Many Soap fans can’t help to notice the recent influx of Black storylines on their favorite Daytime dramas but, why now?
A new highly anticipated daytime drama is set to premiere in early 2025 and it’s called, Beyond the Gates. This groundbreaking series will center on the Dupree family, a prominent African-American family living in an affluent gated community near Washington, D.C. With themes of prestige, family legacy, and hidden scandals, it aims to blend daytime drama with black cultural voices. The show is created by Michele Val Jean, a seasoned soap opera writer known for her work on General Hospital and The Bold and the Beautiful. The cast includes noteworthy actors such as Tamara Tunie, Clifton Davis, Daphnee Duplaix, and Karla Mosley, all portraying members of the Dupree family. As well as a newer generation of talent including Brandon Claybon, Ambyr Michelle, Jibe Hordges, Sean Freeman, and Marquita Goings.
The competition posed by Beyond The Gates has caused General Hospital and other soaps to increase highlighting Black voices, yet one wonders how much can be perceived as tokenism. What is the motive? Is there a genuine want in diversifying Black voices and storylines or it is a last effort attempt to save an already record breaking low viewer ratings.
GH's success in retaining its Black audience weighs on its ability to write meaningful, layered storylines that make sense and are not forced into the script. Recently, there have been a few new Black faces residing in the fictional city of Port Charles, such as Sawandi Wilson who has been portraying Dr. Isaiah Gannon since the end of August. Last week, Jequan Jackson and Jens Austrin Astup debuted as college football players, Quinn and Kai, respectively. There is a potential romantic pairing with Astup’s character and Trina (Tabyana Ali), igniting hope in a younger fanbase after the success of Spencer (Nicholas Alexander Chavez) and Trina, affectionately known as Sprina. Trina’s character has not had a noticeable storyline since the onscreen death of Spencer earlier this year leaving many to speculate the priority of Tabyana as a Black actress without her white male counterpart.
African-American long time viewers who value representation question as to where are the Black actors and storylines that got shifted to the side and long forgotten, such as the legacy of the Ward family and current Ashford family who has lacked screen throughout the years. Both families have been used as a prop in predominantly white storytelling and faded from the screen and into the background. Many believe that GH has had ample time to prioritize Black and diverse storylines . . . before the threat of a new daytime drama catering to rich character development and cultural nuances. CBS has heavily advertised Beyond the Gates as a modern and inclusive addition to daytime television, which could heighten its appeal and attract younger and more diverse audiences.
Before leaving General Hospital in 2012, multiple daytime Emmy Award winning Michele Val Jean led the charge by providing a refreshing lens through which audiences can explore themes of generational trauma, systemic challenges, and Black love, all while staying true to classic soap opera allure. Viewers have missed her writing style and emotionally driven storylines and hope to see them again from her and the all-star writing team including co-head writer Bob Guza Jr. and daytime’s first all Black script writing team.
Beyond the Gates will be available for streaming on Paramount+ and premiering on CBS February 24, 2025.
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