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EXCLUSIVE: Exec Prod Sheila Ducksworth Talks Decision to Shoot ‘Beyond the Gates’ in Atlanta on ‘Soapy Hosted by Rebecca Budig and Greg Rikaart’

By Michael Fairman

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Photo: CBS

On an all-new episode of Soapy Hosted by Rebecca Budig and Greg Rikaart, dropping on Tuesday, July 22nd, Beyond the Gates executive producer, Sheila Ducksworth, is the very special guest where she discusses how daytime’s newest soap opera set up shop and put down its roots in Atlanta, Georgia, plus lining-up the team behind the scenes and the cast in front of the camera.

In an exclusive clip, Ducksworth explains, why when all the other daytime soap operas tape in Los Angeles, she choose Atlanta as the home of Fairmont Crest. “There are a lot of factors,” shared the EP.  “I knew that I could shoot the show in Atlanta. I knew that there were a lot of great people and great talent, great facilities there. So, I knew that we could make this work. We’re over at Assembly Studios and we are the first inhabitants for our production offices as well as for our stages.”

Sheila added “We’re able to customize it and make it exactly what we needed and it’s just fantastic. It’s just a great environment. There was a lot of planning that went into it, and the people that would lead the departments. I have to say all those folks, the heads of the departments, they’re incredible.”

Photo: CBS

Speaking of the department heads at Beyond the Gates, many of whom have held positions on previous daytime soaps have made joined its ranks as Rebecca Budig noted to Greg Rikaart. “She took Julie Carruthers, who was our producer from All My Children and Jeresa Featherstone, our wardrobe designer at the The Bold and the Beautiful, who I knew for like two weeks before she left (for Beyond the Gates),”recalled Budig.

When speaking of the cast including: Cady McClain (Pamela), Tamara Tunie (Anita), and Mike Manning (Smitty) and more, who all have worked on the soaps previous to Beyond the Gates, Ducksworth reiterated, “It’s a great group of people.”

Photo: CBS

In a previous preview clip released over the weekend, Ducksworth spoke on how the cast of Beyond the Gates was assembled, “We’ve wanted it to feel really accessible to everybody. There’s some specificity obviously to the show, but what we’re really dealing in and dwelling in is a universality. People who live inside the gates as well as people who live outside the gates. We have our matriarch and our patriarch with Tamara Tunie and Clifton Davis (Vernon). We are so fortunate. We were so specific about what we wanted, and we were fortunate enough to find the people that we found to populate this world.”

Photo: CBS

Duckworth also noted, “It was no small task and thanks to our casting director, Kim Coleman, and obviously we had a lot of participation, ultimately from CBS and CBS studios, Claudia Lyon, Executive Vice President, Talent and Casting, CBS Entertainment. It’s been like everybody kind of rolled up their sleeves and wrapped their arms around,”What is this task going to look like? What’s the feel of it going to be?” We were fortunate to get Tamara Tunie, as well as Clifton Davis. They lead this family like nobody else could, as the matriarch and the patriarch.”

Soapy Hosted by Rebecca Budig and Greg Rikaart is a new audio and video podcast that dives deep into the legacy, fandom, and enduring appeal of soap operas. Available on Audacy or wherever podcasts are found, full video episodes are released every Tuesday through September 30 on the CBS brand YouTube channel.

Photo: CBS

Upcoming episodes of ‘Soapy’ will include interviews with: Lauralee Bell (Christine Blair, The Young and the Restless), Maurice Benard (Sonny Corinthos, General Hospital), Tracey Bregman (Lauren Fenmore, The Young and the Restless), Marc Cherry (Creator, Desperate Housewives), Scott Clifton (Liam Spencer, The Bold and the Beautiful), Eva LaRue (ex-Natalia Ramirez, General Hospital), Christian LeBlanc (Michael Baldwin, The Young and the Restless), Cameron Mathison (Drew Cain, General Hospital), Karla Mosley (Dani Dupree, Beyond the Gates), Lawrence Saint-Victor (Carter Walton, The Bold and the Beautiful), Melody Thomas Scott (Nikki Newman, The Young and the Restless), Heather Tom (Katie Logan, The Bold and the Beautiful) and the aforementioned,Tamara Tunie.

