Latest news with #Ducksworth
USA Today
24-02-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
How 'Beyond the Gates,' network TV's first largely Black soap, is 'rooted in reality'
How 'Beyond the Gates,' network TV's first largely Black soap, is 'rooted in reality' Show Caption Hide Caption 'The Talk' canceled on CBS after 15 Seasons CBS canceled daytime chatfest 'The Talk' after 15 seasons and will replace it with a new daytime soap opera called "The Gates." unbranded - Entertainment CBS is opening the gates. The network Monday introduces viewers to Black soap opera "Beyond the Gates," which follows the powerful Dupree family in the fictional, affluent Maryland community of Fairmont Crest. The show, created by Black soap opera veteran Michele Val Jean, is the dream of producer and lifelong soap fan Sheila Ducksworth. "I've been a lover of soap operas since I was 10 years old, and I've always felt that there was a huge void in soap operas, which is just beyond apparent," Ducksworth says. Ducksworth is president of the multi-year production partnership between CBS and the nation's oldest civil rights organization, the NAACP, announced in summer 2020 as the country wrestled with race in America. The soap is also produced by Procter & Gamble (P&G), the consumer goods company that helped invent (and name) the soap opera. CBS plans 'Beyond the Gates,' first new daytime soap in decades, about a wealthy Black family It's been two generations since "Generations," a short-lived NBC soap, premiered in 1989 and made history as the first to begin with a Black family, although the show also featured a largely white cast. But "Beyond the Gates," replacing "The Talk" on CBS' lineup (2 EST/1 PST), will make history of its own. Along with its Black History Month premiere date, the series is the first new daytime soap since NBC's "Passions" premiered in 1999. 'Beyond the Gates' features predominantly Black cast, crew to remain 'authentic' "Beyond the Gates" is opening new doors for Black-forward TV shows in Hollywood. The show stars "Madam Secretary" star Clifton Davis as former senator Vernon Dupree, the patriarch of the central family. Davis thinks it's "the right time" for a Black-led soap, "because we haven't seen stories of this nature before" on network TV. Tamara Tunie, who played lawyer Jessica Griffin on CBS soap "As The World Turns," is matriarch Anita Dupree, a former singer. Val Jean describes the characters as "if Diana Ross married John Lewis," referring to the legendary Supremes singer and Atlanta congressman. The show features multi-generational families that live within and outside the gated community. Although the cast is predominantly Black, it features a diverse depiction of sexualities and racial identities including white, Asian and Latino characters, Ducksworth promises. "We're serving up another perspective of Black stories for Black people as well," Davis says, adding that the show is "not just for Black folks" and "this is a very, very diverse audience we're seeking and we're a diverse show, but the lead family is African American and affluent, and I'm so proud to be a part of it." 'The Talk' comes to an end after 15 years, so 'The Gates' can open Davis says the pace of working on a daytime soap challenged him with "a different kind of schedule that requires an adjustment. You got to get your rest, and you've got to do your homework." Ducksworth created a friends and family reunion in the show's makeup, wardrobe and hair departments as well as Black composer Kurt Farquhar — a rarity in television. "I've brought a lot of friends and family into the mix, but they happen to be the best at what they do," Ducksworth says of the show, which is taped in Atlanta. 'Beyond the Gates' is 'rooted in reality' of affluent Black communities Despite its soapy appeal, Ducksworth says "Gates" is "rooted in reality. If you were to go anywhere (in) suburban Maryland, you would see these gated communities of predominantly Black people living in 10,000-square-foot mansions on acres with golf courses and country clubs. And the world has never seen that, and it was really important to me in telling this story." "I wanted to do a soap opera that focused on a Black, affluent family in the Washington, D.C., area," she says, noting the "rich and historical contributions" of Black people in the metropolitan area. After the concept was cleared by CBS CEO George Cheeks, Ducksworth recruited Val Jean, the only Black writer on "Generations." The pair were introduced 25 years ago by actress and soap opera alum Vivica A. Fox. Vivica A. Fox shares career secrets in 'Hustling' book "I knew I wanted to create it, and Michele has not disappointed in the least," Ducksworth says. After the groundbreaking nature of "Generations," Val Jean believes the Black representation in soap operas "went away." There was "the occasional best friend or a family that would sort of shuffle through (and) disappear, until this show, where the core family is African American," Val Jean says. "I don't think there's been a lot of representation. We haven't been totally shut out, but we haven't been portrayed in this particular way." Despite its trailblazing focus, Val Jean says "Gates" is true to soap opera form: "It's still messy, they're still getting in trouble, it's still love and hate and betrayal and lies. It's still all of that, it just looks different." "Beyond the Gates" is about family — Black families, chosen families and the Duprees, of course. "This was a world that I carried around in my head for four years and here it is, and it lives, and it breathes and it walks, and it talks and it's so beautiful," Val Jean adds. "This world is populated by these beautiful people, and they live in these beautiful homes, and they wear these gorgeous clothes." Val Jean fell in love with soap operas as a young girl, watching them with her mother Orphey, who the show's diner is named for, and her grandmother. "I wish they were here to see this. They would just be bursting with pride. I know they're watching from somewhere."
