Beyond the Gates
‘Beyond the Gates’ Writing Team Revealed: Michele Val Jean and Bob Guza Jr. Named Co-Head Writers; Ron Carlivati, Gregori Martin Among Breakdown Writers
Following the start of production and premiere date announcement, CBS’ new daytime series Beyond the Gates on Friday introduced its staff of writers. With show creator, executive producer, and showrunner Michele Val Jean and co-head writer and EP Bob Guza Jr. at the helm, the writers room is comprised of a diverse team of soap and television scribes.
In addition, other notable members of the team are very familiar to soap audiences for the work. They include: former Days of our Lives, General Hospital, and One Life to Live head writer, Ron Carlivati, and The Bay’s creator, Gregori J. Martin, as well as longtime writers from The Young and the Restless scribes, Sara A. Bibel and Theresa Zimmerman, plus soap journeyman, Christopher Dunn, Susan Dansby and more. Script writers include: Danielle Paige, Jazmen Darnell Brown, Cheryl L. Davis and Lynn Martin, among others.
Beyond the Gates is set to premiere on February 24th, 2025 as a one-hour soap opera. The new daytime drama series from the CBS Studios/NAACP Venture will air weekdays at 2:00 p.m. ET/1:00 p.m. PT on CBS and will be stream Live and On Demand on Paramount+*.
Photo: CBS
Take a look below at the official writing team of Beyond the Gates; who will shape the characters and the story in daytime’s newest soap opera since Passions in 1999.
Michele Val Jean – Creator/Head Writer/EP/Showrunner
Credits: Script Writer, Generations; Script Writer/Script Editor, Santa Barbara; Associate Head Writer/Script Editor/Script Writer/Breakdown Writer, General Hospital; Script Writer, Bold & Beautiful, Consulting Producer/Script Writer, Ambitions, Jake & The Fatman (2scripts)
Bob Guza Jr. – EP/Co-Head Writer
Credits: Writer, Santa Barbara; Creator, Sunset Beach; Co-Head Writer, Loving; Head Writer, General Hospital
Susan Dansby – Script Editor
Credits: Story Consultant, Young and the Restless; Consulting Producer, Ambitions; Script Writer, Young and the Restless; Script Writer, Breakdown Writer, Assoc. Head Writer, As the World Turns; Director, Port Charles; AP, Director, General Hospital
Michael Montgomery – Continuity Producer
Credits: Script & Story Coordinator/ Breakdown Writer and Script Writer, Young and the Restless
SCRIPT WRITERS:
Judy Tate
Credits: Breakdown Writer/Script Writer, Another World, As the World Turns, Days of our Lives Feature Short, Keepers of the Flame
Danielle Paige
Credits: Script Writer, Guiding Light, Days of our Lives; Novelist, Dorothy Must Die, Stealing Snow, The Ravens, The Monarchs, Holos
Jazmen Darnell Brown
Credits: Staff Writer, BMF, Ambitions, Saints and Sinners
Cheryl L. Davis
Credits: Scriptwriter, As the World Turns, Days of our Lives; Staff Writer, Law & Order: SVU
Lynn Martin
Credits: Script Writer, The City, Port Charles, Another World, As the World Turns, Young and the Restless
BREAKDOWN WRITERS:
Ron Carlvati
Credits: Script Writer/Head Writer, One Life to Live; Head Writer, General Hospital; Head Writer, Days of Our Lives
Sara A. Bibel
Credits: Script Writer, Breakdown Writer, Assoc. Head Writer, Young and the Restless
Christopher Dunn
Credits: Breakdown Writer, Santa Barbara, General Hospital, Sunset Beach, Guiding Light, All My Children, Days of our Lives, Young and the Restless; Script Writer, Guiding Light, Days of our Lives
Gregori J. Martin
Credits: Creator/Head Writer, The Bay; Screenplay Adaptation, Edgar Allan Poe’s The Raven
Teresa Zimmerman
Credits: Breakdown Writer, Young and the Restless; Scriptwriter, Young and the Restless; Associate Head Writer, Bold and the Beautiful
Photo: CBS
Well… if ReRon is involved, that makes this show less of a threat to GH at least.
The irony of him and Bob Guza working together though…..
I hear you! Two different styles!
Lather, rinse, repeat. WHY do they keep regurgitating soap writers?
I’m sorry! Why Ron Carlivati????!!! Total camp!!
You spelled “crap” wrong.