Now below, watch the exclusive clip from tomorrow’s new episode of Soapy featuring Beyond the Gates executive producer, Sheila Ducksworth speaking on the decision to tape the show in Atlanta, followed by a preview where she speaks on casting the series.

Let us know, what do you think about the newest soap opera being taped in Atlanta, the casting decisions for its main characters and its behind the scenes creatives? Share your thoughts in the comment section.

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Honestly, I think shooting in Georgia is refreshing and the best decision they could have chosen. A lot of the local talent they have found are excellent, as well. And from the looks of it, Assembly Studios is one of the best studios out there right now, so kudos to them for going there, as well.

My current ranking of how I’m enjoying the soaps I watch:
1. DOOL (Love it but miss Ron C)
2. BTG
3. GH
4. Y&R (never recall it being worse)

I agree with your top 2 and yes miss ron c I have to put bold at 3 I gave up on gh a long long time ago and boy are you on point about yandr they could use Ron c I’ve never seen it this bad myself ! Really makes you miss another world Santa Barbara world turns and one life

Thanks for responding, Richard!
I’ve never followed B&B. Goes back to my VCR days when I could only record one show at a time and I was taping Days! Honestly, I pretty much hate watch GH as I despise the characters of Sonny, Carly & Jason. Still, GH is tons better than what passes as Y&R these days…

Beyond the Gates

‘Beyond the Gates’ Karla Mosley and B&B’s Lawrence Saint-Victor Share Their Thoughts on Being First-Time Daytime Emmy Nominees Together (Exclusive)

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Karla Mosley, Lawrence Saint-Victor

When it was announced last Monday and Tuesday that longtime friends, scene partners and creative collaborators, Karla Mosley (Dani, Beyond the Gates) and Lawrence Saint-Victor (Carter, The Bold and the Beautiful) became first-time Daytime Emmy nominees, they could not have been happier for each other as their connection continues to remain so strong to this day. They have literally gone though their daytime journeys together in so many ways.

As longtime daytime viewers know, Karla and Lawrence first appeared on Guiding Light as Christina and Remy Boudreau. They remained with the beloved CBS soap opera, as it went off the air until its final episode in 2009.

Next, both Karla and Lawrence wound up being cast on The Bold and the Beautiful, she as Maya Avant and he as Carter Walton. At one point, the character’s dated each other, and even became engaged. Later, it was revealed that Maya was a trans woman who was truly in love with Rick Forrester (then played by Jacob Young). Along the way, Karla and Lawrence collaborated on a web series called Wed-Locked, which explored the modern-day realities of being newlyweds. It was conceived in 2009, while they were wrapping up Guiding Light and revived in 2018.

Photo: JPI

Now, here we are in 2026. Karla is one of the stars of CBS’ groundbreaking soap opera, Beyond the Gates, where she received her first Lead Actress nomination for her portrayal of Dani Dupree. Lawrence remains on The Bold and the Beautiful, but get this! He received not only his first nomination for acting and in the Supporting Actor category, but a second for Outstanding Writing Team, since Saint-Victor holds double duty with the CBS soap as a writer and a performer.

During the Michael Fairman Channel’s annual Daytime Emmy Nominations Special, Lawrence and Karla closed the show where they were able to speak to each other on the livestream broadcast, and share their feelings on being nominated together in a very special moment. They also let us know what was on their Emmy-nominated reels that landed them this very special recognition for the first time in their veteran soap opera careers.

KARLA AND LAWRENCE WERE OVERJOYED FOR EACH OTHER 

Lawrence explained, “Karla and I spoke earlier and we were talking about the synergy we have had throughout the years. Our kids were born in the same week, and so many other things where it’s like we are just so aligned – and so to find out that we’re both first-time nominees in this together … it kind of makes sense when you look at our lives together.”

“I’m so proud of Karla. I’ve always been proud of Karla, but her work on Beyond the Gates, and the responsibility that was given to her to take this world that no one knows about and showcase it, and make it with so much nuance and depth and flare and swag and all this stuff she brings to Dani is fantastic! I’m proud of your show…. 15 nominations.”

