Unheard of in 35 years of television: this new American series will shake up soaps

The American channel CBS, to which we owe a whole array of legendary soap operas, such as The Young and the Restless and The Bold and the Beautiful, is preparing to shake up the world of soaps (more precisely, “soap operas”).

In partnership with the NAACP, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, CBS has announced a new soap opera, The Gates, which could become the first daytime soap with a majority black cast since 1989’s Generations.

As reported by The Hollywood Reporter, the project will follow the life of a wealthy black family living in an elegant and safe residence. The show will be written by Michel Val Jean, a veteran screenwriterLove the glory and the beauty who has signed more than 2,000 series in his career, apart from being an Emmy winner. He will also work as the showrunner of the program.

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The first in over 3 decades

The latter-day soap opera, which featured a predominantly black cast, was short-lived generations from NBC, launched in 1989 and lasted only two years. This half-hour drama was groundbreaking in its genre, being the first soap to focus on an African-American family from its premise.

In 2015, Fox’s hit drama Empire also revolutionized the soap genre, but the series aired in primetime, not daytime.

“Gates will be everything we love about daytime dramas, with a fresh, new perspectivee,” said Sheila Ducksworth, chair of the CBS/NAACP Manufacturing Initiative.

“This series welcomes a traditionally underserved audience that has the potential to be a revolutionary moment for television. With multi-dimensional characters, a juicy plot, and black culture at the forefront, The Gates will have an influential presence, one of the company’s foundations. I am thrilled to be developing this project with CBS and P&G, two of the oldest and most passionate champions of daytime radio and television, and the NAACP, whose strong commitment to black voices and artists is powerful and inspiring.“

Daytime soaps infamous?

Launching a new series isn’t trivial these days, the genre is somewhat infamous. The last time a network launched a new series was in 1999 (NBC’s Passions), and CBS’ last “new” soap opera was. Love the glory and the beautywhich debuted in 1987.

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There are only three daytime soap operas currently on the air in the United States: Young and restless, Love the glory and the beauty and alliances and betrayals (General Hospital from the original title) – and Days of Our Lives now airs on NBC’s streaming platform, Peacock.

In 2011, ABC made headlines for its two long-running series, The Force of Destiny.all my children), has been broadcasting since 1970 and you only live once (one life to live), has been broadcasting since 1968.

CBS, it keeps the momentum going. The channel was also recently updated Young and restlessWhich celebrates its 51st anniversary on March 26th, four more years of the series you can see every day on TF1.