Yahoo
24-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Come 'Beyond the Gates' for the first Black-led soap opera — the first new network soap in decades
NEW YORK (AP) — The first thing viewers of 'Beyond the Gates' see is a black Mercedes gliding past manicured lawns and stately estates. The sedan pulls up at an elegant country club and the valets come out. The Emotions' funky tune 'Best of My Love' is playing. That car and the glamorous woman behind the wheel are driving into TV history on Monday as CBS begins airing the first Black-led daytime soap opera — and the first new network soap since 'Passions' premiered in 1999. 'I think that not only will it change daytime, but it'll also change the landscape of TV,' said Sheila Ducksworth, president of CBS Studios/NAACP Venture and an executive producer. 'I think it really will be something that will have far-reaching effects, and I look forward to it.' See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. Set in an affluent, gated Maryland community, 'Beyond the Gates' has drama, joy and heartbreak played by very attractive people with a strong pocket-square vibe. But even the rich can lose it: The first episode ends with a roundhouse punch. A later episode has a golf club raised in anger. 'We want people to be entertained. We want people to have fun with it,' said Ducksworth. 'There's a lot of unpredictable stuff that's going to be happening, a lot of juicy storylines. We have a lot of scandal and secrets and lies embedded in this world of power and prestige.' Four generations represented Actor Daphnée Duplaix, a veteran of 'Passions' and 'One Life to Live,' is the driver of the Mercedes and therefore won the distinction of being the audience's first glimpse of life in upscale Fairmont Crest. 'It was pretty awesome when I realized that I am the opening scene into this new world that we're creating. I was like, 'Oh, that is fun and exciting,'' she said. 'That meant a lot. It really did.' The premiere episode airs after 'The Young and the Restless' and 'The Bold and the Beautiful,' capping a three-hour block of CBS soaps. NAACP has partnered with the network, and Procter & Gamble, connected with soaps for decades, is a sponsor. It will stream on Paramount+, giving it a global reach. The show is centered around four generations of the Dupree family, from a grandfather who is a civil rights icon to grandchildren who are social influencers. 'We just wanted something that felt fresh, new, different, really glossy, fun and really epic,' said Ducksworth. Characters born on index cards Michele Val Jean, an Emmy-winning veteran daytime writer, is the creator, executive producer and showrunner. She created the characters in her mind on morning walks, jotting down ideas on index cards. 'By the time I was ready to start writing, I had this big stack of index cards. And once I sorted everything out, the characters were there,' she said. 'It's hard to describe. It's almost like I'm a stenographer and the stuff just sort of came through me.' Val Jean wanted to create soap characters viewers hadn't seen before and describes one pairing — played by Tamara Tunie and Clifton Davis — as if Diana Ross married the late Rep. John Lewis. One of their daughters — played by Karla Cheatham Mosley — has no filter and holds a fearsome grudge against her ex-husband. 'I love the characters that come into your house five days a week and sort of get inside you,' she said. 'That's what I want this show to do. I can think of many times I would have loved to have taken a golf club to somebody's desk.' Another thing that differentiates 'Beyond the Gates' is the music. Tunie, who has a degree in musical theater from Carnegie Mellon, is one of a few cast members who will sing. 'The writers told me, 'We're going to have you singing on the show,'' she said. 