Black Daytime Soap ‘Beyond The Gates’ Casts Three New Stars
Deadline was the first to report that CBS had ordered a new soap opera called Beyond The Gates. According to a news release, the series will debut in January 2025 on CBS. At the time of the announcement, specific details such as the time slot, premiere date, and other series information were to be disclosed at a later date. Now, it’s being reported that the Black daytime soap Beyond the Gates has added three cast members.
According to IMDB, veteran actress Tamara Tunie (best known to TV viewers from Law and Order: SVU) will play Anita Dupree, a retired singer and matriarch of the Dupree family. Anita is married to a former senator, and the couple shares two daughters.
Set in a Maryland suburb of Washington, D.C., the show follows a wealthy Black family in a gated community. Daphnee Duplaix portrays Dr. Nicole Dupree Richardson, one of the daughters, a philanthropist with an outwardly perfect life that, as is often the case, isn’t what it seems. Kayla Mosley takes on the role of her sister, Dani Dupree, a high-profile model turned momager, positioned as the rebellious sister. All three actresses bring soap opera experience to their roles.
Beyond the Gates is the first new soap opera since Passions in 1999. Deadline noted that it has been years since a broadcast network launched a new daytime soap opera, stating, “There are only three still in existence between CBS and ABC — B&B and The Young and the Restless on CBS, and General Hospital on ABC.” They also pointed out that while CBS remains No. 1 in daytime with its dramas, all three soaps are down in key demographics compared to last year. Meanwhile, Days of Our Lives has been streaming on Peacock since its move from NBC in 2022.
Production of Beyond the Gates will take place this fall, and the show is set to premiere in 2025. The soap was created through a partnership between CBS Studios and the NAACP Venture, in collaboration with P&G Studios. Announced in March, this partnership aims to increase the visibility of African Americans on both broadcast and streaming platforms, and Beyond the Gates is its first release.
“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 honor 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 at its core, The Gates will offer impactful representation, one of the key goals of the venture.”
