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New Daytime Drama ‘The Gates’ in Development For CBS; Michele Val Jean to Serve as EP, Writer & Showrunner

By Michael Fairman

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Photo: CBS

In what would be an unbelievable boost to the soap opera genre, CBS Studios and the NAACP, in partnership with P&G Studios, are coming together to produce a brand new daytime drama that would air on CBS.

The new soap in development is entitled The Gates, and it will center around a wealthy black family who reside in an upscale gated community. A very well-known name to daytime fans, Emmy award-winning writer, Michele Val Jean, will serve as the series writer and showrunner and one of the series EP’s. Val Jean is best known for her work as a writer for The Bold and the Beautiful, General Hospital plus Generations and Santa Barbara.

Other executive producers of the soap would be NAACP Venture president, Sheila Ducksworth, plus Leon Russell, Derrick Johnson and Kimberly Doebereine.

Photo: JPI

Ducksworth (pictured below) president of the CBS Studios NAACP venture, shared in a statement, “The Gates will be everything we love about daytime drama, from a new and fresh perspective. 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.”

“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,” added Ducksworth. “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”

Photo: NAACP

The Gates would mark the first new soap opera in the CBS Daytime line-up since 1987 when The Bold and the Beautiful premiered. The new soap would join B&B and The Young and the Restless for an impressive block of programming for soap fans.

On the new series in development, it’s noted: “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.”

So, what do you think of ‘The Gates’ becoming a new CBS Daytime drama series in what would be the first new network soap opera since the defunct-‘Passions’ 25 years ago? Comment below.

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That’s terrific news, does this mean The Bold and The Beautiful will be cancelled? It only got picked up until 2025. Or The Talk could be cancelled or let’s make a deal. I prefer they cancel Let’s make a deal. The show is terrible. I love The Talk they promote the soaps with there actors.

The bold and the beautiful isn’t going anywhere, it’s the #1 serial in the world….the new show would be on after B&B and move the Talk to 3pm….

I think it is wonderful that CBS is investing in a daytime program that is a soap.

Let’s hope ABC follows their lead and brings back some form of AMC & OLTL or some sort of blend of both shows as one.

Not gonna happen. Disney is in crisis and losing billions. Theyre considering selling ABC even. Also GH’s ratings are not as good as YR and BB. GH has barely over 2 million total viewers and their youth demographic is even worse.

Let’s not forget GENERATIONS was the first daytime soap with a black family at its core 35 years ago. It was an excellent show that didn’t have time to catch on and I believe Bal Jean was a part of that writing team. I hope the timing is right now and THE GATES will be a great success.

Wow. I would NEVER have thought we’d see another new soap–ever.

I will give it a try,* if it comes to fruition, definitely. I would be very interested to see what MVJ can do.

*Caveat: unless P&G Studios turns out to be Procter & Gamble; I want nothing to do with anything soap-related from them, ever again. All they do is break soap fans’ hearts.

Not interested; won’t be watching.

Respected… but how about at least a “hip hip hooray” for daytime ?

I’m not “hip, hip, hooraying” for a soap geared toward a black audience. First we had many black characters come aboard General Hospital (for example) to the exclusion of most other “diversity.” We STILL don’t have one Jewish character on GH, but are expanding on the black characters. And now a black soap? The catering to this one segment of the population in all things media is unbalanced. So it’s a no for me for many reasons, whether you or anyone else agree or understand from my point of view. When Michael wrote a post on FB that a new daytime soap was in the works my interest was piqued and I was excited to hear the details so I clicked the link here. And then I read them…

Wow….just….wow.

This isn’t the first all black soap. Generations back in the 80s made history.

