Get ready for an action-packed story arc when several of Genoa City’s most prominent residents descend on Fairmont Crest for a fundraiser for congressman Martin Richardson’s (Brandon Claybon) campaign which kickstarts the four episode CBS daytime crossover event between Beyond the Gates and The Young and the Restless.

Beginning Tuesday, June 9 and airing though Friday, June 12 on CBS and streaming on Paramount+, in true soap opera fashion, a tornado is heading straight towards the D.C./Maryland area and strikes during the soiree, putting everyone’s life in peril.

Participating in the crossover from The Young and the Restless are: Jack Abbott (Peter Bergman), Victor Newman (Eric Braeden), Diane Jenkins (Susan Walters), Kyle Abbott (Michael Mealor), Devon Winters (Bryton James) and Abby Newman (Melissa Ordway). 

Photo: CBS

Now, as is soap opera tradition, when a tornado strikes your soap town, expect the story to be anchored on who is stuck with who? Is it an ex-husband, a former flame, a hot stranger, feuding sisters, anything and everything is on the table for this one, folks!

As a prelude to what fans will see, Peter Bergman and Daphnée Duplaix (Nicole Dupree Richardson, Beyond the Gates) visited the Michael Fairman Channel to give us the ultimate tease. Below are just a few nuggets we learned from the conversation.

JACK AND DIANE CAN’T SEEM TO FIND COMMON GROUND

Already on the outs with his wife, Diane, how does coming to Fairmont Crest impact a reconciliation between the two? Peter Bergman shared, “One would think you could build on that and that it would bring them closer together. A fellah can dream! Jack was hopeful that this little exit to Maryland might rekindle some things, might help things heal. However, Jack goes back to Genoa City fighting for his marriage.”

Courtesy/CBS

WILL NICOLE CHOOSE A MAN WHILE IN THE RUBBLE?

As for Nicole, she has been playing the field dating two men: Dr. Carlton Fitzgerald (Robert Christopher Riley) and Dr. Kial Rollins (Greg Vaughan), and she still has her ex-husband Dr.Ted Richardson (Keith D. Robinson) wanting her back, might the epic tornado bring her some clarify?

Duplaix explained, “Nicole is still very much in, ‘I am having fun. I’m discovering myself. Do not give me any pressure. Don’t stress me out,’ mode. She does want to give her heart to somebody, but is still scared. So she’s like, ‘let’s just sit back and have some fun.’ As for Ted, I’m still friendly. I’m still kind (towards him).”

Both Daphnée and Peter reported they were most impressed by how Beyond the Gates was able to pull off a natural disaster ripping through Fairmont Crest, so the enormity of it could be played out on-screen in soapy fashion, but leveled up the Beyond the Gates way.

THE MAKING OF A SOAP OPERA TORNADO

“This was movie level quality on a daytime soap,” exclaimed Duplaix. “We used a completely different stage to be able to have the amount of people that we had in these scenes. It was pretty incredible and intense. I think everybody held their own from the front of the camera to the behind the camera, and I think the fans audience are going be not just surprised, but definitely satisfied.”

Twenty-five time Daytime Emmy nominee and a three time winner, Peter Bergman, certainly knows a thing or two about soap operas. Through the year, he has made no bones in previous interviews that he is a student of the genre and does watch other soaps and actors from those respective soaps. Peter was well aware that Beyond the Gates in its year and a half existence has delivered every time they have a major reveal planned.

Courtesy/CBS

ANOTHER SHOCKER IS ON THE WAY

Bergman agreed and added, “So, you are a brand new show. What do you know about what really works in daytime television? Let’s work the things that really work and those shows that have been on 50 years, are not looking for those moments. They’re just kind of keeping the whole thing going. These people are artistically and scientifically looking at what works. Beyond the Gates is a really clever show in that way. There are Cliffhangers left and right. Great idea.”

In the end, Duplaix and Bergman summed up what viewers are about to see best, with Peter giving us a major spoiler alert to be on the lookout for. “It’s all exciting. There’s twists, there’s turns. Things you’re definitely not going expect to happen,” stated Duplaix. “The thing that we are used to as far as natural disasters in the soap opera world are there, but the storylines around what you expect are going be really fun to watch.” Peter concluded with (and wait or it!), “Just when you think they just got through all this crazy wind, something happens that is just nuts!”