Karla replied, “I’m going to sing Lawrence’s praises and say that he has been working for so many years and so hard, and writing and just showing up and being whatever anyone needed him to be, and doing it with excellence every single time. The fact that you’re finally being acknowledged in this way is overdue. I’m overjoyed. Tony (Anthony Pascarelli) who directs both The Bold and the Beautiful and Beyond the Gates came on set. I was doing this emotional scene, and we were in between scenes and he goes, ‘Lawrence! Lawrence!’ He goes, ‘Oops. I shouldn’t have told you that now!’ And I go, ‘No, no. I have to know! That’s my brother!’ It was perfect.”

CHOOSING THE RIGHT SCENES FOR YOUR EMMY REEL

It’s always a tough call when actors submit their work for Emmy contention. How do you chose a reel that will capture the voters right away? Do you tell an arc of a story in highlighted scenes, or do you put together a sequence of scenes that may be somewhat unrelated but show your depth as a performer?  Clearly, Karla and Lawrence chose right! Here’s how they went about assembling the scenes for their reels.

Photo: CBS

Karla: “I thought, I’m just going to put together something that’s fun for me. I ended up starting with the golf club moment in that blue suit, and then cut to: the gun shot scene at the wedding where she’s holding Bill (Timon Kyle Durrett) and Hayley (Marquita Goings) up. Then, we go back to a scene after she comes in with the golf club. So, we really kind of get the Bill/Dani dynamic and what’s going on there. And then, we go to one of my favorite scenes from last year where Ashley’s (Jen Jacob) in the bathroom and Dani’s talking to Andre (Sean Freeman) at Uptown. It’s comedic. It’s Dani at her best wit and banter. Then, we get the scene with Chelsea (RhonniRose Mantilla) where she comes out, and tells her mom that she’s bisexual, which is one of the great moments, because in real life I was coming out at the same time.”

In addition, Mosley continued,”Then another Bill/Dani scene where she’s saying she moved on and here’s why, and here’s why I don’t want to be with you anymore. In the scenes, she really has found her strength, and before that I put in the mugshot photo shoot. The photo shoot was a last minute addition, I woke up inspired by it and had to include it!”

Photo: JPi

LAWRENCE SAINT-VICTOR’S PICKED BREAK-UP SCENES WITH HOPE

Lawrence shared, “The heart of Carter is always about trying to be in love and fall in love. So, I used the Hope (Annika Noelle) breakup scenes and it’s what led my reel, because at the end of the day, everything he does is for love, and for me, the climax of his story is it still didn’t work. We had two breakup scenes. One was a pre-breakup scene, and then Carter got her back. The next one is when he tells her to ‘Go be with Liam. Go be with your family.’ Then, I also had a scene Carter and Daphne (Murielle Hilaire), where he’s just kind of down and out about losing Hope the first time.”

You can check out the segment where Karla and Lawrence meet up on the Daytime Emmy Nomination Special video below at the 2:56:00 mark.

The 53rd annual Daytime Emmy Awards will be held on October 30 from the Hollywood Palladium in Hollywood California and streamed at watch.theemmys.tv and associated apps.

So, what do you think of Karla and Lawrence scoring their first-ever Daytime Emmy nominations in the same year? What do you think about the scenes they put on their nominated reels? Have you watched them since their days on Guiding Light together? Let us know via the comment section below.

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Beyond the Gates

BEYOND THE GATES Preview: Bill Wants to Have More Rendezvous with Dani; But Hayley is Determined to Put Him Six Feet Under

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Bill Hamilton (played by new Supporting Actor Daytime Emmy nominee, Timon Kyle Durrett) is front and center this week on all-new episodes of Beyond the Gates.

In story, Bill visits Dani (Karla Mosley) and intimates there will be more hookups between the exes, but Dani shuts him down. But who thinks she really means it? Will the two begin an illicit affair behind their current spouses back after having sex in an elevator post-Tornado?

Meanwhile, Dani has been doing everything she can to make sure her secret dalliance that night stays buried. However, in a clip in the video teaser for episodes airing July 20-24, Nicole (Daphne Duplaix) corners her sister. She says, “I already know, Dani. The secret’s out.” But what does she know? Is she even talking about knowledge of Bill and Dani? Dani is not out of the hot seat yet! When she visits her parents Anita (Tamara Tunie) and Vernon (Clifton Davis), they have some questions for her, too!

Then at Uptown, Hayley (Marquita Goings) informs her cousin Randy (Maurice P. Kerry)  that she is determined to finish what was started. She declares that the next time Bill gets symptoms, he will end up in the mortuary instead of the hospital. Cut to Bill unable to catch his breath, going. “What the hell is happening to me?”

