. I hope they fall head over heels in love with everybody in the show, with all of the perfection, flaws, humanness, and all of it.”
