NAACP and CBS Studios Venture to Develop New Daytime Drama for the CBS Television Network
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 6, 2024
LOS ANGELES – The joint venture between CBS Studios and the NAACP is developing a new daytime drama for the CBS Television Network.
The series, titled THE GATES, follows the lives of a wealthy Black family in a posh, gated community. Michele Val Jean, who has written more than 2,000 episodes of daytime dramas and won multiple Daytime Emmy and WGA Awards for her work on THE BOLD & THE BEAUTIFUL and "General Hospital," will serve as writer and showrunner. Val Jean will also be an executive producer alongside Sheila Ducksworth, Leon Russell, Derrick Johnson and Kimberly Doebereiner. THE GATES will be produced by the CBS Studios/NAACP production venture in partnership with P&G Studios, a division of Procter & Gamble.
"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."
Continued Ducksworth, "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. I also want to thank CBS' George Cheeks, NAACP's Derrick Johnson and P&G's Marc Pritchard for their personal involvement and support to take our next step forward with THE GATES."
The CBS Studios' production venture and development deal with the NAACP was established to help elevate a diverse range of voices as well as increase the visibility of Black artists on broadcast and streaming platforms in an ever-evolving media landscape.
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About NAACP
The NAACP advocates, agitates, and litigates for the civil rights due to Black America. Our legacy is built on the foundation of grassroots activism by the biggest civil rights pioneers of the 20th century and is sustained by 21st century activists. From classrooms and courtrooms to city halls and Congress, our network of members across the country works to secure the social and political power that will end race-based discrimination. That work is rooted in racial equity, civic engagement, and supportive policies and institutions for all marginalized people. We are committed to a world without racism where Black people enjoy equitable opportunities in thriving communities.
NOTE: The Legal Defense Fund – also referred to as the NAACP-LDF - was founded in 1940 as a part of the NAACP, but now operates as a completely separate entity.