You can check out the full conversation with Peter Bergman and Daphnée Duplaix below from You Tube’s Michael Fairman Channel, followed by the official Beyond the Gates promo for the crossover event. We say, look closely at who’s with whom, and what is going down and compare notes from our interview with that, and let us know if you think you have some things figured out!

Now, are you looking forward to the crossover between Beyond the Gates and Y&R? what do you think will be the surprise twist at the end of the tornado episodes? Weigh-in via the comment section.

The Set Decorators Society of America has revealed its nominations for 2025-26 SDSA Awards for Television, which recognizes the work of the set decoration and production designers in primetime, streaming and daytime series.

This year, all five soap operas: Beyond the Gates, The Bold and the Beautiful, Days of Our Lives, General Hospital and The Young and the Restless all received nominations in the Best Achievement in Decor/Design of a Daytime Series category.

In its official SDSA rule book, to qualify for the category of a Daytime Series, which includes daytime dramas, daytime talk shows, daytime game shows, and daytime children’s programming, all episodes must air before 6:00pm and must have a credited Set Decorator. For daytime dramas, the content must contain multiple plotlines that are carried over from episode to episode.

Photo: JPI

WHICH EPISODES CAN BE INCLUDED IN THE COMPETITION?

The eligibility year for episodes runs June 1, 2025, and May 31, 2026.  Founded in 1993, the SDSA is an international nonprofit professional association dedicated to promoting excellence and preserving the legacy of the art of set decoration in motion pictures and television.

Several popular primetime and streaming titles that have wrapped their final seasons also received nods including Euphoria, Stranger Things, Hacks, Outlander, and The Boys. Popular titles such as Bridgerton.

Take a look below at the nominated scenic design teams from your favorite soaps:

Best Achievement in Décor/Design of a Daytime Series

Beyond The Gates: Set Decoration by Cynthia Slagter with Production Design by Bruton Jones

The Bold and the Beautiful: Set Decoration by Prim Rosales, Beth Wooke, Prerna Chawla, Charlotte Garnell, Chelsea Mondelli, Michelle Hall, & Linda Louise Sheets with Production Design by Lou A. Trabbie III

Days of Our Lives: Set Decoration by Adele Caine & Sarah Holmes with Production Design by Tom Early & Dan Olexiewicz

General Hospital: Set Decoration by Jennifer Elliot with Production Design by Andrew Evashchen

The Young and the Restless: Set Decoration by Jennifer Haybach, Justine Mercado, Maria Dirolf, & Monica Lowe with Production Design by David Hoffmann

So, which soap opera from the calendar year of basically June of 2025 to a week ago in 2026, do you think has had the best looking sets? Beyond the Gates, The Bold and the Beautiful, Days of Our Lives, General Hospital, or The Young and the Restless? Make you pick and drop it in the comment section below.

Daytime soap opera casting directors: Greg Salmon (The Young and the Restless) Marnie Saitta (Days of Our Lives), Christy Dooley (The Bold and the Beautiful) and Kim Coleman (Beyond the Gates) discussed the process of casting for a daytime drama series from contract players to under-fives along and their expectations for auditioning, plus behind the scenes casting tales at their recent panel from the SAG-AFTRA Foundation.

The entertainment industry event helps actors receive inside intel from leading casting professionals and took place just over a week ago at the Meryl Streep Center for the Performing Arts in Los Angeles.

Moderated by noted journalist Jim Halterman, one of the more intriguing moments of the panel discussion occurred when the subject turned to the challenges of a recast on a soap opera and replacing a popular actor with another in a very key role. Each of the four casting directors were able to put a spotlight on such an occurrence and all were leading men on their respective soaps.

Photo: SAGAFRAFoundation

For Marnie Saitta at Days of Our Lives, she was tasked with finding the new EJ DiMera. James Scott had become amazingly popular in the role from 2006-2014. Then, enter Dan Feuerriegel, who had the right stuff for DAYS to finally pull the trigger and cast the new EJ. The character returned on-screen in 2021 after 7 years.