'And I was like, 'Oh, OK. Didn't know that, but OK. Let me let me dust off my cords.'' Black excellence on screen 'Beyond the Gates' is the long-gestating dream of Ducksworth, who has been watching soap operas since she was 10 but yearned for more representation: 'I have to say, for many years it's been very few and far between having real diversity on soaps.' The show is grounded in real Black excellence. Ducksworth points out there are pockets of affluent Black families in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. 'It's something right here in our backyard that many people may not be aware of,' she said. Duplaix said Black wealth is often only portrayed as enjoyed by athletes or entertainers, so to be able to show Black doctors, psychologists and lawyers is important. 'This is normal. It's not a fluke. It's not a one-off. Black excellence is everywhere. So I'm so excited for that to be normalized Monday through Friday on television,' she said. The series is filmed in Georgia on 27 sets over 35,000 square feet with a cast and crew of some 200 people. They've been working long hours since the end of October. Val Jean recalls watching the first episode and gasping at the moment it all became real: A scene when all the Duprees gather as their grandfather tells a story. 'My God, there they are — my babies,' she recalled with a laugh. Inclusivity with intention Ducksworth points out there's something for everyone — from people who have money inside the gates to those with less outside, lawyers and entrepreneurs as well as nurses and firemen. All races and sexual orientations are depicted. 'While it is primarily a Black cast, we intentionally wanted to include everybody,' she said. 'What was important to me was what I felt was missing in so many of these soaps, which is real inclusivity.' The cast and crew will be working to create more episodes on Monday, so they won't be able to tune in and see TV history being made. But there's a screening party planned at the end of the day for the first two episodes. 'Then we'll pop some Champagne and have some food and fellowship together and celebrate our accomplishment,' said Tunie. 'We need a moment to mark the moment and celebrate what we're doing.'
The Independent
24-02-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Come 'Beyond the Gates' for the first Black-led soap opera — the first new network soap in decades
The first thing viewers of 'Beyond the Gates' see is a black Mercedes gliding past manicured lawns and stately estates. The sedan pulls up at an elegant country club and the valets come out. The Emotions' funky tune 'Best of My Love' is playing. That car and the glamorous woman behind the wheel are driving into TV history on Monday as CBS begins airing the first Black-led daytime soap opera — and the first new network soap since 'Passions' premiered in 1999. 'I think that not only will it change daytime, but it'll also change the landscape of TV,' said Sheila Ducksworth, president of CBS Studios/NAACP Venture and an executive producer. 'I think it really will be something that will have far-reaching effects, and I look forward to it.' Set in an affluent, gated Maryland community, 'Beyond the Gates' has drama, joy and heartbreak played by very attractive people with a strong pocket-square vibe. But even the rich can lose it: The first episode ends with a roundhouse punch. A later episode has a golf club raised in anger. 'We want people to be entertained. We want people to have fun with it,' said Ducksworth. 'There's a lot of unpredictable stuff that's going to be happening, a lot of juicy storylines. We have a lot of scandal and secrets and lies embedded in this world of power and prestige.' Four generations represented Actor Daphnée Duplaix, a veteran of 'Passions' and 'One Life to Live,' is the driver of the Mercedes and therefore won the distinction of being the audience's first glimpse of life in upscale Fairmont Crest. 'It was pretty awesome when I realized that I am the opening scene into this new world that we're creating. I was like, 'Oh, that is fun and exciting,'' she said. 