Generations was a flop lol. We dont need a “black” soap opera. Are nation has been divided enough along ethnic lines because of all the lies the media has propagated over the last 5 or so years.
Criminals have been enshrined as martyrs simply because they were killed by police in most cases because they were committing crimes. Now the average black youth thinks we’re back living under Jim Crow! Thats ridiculous. And Im a black man who was born in 1964. My parents marched with MLK. My father nearly suffered the same fate as Emmet Teal. But today is a different day. THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A BETTER TIME TO BE A BLACK PERSON IN THE USA. THERE IS NO SYSTEMIC RACISM. EVERYONE AS LEGAL EQUALITY TODAY. Is racism gone completely? Of course not but today THE ONLY PERSON HOLDING ANYONE BACK FROM SUCCESS IS THEMSELVES! The left has lied to black folk and taken advantage of us far too long! Now we’re segregating our own selves. Its pathetic.

Don’t make it sound like it’s an us vs them situation. Your issue with a lack of a Jewish character on GH is similar to my distaste of B&B for lack of an LGBT character. That doesn’t mean I believe that spot is being taken by a black character.

All that matters is it good tv? Empire was successful because it was good soap for the first years. Yes, it had a predominant black cast but attracted viewers of all backgrounds.

I’m a red Devil and I thought Empire was a great show… well, at least until it all fell apart after the Jussie Smollett fiasco.

Satan, I would say your name before I would ever have “that” name in my mouth. It should only be spoken in terms of who has set many things back in time, sadly.

If you’d like, please read my replies to others on this thread and it will explain why I feel the way I feel. I agree about Empire; loved it. Any show can be great regardless of the ethnicity of the actors; that’s not my point.

Bye Rebecca. I hope The Gates starts a daytime resurgence and has unparalleled success just to piss you off.

It won’t piss me off any more than the vile antisemitism that emanates from the black community on a daily basis, from Farrakhan to Kanye, to the sports players to BHI to the anti-Israel crap and the racist narrative many black people have created about Israel. So, yeah, don’t count me as someone who cheers every time a black story or character or show or host or blah, blah, blah, happens. I’m way too plugged in to the hate spewed at my people for me to join the kiss-up crowd.

Rebecca, I would love to see Jewish representation. It’s needed. It’s necessary. I support it 1000% but I’m not going to shit on other communities in the the process. Your comments about outliers within the Black community are broad stroked. I’m Black and I find Kanye’s comments reprehensible but your comments are also insulting.

Have you watched “Transparent”?

It has pretty much all bases covered, and stars Judith Light in the unforgettable role as the ex-wife and mother.

Hi Brian; no I haven’t watched it.

Contrary to your statements CBS is not catering to any particular ethnic group. They are producing content for a demographic that actually watches their shows in large numbers and buys their advertising products. Its about the money!! Your argument is not with the African American community which demographically never abandoned the daytime soap community and played such a major role in keeping the daytime soap genre alive. Your complaints should be addressed to the existing soap community executives and producers whose movers and shakers are certainly not African American. Again, they are not embracing diversity due to wokeness. They are doing it because they want to make money!!!

I fully understand your frustration. It’s the same frustration that many people of color and the LBGT community felt for being sidelined on screen when we made up huge majorities of the audience. Our stories were never told and we were confined to being the loyal sidekicks. I can’t begin to tell you how many times we were told by industry soap journalists that our very presence offended middle America and grandma didn’t want to see us. Think about routinely reading that for decades. We are are now seeing a daytime community that looks more like America and the audience that watches it. More seats are at the table. So keep agitating for more Jewish representation on soaps and it will happen. Not because they are catering to a particular group because it deserves to happen. The pie really is big enough for all.

Unfortunately that’s not true for the Jewish population. My bet is once they start writing Jewish characters, they’ll be for Jewish POC. The “white” Jewish person has been stereotyped forever. On GH? Who was Jewish? “Bernie” the accountant. Hayden’s father, a non-character who was on for five minutes in a jail scene. What was he in for? A Ponzi scheme ala Bernie Madoff.