No Satan, I am.saying his plate writing style is campy. Some folks love it, but it’s not my cup of tea. One Life to Live and GH totally changed under his tenure: and OLTL never recovered. Fortunately GH did.
I liked when Ron wrote for OLTL
I smell a woke soap and the woke world ended November 5th.
Keep dreaming – we’re not going anywhere. There’s a market out there for this. Money talks (as you should well know).
We’ll see.
The market is dominated by MAGA. Look at the ratings of the legacy networks, the spinoff of MSNBC because of a huge drop in audience and profits, the sale of ABC by Disney, and the rise of new 24 hours live streaming channels funded by conservatives.
How do you define “woke”? And what gives you the impression the soap will be “woke”?
Take your garbage to Fox News or X.
What garbage? Vote for Kameltoe and Walz 2024 signs? Gladly.
Leave the discussion to the adults in the room. That you have to resort to childish name calling is rather pathetic.
Mimi. You’re what’s wrong in this world. Enjoy your darkness and ugliness.
Fox News is globalist establishment media.
Spoken like someone who doesn’t know what the word means.
“Ooooh rush me to the Burn Center”
Can’t do that. It just got shut down because Bobby Brainworm doesn’t believe burns are real. Even though several famous members of his own family could testify otherwise, if you know what I mean.
Donald couldn’t give a shit about you or any of his supporters so it’s time to wake up to reality.
Neither does Kameltoe
You must be a rebellious 13 year old girl.. you have the mean spiritedness.. like crude name calling.. grow child grow… if you can
KAMALA baby! Get it right! If you love Donald good for you! No need to be rude and disrespectful.
Bulls-eye. No doubt about its commitment to wokeness….. the writing team and major sponsor are testimonies.
Denise, are you able to expound on what is meant by a “commitment to wokeness”? This is the second or third comment about it this new soap being “woke,” but no one has squarely defined it.
This list of writers is impressive to say the least. Yes, Ron and Bob are negatives to this writing team.
The “writer” yes, although, he’s only a breakdown writer so he has no control. Guza Jnr isn’t as bad as many believe him to be. He knows how to move a Sweeps storyline, and he’s been out of the game 13 years. I’m sure he has some solid ideas.
Guza is good I will say
Honestly, overall, this writing team is solid. Real solid. Michele Val Jean is class and our head honcho leader & Robert Guza Jnr, despite all of his faults, will bring some real excitement to Sweeps period, and they both worked together on General Hospital, so that’s a promising sign. Susan Dansby is finally getting her due as script editor⏤which means bullshit won’t be making it onscreen. And I’m happy they have a continuity producer. I don’t believe any other soap has one of those, especially the one with a “historian” as head writer.
The two names I don’t like seeing are Sara A. Bibel & Ron Carlivati, both of whom I’m at least in comfort knowing are breakdown writers, only. Their roles will be tight and restricted, thankfully. But, I love seeing an all-POC team of script writers, which will provide a very unique POV to American daytime viewers. Let’s go!!! Bring it on!!!!!!!
I hope this soap is about real issues and not science fiction/devil worship/return from the dead/who’s the daddy. These issues have been done to death. I hope Guza does an amazing job. I am intrigued.
I trust Val Jean and the vision she has for HER show. She is creator, show runner, executive producer AND head writer. She knows what she’s doing.
Hey, what’s wrong with Devil storylines? I did some of my best work on Days!
You were good on Dark Shadows, too! Pity you needed an assumed name and only got two days of work! Here’s looking at you, Diabolos!
People want romance on soaps real issues are boring. As for “devil” stories, Days devil story in the early 90s was basically told as a love story so I don’t mind the dumb storylines of they are done with that mind.
Just what I thought, a supposedly all Black cast but the entire writing staff is white. So it’s going to be the same old treatment of black people on American soap operas. The characters will be Black by face only and living a lily white life! To the writers, I don’t watch American soap operas anymore because you tend to turn the black characters into white characters. All the black men usually end up with white women and the black women be placed in the background. But, to Black viewers, I suggest you take a look at South African soapies on YouTube. These shows have black writers producers directors and have stories lines catered to blacks people which include cultural what we believe, good people, villains everything you want in a soap opera. Black people don’t continue to fall for this type of treatment.
Time will tell, but the track record of this crew supports everything you said!