RECASTING EJ DIMERA

“I do know now how to best approach a recast, like I’m casting a new character,” explains Marnie. “I feel like the actor just has to come in and make it their own. You can’t even try, looks-wise, to be quite honest. Obviously, EJ DiMera is kind of a focal point (of DAYS) and Dan was such a champ. I swear to God, I think I brought him in maybe six times. I would bring him in for other characters, but I kept thinking he’s really good for EJ and it didn’t go. Then, I brought him for something else, same thing. I knew that the role of EJ was going to be really difficult to find, and it finally clicked. He took EJ in a different direction. He has a totally different vibe, but equally as effective.”

RECASTING ADAM NEWMAN

For Greg Salmon, he discussed the pivotal role of Y&R’s Adam Newman, who was previously by Tracker star, Justin Hartley and what he looked for to be able to find the right actor to be the next black sheep of the Newman clan.

“We had Justin Hartley playing the role of Adam Newman before he went to This Is Us, and now Mark Grossman has been playing him,” explained Salmon. “So that was a really tough role to recast. Before Justin, there were two other people (Chris Engen and Michael Muhney) who played the part. Adam Newman is central to the show. This is Victor Newman’s (Eric Braeden) son. So, it’s an incredibly important character to the show. But now, Mark Grossman’s been playing the role for several years now. He’s completely made the role his own.”

Photo: JPI

Salmon added the key attributes that Mark Grossman or someone like him brings into an audition for the role of that is being recast, “I really think it just comes down to the person’s energy and what they’re bringing to the character,” explained Greg. “You can’t think, ‘Well, I know Justin Hartley looks like this. And the guy before him looked like that,’ because then you’ll just get trapped. You’re not trying to find another Justin Harley. You’re trying to find another Adam Newman. I just remember Mark came in and I think he read with Eric Braeden, and he read with a few other people of the Newman family, and his energy was just off the charts. You know, this is how Adam should feel. Eventually, I think the audience really accepted him.”

RECASTING RIDGE FORRESTER

In a little-known casting story, The Bold and the Beautiful’s Christy Dooley shared how Mark Grossman almost became one of the Forresters! “He tested for us (at The Bold and the Beautiful). Mark came in and read for the role of Thomas Forrester and he was my choice for the role,” says Dooley. “The role wound up going to Matthew Atkinson, but then he came down to read for The Young and the Restless.”

Dooley was also tasked with one of the biggest soap recasts in history when Ronn Moss exited The Bold and the Beautiful in his signature role of Ridge Forrester which Moss played from 1987-2012. Eventually, Thorsten Kaye took over the role at the end of 2013.

Photo: JPI

“When Ronn Moss left the show, Brad Bell (executive producer and head writer, B&B) said, ‘I can’t recast him right now, he’s just too familiar.’ So he waited. The character was always talked about because he is one of the Forresters. Brad finally said, ‘We need to bring him back. We got to find somebody.’ Then to get Thorsten Kaye, who’s so different than Ronn, and he made it completely his own. He’s just amazing at it, so I think time helped (between bringing on a new Ridge.)”

RECASTING DR. TED RICHARDSON

For Beyond the Gates, Kim Coleman, she has a soap opera that is now building a new legacy only in its second season. However, in season one, Maurice Johnson became the first recast in series history when he was replaced as Dr. Ted Richardson with Keith D. Robinson and at a critical point in the storyline.

Coleman explained, “I think it was a transition and everyone was in agreement that it was the right thing to do. And then fortunately, we brought in an actor that the audience knew. They knew his face. He was great. Keith made it his own and there was not a lot of controversy and it wasn’t complicated. Keith D. Robinson is on the show now and everyone loves him. So, it was a very smooth transition.”

You can check out the full conversation with daytime casting directors, Greg Salmon, Marnie Saitta, Christy Dooley and Kim Coleman below.

Now let us know which of the four recasts noted do you think was the most successful? Were you surprised to learn Mark Grossman was a favorite of casting director Christy Dooley for Thomas Forrester before landing his role as Adan Newman? Weigh-in via the comment section below.