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.

This week, saw the elevation to soap opera vixen status of Beyond the Gates schemer and conniver, Hayley Lawson as played by Marquita Goings, in deliciously written scenes that showcased that Hayley is a force to be reckoned with no matter how she is initially down for the count!

First, Dani (Karla Mosley) figures out that Hayley has been trying to “Kill Bill” by slowly poisoning him. After she sneaks into Bill (Timon Kyle Durrett) and Hayley’s house to find the evidence, Hayley catches her and pulls a gun from her purse, which then results in the “turn about is fair play” moment, harkening back to when Dani pulled a gun on Hayley and Bill at their nuptials in the very first episodes of Beyond the Gates back in February of 2025.

After spewing her venom at Dani, and how no one would believe her story, especially when she tells the cop she shot an intruder, Dani had a leg up on Hayley and brought back up. Jacob (Jibre Hordges) and Naomi (Arielle Prepetit) enter the living room. Next, Jacob cuffs Hayley and brings her to the police station. Eventually, she gets caught with the poison (in her bra no less) and now is more serious legal trouble and looking at jail time.

Courtesy/CBS

HAYLEY FACES THE MUSIC

However, in Friday’s September 25 cliffhanger episode, Marquita Goings really had us relishing all of Hayley’s next moves. First, while she is handcuffed at the police station, Bill, along with Dani, confront her. He has left the hospital to face his wife. When Hayley sees Bill, she begins to cry crocodile tears that she is being framed for attempted murder. Bill had a great line about “losing IQ points” listening to all of Hayley’s lies and walks out on her as she screams for Bill to come back.

Next, Jacob begins processing Hayley which includes taking her mug shot. And if you caught it, Goings did her signature wink that she actually does in the opening title sequence of Beyond the Gates, which was a hilarious touch while being photographed.

At this point, Hayley is completely stuck with no one to bail her out as she can’t reach Randy (Maurice P. Kerry) and Tomas (Alex Alegria) comes to see her and explains to her there is no way he can represent her as it would be a conflict of interest, because he works at Bill’s law firm. Sitting by watching this entire thing unfold at the police station is Leslie (Trisha Mann-Grant). In the end, it’s Leslie who comes to Hayley’s rescue and posts her bail.

Courtesy/CBS

YOU CAN’T KEEP A GOOD VIXEN DOWN

Later, Hayley finds Randy and explains to him her credit cards were canceled and she can’t get into Fairmont Crest to go home as the accessing code is blocked for her. He gives her some cash and she storms out.

However, what comes next sealed the deal for us. Hayley all sexxed up shows up in Bill’s hospital room. Bill tries to hit the call button from his bedside, but she slaps it out of his hand.

Bill proceeds to tell off Hayley and her “gold-digging ass” and how he is going to divorce her and get a restraining order, calling Hayley a “sorry, evil bitch!” But, Hayley’s got something on Bill. At the conclusion of the episode and with a cold and menacing look and voice, tells Bill firmly, “That’s now how this ends!”

Photo: CBS

BRAVO

Throughout all of the scenes mentioned above, Marquita Goings truly brought Hayley to next level villainy, and yet we enjoyed seeing her manipulate everyone in the process, too!

It all starts with the page and the script, but it’s the actor who brings it to life. We’ve got to say, we throughly enjoyed Goings performances which reminded us of old school soap in the best possible way.

For all these reasons noted above, Michael Fairman TV gives the nod to Marquita Goings for The Power Performance of the Week.

So, did you enjoy the performances of Marquita Goings on this week’s episodes of Beyond the Gates? What did you think of how Hayley came back after posting bail to threaten Bill at the end of Friday’s episode? Share your thoughts on our pick for the Power Performance of the Week via the comment section.

In an effort to bring back productions to the United States and offering incentives to keep them from going abroad, a bipartisan group of lawmakers in Congress has introduced proposed legislation to establish a federal film and television tax credit. It is being touted as a landmark moment for Hollywood Workers and small businesses.

The Motion Picture, Television, and Entertainment Revitalization Act, led by Rep. Laura Friedman (D-Calif.), Rep. Nathaniel Moran (R-Texas), Rep. Sanchez (D-Calif.) and Rep. Brian Jack (R-Ga.) in the House of Representatives, would establish a 20 percent base tax credit on labor expenses and a potential rebate of 30% if signed into law. Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) are spearheading an identical bill in the Senate.

To be eligible, productions must have a minimum spend of $1 million (per film or per TV season), and at least 75% of production days must be in the U.S. For animation, 75% of the production cost must be in the U.S.

Photo: CBS

SOAP OPERAS AND OTHER FORMS OF PROGRAMMING WILL NOT BE PART OF THE BILL

The federal incentive would be eligible to be stacked on top of individual state tax incentives, much like the current system in Canada and Australia. In the new bill, postproduction and special visual effects labor costs can be counted as eligible expenses.

However, the lawmakers proposed bill does not include the following type of shows: Daytime dramas, porn, commercials, talk shows, interview shows, game shows, award shows, news programming, live sports, corporate/industrial videos, and social media videos,

TV AND FILM PROJECTS THAT ARE ELIGIBLE HOPE TO BRING BUSINESS AND JOBS BACK TO THE U.S.