'That meant a lot. It really did.' The premiere episode airs after 'The Young and the Restless' and 'The Bold and the Beautiful,' capping a three-hour block of CBS soaps. NAACP has partnered with the network, and Procter & Gamble, connected with soaps for decades, is a sponsor. It will stream on Paramount+, giving it a global reach. The show is centered around four generations of the Dupree family, from a grandfather who is a civil rights icon to grandchildren who are social influencers. 'We just wanted something that felt fresh, new, different, really glossy, fun and really epic,' said Ducksworth. Characters born on index cards Michele Val Jean, an Emmy-winning veteran daytime writer, is the creator, executive producer and showrunner. She created the characters in her mind on morning walks, jotting down ideas on index cards. 'By the time I was ready to start writing, I had this big stack of index cards. And once I sorted everything out, the characters were there,' she said. 'It's hard to describe. It's almost like I'm a stenographer and the stuff just sort of came through me.' Val Jean wanted to create soap characters viewers hadn't seen before and describes one pairing — played by Tamara Tunie and Clifton Davis — as if Diana Ross married the late Rep. John Lewis. One of their daughters — played by Karla Cheatham Mosley — has no filter and holds a fearsome grudge against her ex-husband. 'I love the characters that come into your house five days a week and sort of get inside you,' she said. 'That's what I want this show to do. I can think of many times I would have loved to have taken a golf club to somebody's desk.' Another thing that differentiates 'Beyond the Gates' is the music. Tunie, who has a degree in musical theater from Carnegie Mellon, is one of a few cast members who will sing. 'The writers told me, 'We're going to have you singing on the show,'' she said. 'And I was like, 'Oh, OK. Didn't know that, but OK. Let me let me dust off my cords.'' Black excellence on screen 'Beyond the Gates' is the long-gestating dream of Ducksworth, who has been watching soap operas since she was 10 but yearned for more representation: 'I have to say, for many years it's been very few and far between having real diversity on soaps.' The show is grounded in real Black excellence. Ducksworth points out there are pockets of affluent Black families in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. 'It's something right here in our backyard that many people may not be aware of,' she said. Duplaix said Black wealth is often only portrayed as enjoyed by athletes or entertainers, so to be able to show Black doctors, psychologists and lawyers is important. 'This is normal. It's not a fluke. It's not a one-off. Black excellence is everywhere. So I'm so excited for that to be normalized Monday through Friday on television,' she said. The series is filmed in Georgia on 27 sets over 35,000 square feet with a cast and crew of some 200 people. They've been working long hours since the end of October. Val Jean recalls watching the first episode and gasping at the moment it all became real: A scene when all the Duprees gather as their grandfather tells a story. 'My God, there they are — my babies,' she recalled with a laugh. Inclusivity with intention Ducksworth points out there's something for everyone — from people who have money inside the gates to those with less outside, lawyers and entrepreneurs as well as nurses and firemen. All races and sexual orientations are depicted. 'While it is primarily a Black cast, we intentionally wanted to include everybody,' she said. 'What was important to me was what I felt was missing in so many of these soaps, which is real inclusivity.' The cast and crew will be working to create more episodes on Monday, so they won't be able to tune in and see TV history being made. But there's a screening party planned at the end of the day for the first two episodes. 'Then we'll pop some Champagne and have some food and fellowship together and celebrate our accomplishment,' said Tunie. 'We need a moment to mark the moment and celebrate what we're doing.'