People think because there are Jewish writers and actors that Jews are “represented.” We’re not. And when we are? We get Bradley Cooper with a prosthetic nose (not sure why; as good-looking as he is his own nose would’ve done the trick, lol), Helen Mirren played Golda Meir, some woman whose name I can’t remember playing Carol King, and English actor Cillian Murphy (Peaky Blinders; great show) as Oppenheimer.

On GH? We had Matt Cohen play a priest, Sean Kanan play AJ, Stuart Damon play Alan Quartermaine, Tamara Braun play Carly, Rena Sofer play Lois, Amanda Setton play Brook Lynn, etc etc. All Jewish actors and yet the show can’t create ONE Jewish character let alone a Jewish family. And so people out in some area who never even met a Jewish person still have the Bernie stereotype or the hook-nosed caricature that circulates. Instead of representing Jewish people with attractive Jewish characters like they do with other minorities, they don’t. They seem to go out of their way not to. GH has been on sixty years; they’ve had Jake the doctor ((who was good-looking) and Bernie. That’s it. In sixty years and in this age of diversity. It’s an obvious omission. Glaring. And in the last few years? They didn’t just introduce black characters; they built up a family, they keep adding to the family, they have TJ with Molly and Trina with Spencer. We now have Latina representation with Blaze and her mom and Asian representation with Mrs. Wu, gay and lesbian…but no Jewish characters.

Now add to my resentment the very real antisemitism from the black community; it’s real and much of it is vile. And when I’ve mentioned that there are no Jewish characters, some black viewers have had a nasty reply; they’ve laughed and/or said “you’re white.” You’re represented. Really? If it was as easy as that there’d d be no Jew hate, no Hiter, no no Nazis, no Farrakkhan, Kanye, BHI. No hook-nosed caricatures and conspiracy theories specifically about “Jews.”

To watch one remake after another with black characters of classic shows, more black characters developed for soaps, while MY people are being thrown hate not just by white supremacists but by many in the black community and those who were part of BLM, to watch one black character and story line keep popping up on GH while I see that there’s STILL not one Jewish character…yes, I feel resentment. A lot.

And so no, I won’t be tuning into this new soap. If relations were better between the black community and the Jewish community, if they were standing with the Jewish community and Israel instead of spewing utter hate, I’d be happy to tune in. But just like any other human being, we react to how we’re treated and regarded. And it hasn’t been pretty.

So it’s not about the “pie being big enough.” It’s about the writers, producers, etc, not wanting Jewish characters on the show even as they diversify. It’s been brought to their attention; they ignore it.

With that said, thank you for your polite reply.

Hatikva is all I will say.

Says a lot.

I’ll take Karen’s for $2000.

This is great news never thought we’d see a new soap

CBS soaps have never aired down here in Hell, so I doubt we will see this one either. But all the same, it has to be a “net positive” sign that a soap is actually going on the air, as opposed to the trend of the last 2 decades, with the networks picking them off one by one.

I agree with you. It is a positive sign to see CBS on board with any soaps. I will dive the first week a try. So if you wish to watch it–get thee behind me, Satin.

So much for the genre being close to death.

P&G getting back in the daytime drama business after cutting the cords with ATWT & GL. That’s shocking.

Still be determined- will this be 30 or 60 minutes? Does it replace The Talk or Let’s Make A Deal? Or, is CBS taking time back from the affiliates?

As for casting – the first call must made to Debbi Morgan.

So P&G Studios really is Procter & Gamble. I so hoped it would turn out not to be.

Wonder what changed? P&G spent 15 years or so trying to get itself out of daytime; now they want back in, after all the damage they did? Hmmmm.

Proctor & Gamble had an “image problem” for a while, because some FundaMENTAList religious nuts started a rumor that the entire corporation was on MY payroll!

Entirely untrue of course. What would the Devil want with a soap company??

But it seems like they expanded their corporate portfolio into other areas (like Gillette razors) and seemingly got out of the TV business. But just like CBS, they apparently changed their mind about soaps as a “dead” genre.

Oh I hope Victoria Rowell gets cast in “The Gates.” Used to love her in Y&R as Drucilla Winters.