LOL!!!! Black people are the ONLY minority who are overrepresented on TV at this point if you go by the percentage of how many black people there are in the country. And on GH? They are THE most represented minority with about 15 characters; all professional from doctors, heads of police, assistant to the mayor, head nurse, jazz musician, social worker, and now three doctors: TJ, Jordan, and Gannon. As for interracial dating, it’s the white guy with the black woman; there was AJ Quartermaine with Keisha, Nikolas with Gina, Spencer with Trina. “Acting white?” What is acting white? All the characters are educated regardless of race. There’s a definite dialect when Marshall and Stella speak, and they’ve infused race into some stories that shouldn’t even be there. And now…there’s going to be an American black soap centered around a black family. Not a Latin family, not Jewish family, not a Japanese family, but a black family. And yet the whining continues….
How does converting to the Jewish faith fit in ? I know of many black people who have converted. Just wondering…
Absolutely!
No. It’s not. Do your research.
Instead of speaking without knowing, you should do your research. Every single person listed as a script writer (the more important roles vs. breakdown) is a person of colour. That is FACT. So to say the ENTIRE writing staff is White is completely wrong, and you’re not the only one trying to sell this as fact when it’s completely false. Try again, Art.
I know they should try to have more black writers I am not sure that would make it better but I have a feeling this will be just white liberal gibberish. Guza is good tho he might make it work.
Go to Great American Family. You may be their target audience.
Ok anything American is fine with me! Like are darling president Donald Trump who I love more than anyone!
Poor you.
He’s the messiah for morons.
The creator and co-headwriter Michele Val Jean is a Black woman — she was the first Black head writer of any American soap opera (GH). She is royalty and made sure all her scriptwriters were also Black.
Shes royalty? How so?
Daytime soap royalty.
Mimi is a Trumpster and there’s no.getting through to her. Let her bask in the glow of her Messiah’s victory!
Leave it to P&G and CBS. This smacks of the eventuality of the wrong people taking over a soap they’ll have no business helming. Great idea. Poor choices. TPTB are in line to tank the first new soap in decades. Well done y’all. Well done. Round of applause please.
Well I hope since it’s a soap highlighting a family of color. There will be people of color working on scripts and behind the scenes.
There are! One of the two co-headwriters and the entire scriptwriting staff.
I am very disappointed in this writing team. It’s going to be the same old stuff that brought down all the other soaps: Evil twins, characters returning from the dead, campy comedy, unrealistic plot lines, and the list can go on…… I was hoping for good storytelling with interesting, well rounded characters.
And how do you know this, Phil? I highly doubt Michele Val Jean would do that to her baby.
Campy- Hmmmmmmm, i.wonder who Phil is referring to???? One guess!
I Love this production. I just have one suggestion, please, please don’t break up Ted and Vanessa. Let them stay together so Leslie/Dana, can get her face crushed, Even though the divorce papers are supposed to be signed already, it can play out that the papers were never filed or something, to keep them together, please!
Beyond the Gates
TUNE-IN: ‘Beyond the Gates’ Banneker Homecoming Episodes, EP Sheila Ducksworth Speaks on Impact HBCUs Have in Real Life
As previously reported, kicking off today, is a two-part Beyond the Gates, when The Duprees gather to celebrate Banneker University’s homecoming weekend.
The producers and writers are taking an opportunity to spotlight the rich traditions of the long-held tradition of attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) through its fictional university.
The episodes are today on CBS and stream on Paramount+ on Friday, October 2 and next week on Monday, October 5, where in true Beyond the Gates fashion, there will be some surprising drama that ensues when someone shows up!
Photo: CBS
BANNEKER REFLECTS THE IMPORTANCE OF HBCUS
Sheila Duckworth, (executive producer, Beyond the Gates) spoke to Soaps.com to give some insight on the decision for the series to illustrate the ties that bind with HBCUs.
“It was important that we have this school as almost a character on our canvas, right from the beginning. Beyond even education, HBCUs have been pivotal when it comes to everything from economic progression and fostering a sense of community to the development of leadership skills,” explained Ducksworth. “From the beginning, we wanted to illustrate that what the Duprees are able to do in the world was a direct reflection of the impact HBCU’s have in real life.”
EVERYTHING HAS ITS PURPOSE
The EP talked about how purposeful the elements that integrate Banneker into the overall story of Beyond the Gates are including: the Dupree family door knocker that is a lion, the mascot for the fictional university, plus, the upcoming fight song that the cast will sing together on the Monday, October 5 episode, and the painting the hangs at Fairmont Crest.