Associated Press
24-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Associated Press
Come ‘Beyond the Gates' for the first Black-led soap opera — the first new network soap in decades
NEW YORK (AP) — The first thing viewers of 'Beyond the Gates' see is a black Mercedes gliding past manicured lawns and stately estates. The sedan pulls up at an elegant country club and the valets come out. The Emotions' funky tune 'Best of My Love' is playing. That car and the glamorous woman behind the wheel are driving into TV history on Monday as CBS begins airing the first Black-led daytime soap opera — and the first new network soap since 'Passions' premiered in 1999. 'I think that not only will it change daytime, but it'll also change the landscape of TV,' said Sheila Ducksworth, president of CBS Studios/NAACP Venture and an executive producer. 'I think it really will be something that will have far-reaching effects, and I look forward to it.' Set in an affluent, gated Maryland community, 'Beyond the Gates' has drama, joy and heartbreak played by very attractive people with a strong pocket-square vibe. But even the rich can lose it: The first episode ends with a roundhouse punch. A later episode has a golf club raised in anger. 'We want people to be entertained. We want people to have fun with it,' said Ducksworth. 'There's a lot of unpredictable stuff that's going to be happening, a lot of juicy storylines. We have a lot of scandal and secrets and lies embedded in this world of power and prestige.' Four generations represented Actor Daphnée Duplaix, a veteran of 'Passions' and 'One Life to Live,' is the driver of the Mercedes and therefore won the distinction of being the audience's first glimpse of life in upscale Fairmont Crest. 'It was pretty awesome when I realized that I am the opening scene into this new world that we're creating. I was like, 'Oh, that is fun and exciting,'' she said. 'That meant a lot. It really did.' The premiere episode airs after 'The Young and the Restless' and 'The Bold and the Beautiful,' capping a three-hour block of CBS soaps. NAACP has partnered with the network, and Procter & Gamble, connected with soaps for decades, is a sponsor. It will stream on Paramount+, giving it a global reach. The show is centered around four generations of the Dupree family, from a grandfather who is a civil rights icon to grandchildren who are social influencers. 'We just wanted something that felt fresh, new, different, really glossy, fun and really epic,' said Ducksworth. Characters born on index cards Michele Val Jean, an Emmy-winning veteran daytime writer, is the creator, executive producer and showrunner. She created the characters in her mind on morning walks, jotting down ideas on index cards. 'By the time I was ready to start writing, I had this big stack of index cards. And once I sorted everything out, the characters were there,' she said. 'It's hard to describe. It's almost like I'm a stenographer and the stuff just sort of came through me.' Val Jean wanted to create soap characters viewers hadn't seen before and describes one pairing — played by Tamara Tunie and Clifton Davis — as if Diana Ross married the late Rep. John Lewis. One of their daughters — played by Karla Cheatham Mosley — has no filter and holds a fearsome grudge against her ex-husband. 'I love the characters that come into your house five days a week and sort of get inside you,' she said. 'That's what I want this show to do. I can think of many times I would have loved to have taken a golf club to somebody's desk.' Another thing that differentiates 'Beyond the Gates' is the music. Tunie, who has a degree in musical theater from Carnegie Mellon, is one of a few cast members who will sing. 'The writers told me, 'We're going to have you singing on the show,'' she said. 'And I was like, 'Oh, OK. Didn't know that, but OK. Let me let me dust off my cords.'' Black excellence on screen 'Beyond the Gates' is the long-gestating dream of Ducksworth, who has been watching soap operas since she was 10 but yearned for more representation: 'I have to say, for many years it's been very few and far between having real diversity on soaps.' The show is grounded in real Black excellence. Ducksworth points out there are pockets of affluent Black families in Maryland, Virginia and Washington, D.C. 'It's something right here in our backyard that many people may not be aware of,' she said. Duplaix said Black wealth is often only portrayed as enjoyed by athletes or entertainers, so to be able to show Black doctors, psychologists and lawyers is important. 'This is normal. It's not a fluke. It's not a one-off. Black excellence is everywhere. So I'm so excited for that to be normalized Monday through Friday on television,' she said. The series is filmed in Georgia on 27 sets over 35,000 square feet with a cast and crew of some 200 people. They've been working long hours since the end of October. Val Jean recalls watching the first episode and gasping at the moment it all became real: A scene when all the Duprees gather as their grandfather tells a story. 'My God, there they are — my babies,' she recalled with a laugh. Inclusivity with intention Ducksworth points out there's something for everyone — from people who have money inside the gates to those with less outside, lawyers and entrepreneurs as well as nurses and firemen. All races and sexual orientations are depicted. 'While it is primarily a Black cast, we intentionally wanted to include everybody,' she said. 'What was important to me was what I felt was missing in so many of these soaps, which is real inclusivity.' The cast and crew will be working to create more episodes on Monday, so they won't be able to tune in and see TV history being made. But there's a screening party planned at the end of the day for the first two episodes. 'Then we'll pop some Champagne and have some food and fellowship together and celebrate our accomplishment,' said Tunie. 'We need a moment to mark the moment and celebrate what we're doing.'