I don’t like it already! Not my thing . And if they cancel the Bold and the Beautiful I’ll be very disappointed! Bold and the beautiful is my favorite soap opera!

It was stated that the two Bell family soaps would not be cancelled for the new show. If they are smart at CBS then it would follow B&B. THE TALK could follow at 2:30 or 3. In NY the Judge Judy reruns may stop, for the East Coast. I wish that AS THE WORLD TURNS had not been axed, a part of daytime history since April 5, 1956. THE TALK then DR. PHIL could have followed. But instead poor writing killed Turns in its last two years. So legal issues sent newer Judge Judy shows & Dr. PHIL into limbo & here we are with tentative plans for a new serial, which is an expensive risk for CBS. But there is a slot for it. However the soap genre is dying & we need a new shot of adrenaline or it will vanish. So BEST OF. LUCK. to its success !!

No, no! I wish the soap genre never dies. I’d be lost without my soaps. As would thousands of soap fans, I’m sure.

I only just started watching B&B about 2/3 months ago, and now I am hooked.

B&B is the most popular soap in the world. It is distributed around Europe and brings in much more money that YR. It aint going anywhere lol. It will probably outlast YR.

I’m looking forward to this new soap. I love all the daytime soaps. But at the same time it saddens me because I’d entered a competition where you send a pitch for a TV show, and mine would have made a great daytime soap, but I didn’t win. Of course everyone thinks their stories are the best. But if I had money I would produce it myself. I guess it’s who you know in this business. (My motto: If you don’t succeed once, try try try again.)

I wish it well, but I can’t take on a fourth soap.

That’s OK. I appreciate you replying. I wish you all the best with “The Gates.” Looking forward to watching it.

My only wish is that they take Devon off Y&R and put him on the GATES! He is a scene crusher, ruined Abby and is nothing like Neil Winters. Y&R would be better off without him and that Mamie lady!

I agree about “that Mamie lady.” But I like Devon.

Hope it replaces The Talk, which is unwatchable — shouldn’t have ever replace As the World Turns.

Will it be an hour show?

It will be refreshing to see this come to daytime. Thank you
How can I become a actress on this program?

Ok for a new daytime soap but NEVER at the expense of B&B. The Talk needs to go away with its 1.6M viewers. The new soap can follow B&B, but will not take me away from GH. GH is the best soap for now.

Yeasssssssssssss!!!!!!!!!

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2026 Daytime Emmys Gold & Silver Circle Inductees: Francesca James, Patrika Darbo and Meredith Vieira Among Those Being Honored

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Daytime Emmy Gold & Silver Inductees

The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) announced on Thursday, October 8, the 2026 Gold & Silver Circle Inductees who will be celebrated at the 53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards on Friday, October 30.

This year’s honor roll features industry professionals that have made contributions across daytime television, including daytime dramas, talk shows, comedy, and more.

The Gold inductees include: Meredith Vieira (former c0-host of The View, journalist and EP and CEO, Meredith Vieira Productions),Patrika Darbo (ex-Nancy, Days of our Lives and Shirley, The Bold and the Beautiful, soon to be seen reprising her role of Shirley on Y&R), three-time Daytime Emmy winner, Francesca James (ex-Kitty/Kelly, All My Children, and ex-Marcy Wade, One Life to Live, plus director and/or producer at All My Children, General Hospital, Loving, Santa Barbara et al), and finally Byron Allen (Founder, Chairman & CEO Allen Media Group).

It should be noted that Vieira made guest appearances on both All My Children and General Hospital throughout her career. On GH, she played madam Bree Flanders in 2003 and 2012. She also appeared as a wedding planner on All My Children back in 2001.

Photo: NATAS

The Silver inductees are: Stephen Brown (VP Programming and Development, Fox Television Stations)  and Rubin Ervin (Announcer/Warm-Up Host for Family Feud, The Bachelor and more).The Gold and Silver Circle Society Inductees are deemed by NATAS as “exceptional professionals who have performed distinguished service within the television industry, setting standards for achievement, mentoring, leadership and professional accolades for 50 or 25 years, respectively. They represent the best and brightest in the industry.”