That portrait of Vernon Dupree’s (Clifton Davis) father, George Cheeks Dupree, that hangs prominently at the country club, was named after CBS executive George Cheeks (now Chairman of TV and Media, Paramount), and as Ducksworth says of the legacy of Vernon’s father, “He was the architect of Fairmont Crest.”
So, are you looking forward to these episodes honoring HBCU traditions with the Dupree and the Richardson clans? What surprises do you think might be in store come next week? Let us know via the comment section below.
Beyond the Gates
‘Beyond the Gates’ Honors HBCU Tradition with Banneker University Homecoming Episodes
Beyond the Gates is set to air two upcoming episodes on Friday, October 2 and Monday, October 5 on CBS, which will feature the residents of Fairmont Crest gathering at the Dupree family home for a spirited tailgate ahead of Banneker’s Homecoming, decked out in the university’s signature crimson and gold.
The episodes celebrate African American heritage by showcasing the longstanding homecoming traditions of historically Black colleges and universities (HBCU’s) through the show’s fictional Banneker University.
With five generations of the Dupree family having attended Banneker, Homecoming is more than a celebration – it’s a cherished family legacy. For the Duprees and the Fairmont Crest community, it offers an opportunity to honor their shared history, celebrate their HBCU pride, and come together for a special day filled with family, friendship, and tradition.
Photo: CBS
BANNEKER U. FIGHT SONG
The excitement culminates with a spirited bus ride to the game, where the entire group proudly sings “Fight On,” Banneker University’s beloved fight song and we know the cast members of Beyond the Gates CAN SING! Ahead of the episodes, CBS released some promotional photos and more to engage viewers to tune-in to the 15-time Daytime Emmy nominated daytime drama.
The series is produced by CBS Studios, as part of the CBS Studios/NAACP Venture, in partnership with P&G Studios, a division of Procter & Gamble. Created by head writer Michele Val Jean, executive producers include Val Jean, Sheila Ducksworth, Julie Carruthers, Tracey Thomson, Leon W. Russell, Derrick Johnson, Anna Saalfeld and Lela Coffey. The series is distributed by Paramount Global Content Distribution.
Photo: CBS
Beyond the Gates is broadcast weekdays on CBS (2:00-3:00 PM, ET/1:00-2:00 PM, PT) and is available to stream on Paramount+**.
*(live and on-demand for Paramount+ Premium plan subscribers, or on-demand for Paramount+ Essential subscribers the day after the episode airs)*. *Paramount+ Premium subscribers will have access to stream live via the live feed of their local CBS affiliate on the service, as well as on-demand. Paramount+ Essential subscribers will not have the option to stream live, but will have access to on-demand the day after the episode airs.
So, are you glad to see Beyond the Gates continuing to shed light on Black excellence through its soap opera platform? Is the Dupree family, quickly, if not already, become one of your favorites families in all of daytime drama? Let us know via the comment section below.
Beyond the Gates
RATINGS: ‘Beyond the Gates’ Inches Closer to ‘General Hospital’ for the #3 Spot in Total Viewers
The ratings are out for the week of September 7-11, 2026 and while all of the long-running daytime dramas were down in total viewers week-over-week, it was the newest soap opera on the block, Beyond the Gates, that showed gains and much promise. Let’s take a look.
According to Soap Opera Network, not only did Beyond the Gates add +12,000 tuning-in for the week, it is narrowing the gap between itself and current #3 soap, General Hospital in total viewers, and tied with the venerable ABC series for actual household ratings share.
Beyond the Gates averaged 1,689,000 for its audience for the week while General Hospital had 1,769,000, that’s just an 80,000 difference that separates the two shows. While Beyond the Gates had a year-over-year increase for the ratings week, GH showed the biggest loss of all the soaps year-over-year with -231,000 and the biggest loss in viewers week-over-week with -142,000.
Photo: CBS
BEYOND THE GATES
In addition, Beyond the Gates once again bested GH in the key 18-49 women’s rating share and also for the week, the women’s 25-54 ratings share, now putting them firmly in the third place. It should be noted that both Beyond the Gates and General Hospital aired an encore presentation on Labor Day, September 7.