Los Angeles Times
24-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
‘Beyond the Gates' is making history, but it's also a ‘messy and entertaining' soap
New York — It has been more than 25 years since 'Passions,' the last new daytime soap opera to air on American network TV, debuted on NBC. And for nearly as long, Michele Val Jean and Sheila Ducksworth have dreamed of making a soap about an affluent Black family. Their shared vision comes to fruition Monday when 'Beyond the Gates,' a new drama following several generations of the wealthy Duprees, premieres on CBS. The series marks a historic breakthrough as the first daytime soap with a primarily Black cast on network TV. Yet it's also something of a throwback to an earlier era of television, when daytime soaps were thriving. At their peak, as many as 18 soap operas aired every day. Now, there are just three, all of which have been on TV for decades: 'General Hospital' on ABC and 'The Young and the Restless' and 'The Bold and the Beautiful,' both on CBS. After 57 years on NBC, 'Days of Our Lives' moved to Peacock in 2022. But over lunch in Manhattan last week, Ducksworth expressed confidence in the future of the format. 'Soaps have been around for almost a hundred years. It's the genre that never dies,' said Ducksworth, who is both executive producer on 'Beyond the Gates' and president of the CBS Studios/NAACP venture, which developed the series. 'I actually don't think it ever will.' Ducksworth was joined by two of the veteran soap stars leading the cast: Tamara Tunie, who stars as formidable matriarch Anita Dupree, and Daphnée Duplaix, who plays her daughter, Dr. Nicole Dupree Richardson. Both bring decades of experience to 'Beyond the Gates.' Tunie spent nearly 20 years on 'As the World Turns,' while Duplaix starred in both 'Passions' and 'One Life to Live.' The popularity of Fox's prime-time soap 'Empire,' which centered on a Black music dynasty and aired from 2015 to 2020, and Tyler Perry's sudsier dramas such as 'The Haves and the Have Nots,' suggests there's a large potential audience for juicy yet aspirational dramas about glamorous Black families. According to Nielsen, Black adults spend 31% more time watching TV each week than the general population. 'Beyond the Gates' is the first series to emerge from the CBS-NAACP partnership, launched in 2020 following the murder of George Floyd with the goal of bringing inclusive stories to television. (The series is also produced in partnership with Procter & Gamble.) But it arrives at a politically and culturally fraught moment, when the very concept of diversity is under renewed attack by the Trump administration. 'At this time, when there seems to be a desire to turn back the clock in this country, I think it's very important to show this affluent family that represents generational wealth in the Black community,' said Tunie, a longtime New Yorker who relocated to Atlanta to make the show. 'That is something that has existed for hundreds of years but has not been put forth into the zeitgeist. I think this will have an incredible impact.' Val Jean, the creator and showrunner, is a seasoned soap writer who's scripted more than 2,000 episodes of daytime TV. Her primary goal is entertaining viewers, but there's value in 'Black people on television, looking rich and gorgeous,' she said. 'It's something else to focus on that can be uplifting and entertaining, and we can see ourselves in it.' Talk to anyone who has ever been a fan of daytime soap operas, and they will fondly recall a habit that was forged in childhood, when they raced home after school to watch 'Days of Our Lives,' 'All My Children' or 'Dark Shadows' with their mom, grandmother, sister or aunt. For Val Jean, it was 'General Hospital.' 'My grandmother took care of us, so she always had the soaps on, and by osmosis, they seeped into my brain,' she said. Like much of the country, she was hooked on the Luke and Laura love story. She still remembers watching their wedding on a 13-inch black-and-white TV on her desk at work. Ducksworth was also raised on soaps, watching 'The Edge of Night' and 'General Hospital.' Although she was fascinated by the storytelling, she would also find herself eagerly anticipating the moments when Claudia Johnston Phillips, the character played by Bianca Ferguson, appeared onscreen. 'I would just wait for the character that looked like me,' she said. 