In a statement, Adam Sharp, President and CEO of NATAS shared, “This year’s Gold & Silver honorees are recognized for their continued exceptional contributions to our television industry. We are proud to honor a class of honorees from diverse career paths across many daytime genres. Their impact is evident in programming every day, inspiring generations and enriching the lives of countless viewers.”

MORE ON THE 53RD ANNUAL DAYTIME EMMYS

NATAS previously announced that soap opera icon Genie Francis (Laura, General Hospital) will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award during this year’s ceremonies.

The 2026 Daytime Emmys will be held at the historic Hollywood Palladium and will stream live on the NATAS YouTube channel at YouTube.com/@theemmys and watch.TheEmmys.tv.

The annual awards have recognized outstanding achievement in television programming and crafts since 1974, honoring work in a variety of genres, including daytime dramas, talk series, entertainment news, culinary, adventure, instructional and legal/courtroom programming.

The 53rd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards will be a single ceremony in 2026, produced by NATAS Productions. Adam Sharp and Lara Gates are executive producers, with Leon Knoles returning to direct for a fifth straight year. Rachel Schwartz serves as Head of Daytime, and the firm of Lutz & Carr, LLP, provides accounting services for the competition.

So, what do you think of this year’s Gold & Silver Inductees? Happy to see some of the names that will be recognized on October 30? Who in the future who has had enduring contributions to daytime television or the soap opera genre, would you like to see receive these honors in years to come? Let us know via the comment section below.

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Robert Kelker-Kelly, ‘General Hospital,’ ‘Days of our Lives’ and ‘Another World’ Star Dies at 62

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Robert Kelker-Kelly

Robert Kelker-Kelly, who became prominent as a one of the leading men in soap operas back in the late 80s and 90s has died at the age of 62. TMZ first reported the news of Robert’s passing on Saturday, October 3 at his home in St. Peters, Missouri.

According to the St. Peters police report, officers responded to call at around 8:16 pm about an unconscious man who was not breathing, as paramedics and other EMS were en route. Kelker-Kelly had reportedly complained of chest pain shortly before becoming unresponsive and the circumstances appeared consistent with a medical event.

Officers and paramedics administered life-saving measures, but were unsuccessful in reviving Kelker-Kelly. The cause of his death is still unknown and under investigation.

Robert Kelker-Kelly

Photo: NBC

Daytime fans first saw Robert back in 1987 when he was cast as Sam Fowler on Another World. He played the role for three year suntil 1990. Two years later, he took over the role of Bo Brady on Days of our Lives replacing Peter Reckell, who at that time decided to leave the show.

As Bo, Kelker-Kelly was major in story playing opposite the likes of: Crystal Chappell as Dr. Carly Manning, Kristian Alfonso as Hope Williams and Lisa Rinna as Billie Reed. When Peter Reckell returned to his signature role in 1995, Kelker-Kelly left the show.

Next, Robert returned to his original stomping grounds at Another World but this time as race car driver, Bobby Reno who was actually Dr. Shane Roberts. His second AW stint lasted from 1996-1998.

Robert Kelker-Kelly, GH

Photo: ABC

Eventually, the actor would begin his run as the evil Stavros Cassadine on General Hospital in 2001, then make returns in 2002 and 2003. In 2013, he briefly returned as Stavros as part of the show’s 50th anniversary celebration, and made one last appearance in 2014.

Robert has also became a professional pilot full from 2003 to 2015 and had been married to former Days of our Lives star, Miriam Parrish (ex-Jamie Caldwell) from 1997-2011, but the couple divorced in 2011. Since that time, he has not remarried.

Recently, Robert was back in the news when Lisa Rinna talked about her time working with her former Days of our Lives co-star in her recently released memoir, You Better Believe I’m Gonna Talk About It.