Take a look below at the official Beyond the Gates spoilers for this week.

Monday, July 20
Kat and Nicole discuss matters of the heart while Ted and Shanice reach a major milestone in their relationship. Bill and Dani clash. Grayson provides an ear for troubled Tomas.

Tuesday, July 21
Anita and Vernon learn about Naomi’s health status. Kial gives Eva some much-needed advice. Elon makes a push to reconcile with Izaiah. Nicole gives Vanessa an update on her love life before finding out some surprising news about her ex.

Wednesday, July 22
Anita refuses Dani’s request. Bill’s reaction to Naomi’s news stuns her. Shanice and Nicole have a candid chat about Ted. Hayley tells Randy she did him a solid where Lynette is concerned. Deanna meets a handsome stranger in need.

Thursday, July 23
Dani gets a gift that alarms Andre. Smitty asks Jacob for a favor. Hayley warns Randy off Mona. June gives Naomi some intriguing intel. Vernon advises a stubborn Bill. Anita has a present for Laura.

Friday, July 24
Heather informs Joey that she’s back to tie up loose ends. Elon tells Jacob something he doesn’t want to hear. Chelsea’s livestream with Eva leaves Kat miffed. Vanessa comforts Dani.

Check out the latest video teaser for Beyond the Gates below, followed by the Michael Fairman Channel’s Daytime Emmy Nominations Special 2026 which featured Timon Kyle Durrett who speaks of his nomination and this current storyline, along with his on-screen love interests played by Marquita Goings and Karla Mosley. You can find it at 1:29:11 mark.

Now let us know, do you think Bill and Dani will have an ongoing affair? Who will figure out what Hayley is trying to do to Bill? Weigh-in via the comment section.

 

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Beyond the Gates

‘Beyond the Gates’ and NAACP Partner for Contest to Give Winning Viewer a Guest Spot on the 15-time Daytime Emmy Nominated Soap

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Beyond the Gates

Hot on the heels of its 15 Daytime Emmy nominations, which is a record-breaking number for a freshman entry in daytime, comes word that one lucky viewer has the chance to win a guest spot on an upcoming episode of the CBS soap opera, Beyond the Gates and a trip to Atlanta where the series is taped.

The NAACP and Beyond the Gates announced on Thursday via Instagram that they are holding a contest for you to show your love for Fairmont Crest, the Duprees, the Richardsons and other assorted characters who make up the canvas of Beyond the Gates.

Sharing the contest rules, the NAACP post said, “Your love for #BeyondtheGates could pay off.  The NAACP/Beyond the Gates Contest starts TODAY! Share an original video showing how you watch, react to, celebrate, or talk about the @beyondthegatescbs show for your chance to win. From watch parties to your favorite characters and unforgettable moments, show us what makes the series a must-watch.

Photo: CBS

HOW YOU CAN GO BEYOND THE GATES

The contest asks, “Want to win a guest spot on CBS hit show, and a trip to the Atlanta set?” Then, they state the rules which are:

There will be one winner, one role.

Post an original video showing how you interact with the show.

Tag @NAACP +@BeyondtheGates via Instagram

Use the hashtag #BeyondtheGates

This past Monday and Tuesday, as aforementioned above, Beyond the Gates received 15 nominations for the upcoming 53rd annual Daytime Emmy Awards to be held on October 30 from the Hollywood Palladium in Hollywood, California with the plans for the ceremony to be streamed on Watch.theemmys.TV and associated apps.

Beyond the Gates 15 nominations were in the following categories: Daytime Drama Series, Lead Actress for Karla Mosley andTamara Tunie, Supporting Actress for Trisha Mann-Grant, Supporting Actor for Timon Kyle Durrett, Supporting Actor for Mike Manning, Emerging Talent for Ambyr Michelle and Arielle Prepetit, Guest Performance for Jasmine Burke, Writing Team, Best Music Direction and Composition, Best Technical Direction, Best Lighting Direction, Best Hairstyling and Makeup and Best Casting.

So, if you were to enter the contest for a guest spot on Beyond the Gates, what would you do to get the judges attention and show your love to the CBS soap? Will you enter the contest and try to win a trip to Atlanta and meet everyone at the show? Let us know via the comment section below.

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