'That was the high point — seeing her on TV.' As a college student a few years later, Ducksworth was gripped by 'Generations,' an NBC soap that broke new ground by featuring a Black family from its inception in 1989. The show's short but memorable run inspired Ducksworth to move to Los Angeles and make more TV like it — including, she hoped, a Black soap. Vivica A. Fox, who had starred in 'Generations,' introduced her to Val Jean, who had been the show's only Black writer and, it turned out, had written a pilot script for a soap about a wealthy Black family. The project didn't move forward, but Ducksworth vowed she would one day make a soap with Val Jean. When she began at the CBS-NAACP venture, Val Jean was one of the first people she called. Ducksworth had the idea to set the series in a gated community in suburban Maryland outside of Washington, D.C., a region that is home to some of the most affluent majority-Black counties in the country. Even with decades of experience writing soaps, building one from the ground up was a challenge for Val Jean. Because it's been so long since anyone has created a new daytime drama, for instance, there weren't any examples of show 'bibles,' the pitch documents outlining characters and story arcs, for her to work from. But she started by focusing on the matriarch and the patriarch. 'Who are characters that we've never seen before?' She came up with Anita, a girl-group singer who rose out of poverty in Chicago and met her husband, Vernon (Clifton Davis), a former senator, at a civil rights march. 'I thought, 'What if Diana Ross met John Lewis?'' Val Jean said. Everything else flowed from there. 'I would take my morning walk, and I would think about it, and I'd come home, and I'd just jot down ideas on index cards for the first couple of months,' Val Jean recalled. 'Then I started writing. I got my big stack of index cards and sorted through them, and there the characters were. There were their stories. I was basically a stenographer.' The Duprees have two daughters: Nicole, a level-headed psychiatrist (Duplaix), and the fiery Dani (Karla Mosley), whose ex-husband Bill (Timon Kyle Durrett) left her for their daughter's best friend Hayley (Marquita Goings). The series opens a few days before Bill and Hayley's wedding, set to take place at the local country club — much to Dani's horror. Unlike 'Passions,' which leaned hard on the supernatural and featured a character who was an animated doll, 'Beyond the Gates' is grounded in the basics: love, hate and betrayal. 'I don't foresee any aliens,' Val Jean said. Launching any new show is a considerable feat, but a daily soap opera that airs roughly 250 times a year and films 80 or more script pages a day is an entirely different beast. Actors have to quickly memorize many pages of dialogue, and sometimes perform in a dozen different scenes from multiple episodes in a single day on set. Although Atlanta is a well-established production hub, it has never been home to a daily soap opera. Once production began in November, experienced soap stars like Tunie and Duplaix helped guide cast members who were new to the pace of daytime, which can feel like drinking from a fire hose. 'Even when we were at about a quarter of the work that we needed to accomplish for the day, everybody was like, 'Oh, my God, are you kidding me?'' Duplaix said. 'I'm like, 'Honey, this is a quarter of what we're supposed to be doing.'' She shared tips, like her process for memorizing lines. Once you get a stack of scripts, she said, 'Read your sides for 30 minutes every day, so it's familiar. Then you can really hone in a day or two before you film the scene. When you know your stuff, that confidence resonates with the audience.' 'It's like being in the trenches together,' added Tunie, who has taken on the role of informal acting coach and sent an email early in production to her fellow cast members in which she shared tips on 'how to navigate the genre and bring your best performance, to understand the pace in which we work and what the directors and producers are capable of providing.' Ducksworth, who jokingly calls Tunie 'Queen Mother,' said it was vital to cast the role of Anita first 'because our matriarch was so important.' For Tunie and Duplaix, the historic nature of the project was a major selling point, something that helped entice them back to the grueling world of daytime. 'There are so many firsts,' Duplaix said of 'Beyond the Gates.' 'It's a first to have this African American family at the center. It's going to be exciting to see how people respond to it.' But Val Jean is focused on 'keeping it messy and entertaining,' rather than conveying a specific social message. And mess there is: The first episode ends with one character slapping another across the face, Susan Lucci-style. There's more histrionics where that came from. The goal, she said, is authenticity: 'This show is centered around a sprawling Black family that loves and makes mistakes and flies off the handle. They don't always agree, but the foundation is deep, abiding, eternal love. This family would do anything for each other, and that's authentic too.'