Rinna shared on her then on-screen love interest, “Behind the scenes, we hated each other. Remember when Kathy Hilton said I was the biggest bully in Hollywood? Not true. Not even close! I have legit stories about the real bullies in this town. Robert Kelker-Kelly is one of those bullies.”

The former Billie Reed and reality star even punctuated that with, “He made my life a living hell on the set of DAYS, He was horrible to me, I’d go so far as to say verbally abusive. He was passive-aggressive, manipulative and played weird mind games.”

Besides his role in the soaps, Kelker-Kelly appeared on primetime on Touched by an Angel and Rescue 77 , and played Bo in the Days of our Lives specials Night Sins and Winter Heat in the early 90s.

Michael Fairman TV will provide further updates as they become available on the death of Robert Kelker-Kelly.

Now, share your remembrances and condolences on the loss of Robert Kelker-Kelly via the comment section below and let us know of all his daytime roles, which was your favorite.

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Hayden Panettiere’s Cause of Death Revealed

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Hayden Panettiere

On Tuesday, September 22, the Greenville, South Carolina Coroner’s office ruled that actress Hayden Panettiere’s death was an accident, attributing the 36-year-old’s passing to be a combination of toxic effects from fentanyl and other drugs that were in her system.

Panettiere was found unresponsive on Sunday, August 16. There have been numerous reports and sources speaking to various outlets about the manner in which the Nashville and Guiding Light alum died, but nothing was certain until now.

The Greenville County Coroner’s office shared that fentanyl, combined with 4-ANPP, Alprazolam (also known as Xanax), Methocarbamol (a muscle relaxant) and Quetiapine (used to treat bipolar disorder and schizophrenia but is sometimes prescribed to treat depression), were all found in Hayden’s system.

Hayden Panettiere Guiding Light

Photo: CBS

GUIDING LIGHT ALUM’S DEATH IS STILL UNDER AN ONGOING INVESTIGATION

Meanwhile, the Greenville Police Department shared there is still an ongoing investigation into this case. “Our detectives will continue to follow leads and gather information as we work toward resolving this case,” the department shared.

That is, because despite Panettiere’s death being ruled accidental, authorities continue investigating whether anyone might be criminally responsible for providing the star with a lethal substance. It is being shared that this is  “cross-country investigation” stretching from as far as South Carolina to California.

As we previously reported, TMZ shared on September 14 that law enforcement officials believe Hayden’s “long time drug dealer” may have been the person responsible for supplying her with an oxycodone pill laced with fentanyl which she took the morning of her death.

Panettiere “had been temporarily staying” at the apartment in Greenville, the coroner’s office said in August. Authorities did not say whose apartment it was but it was said to later be an Airbnb. It was Hayden’s on-again off-again boyfriend, Brian Hickerson, and his brother Zach who called 911 the afternoon of August 16 to say Panettiere was unresponsive, according to police reports.

Hayden Panettiere, Charles Esten, Nashville

Photo: ABC

HAYDEN PANETTIERE IMPRESSED IN EVERY ROLE SHE PLAYED

Soap opera fans still remember Hayden’s as a very young Sarah Roberts on One Life to Live from 1994 until 1997, and then her signature daytime role as Lizzie Spaulding on Guiding Light from 1996-2000.

She later went on to star on the Music City primetime soap opera, Nashville from 2012-2018 on ABC and CMT where she played country and western singer, Juliette Barnes opposite General Hospital alum, Jonathan Jackson (ex-Lucky Spencer), who played her love interest, Avery Barclay.

Over this past weekend, Jackson, Charles Esten (pictured above), Connie Britton, and others from the cast of Nashville gathered for a memorial service in Hayden’s honor to pay their respects for their beloved co-star.

So, what do you think about the ruling in the death of actress Hayden Panettiere that it was an accident involving toxic effects of fentanyl combined with other drugs and medications she was taking at the time? Share your reactions via the comment section below.

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