Here’s what had viewers tuning-in on Beyond the Gates: Hayley (Marquita Goings) faced mounting pressure as Bill (Timon Kyle Durrett) grew suspicious of her lies and a major secret came to light. Andre Richardson (Sean Freeman) went through a paranoid spiral noticed by Dani (Karla Mosley), while Heather Armstrong’s (Ashley Jones) behavior became increasingly unhinged, Deanna (Angela Fairley) reached a breaking point under mounting pressure and decided to return to school and Smitty (Mike Manning) was digging deeper into the death of Lia Whitmore.
Courtesy/ABC
GENERAL HOSPITAL
On General Hospital, the week in story was highlighted by: Brook Lynn (Amanda Setton) admitting she was the other driver in Jordan Ashford’s (Tanisha Harper) accident, leaving Trina Robinson (Tabyana Ali) furious and demanding answers and ultimately Chase (Josh Swickard) walking out on Brook Lynn!
In addition, viewers witnessed, Anna (Finola Hughes) nearly killing Britt Westbourne (Kelly Thiebaud), but instead firing a shot at a hallucination of Peter August (Wes Ramsey) as Jason (Steve Burton) tried to talk Anna down. Meanwhile, Drew (Cameron Mathison) and Ava (Maura West) dealt with the fallout and complications surrounding the disappearance of Jack Brennan (Chris McKenna).
Courtesy/CBS
THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL
Over at B&B, the soap remained in second place behind sister soap, The Young and the Restless for the top spot in total viewers; although it should be noted they continued to close the gap for the race to #1. For the ratings period, The Bold and the Beautiful average 2,695,000 tuning-in, but was down week-over-week -83,000, but with the biggest soap gains year-over-year at this time with +228,000.
In other good news for the show, it came in at #1 for the key women’s 18-49 rating share defeating Y&R, and came in #2 for the women’s 25-54 rating share behind Y&R.
In story for the ratings week: Steffy (Jacqueline MacInnes Wood) goes into panic-mode after a positive pregnancy and breaks the news to Carter (Lawrence Saint-Victor). Katie (Heather Tom) tries to meddle in Will’s (Crew Morrow) love life with Dylan (Sydney Bullock), thus having Katie visit Electra (Laneya Grace) and telling the young woman to try to win Will back. Finn (Tanner Novlan) tries to give surrogacy advice to Carter and Daphne (Murielle Hilaire) unaware of his wife Steffy’s drunken night with Carter, and the true cause-effect of that moment.
Photo: JPI
THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS
Once again, Y&R remained as the number one most-viewed broadcast television daytime drama of then all, clocking in with 3,059,000 tuning-in, but down -130,000 week-over-week, but still up + 159,000 year-over-year. Y&R also remained in the top spot for household ratings share and atop the key women’s 25-54 rating share.
In story for the week: Patty Williams (Stacy Haiduk) escaped custody and tracked down Matt Clark (Roger Howarth). Meanwhile, Kyle (Michael Mealor) and Victoria (Amelia Heinle) continue their affair and are almost caught by Phyllis (Michelle Stafford). Nick Newman (Joshua Morrow) and Marie (Jade Harlow) shared a heartfelt goodbye before she leaves town to continue her recovery. Jack (Peter Bergman) sets a trap for Patty as he collapses at Society.
Of note: Nielsen ratings are based on the Live+Same Day Big Data+Panel model.
So, what do you think about the latest ratings picture and how Beyond the Gates is gaining on General Hospital in total viewers while already besting them in both key demos? Which soap opera is piquing your interest the most? Which is not doing it for you? Weigh-in via the comment section below.
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TUNE-IN: ‘Beyond the Gates’ Banneker Homecoming Episodes, EP Sheila Ducksworth Speaks on Impact HBCUs Have in Real Life
GENERAL HOSPITAL: Sonny Tells Dante, “I Don’t Want a Son Like You,” While Michael Tells Brook Lynn to Bide Her Time Till Chase and Willow Have an Affair
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‘Beyond the Gates’ Honors HBCU Tradition with Banneker University Homecoming Episodes
Alley Mills Returns to ‘General Hospital’ as Heather Webber
Judith Light Joins Cast of ‘Shrinking’ Season 4 in Recurring Role
‘Beyond the Gates’ Marquita Goings Delivers the ‘Power Performance of the Week’
GENERAL HOSPITAL: Sonny Tells Dante, “I Don’t Want a Son Like You,” While Michael Tells Brook Lynn to Bide Her Time Till Chase and Willow Have an Affair
GH Alum Tajh Bellow and Y&R Alum Loren Lott Star in New Tiktok and Microdrama ‘Love Island’ Spoof
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