CBS Studios NAACP project to develop new daytime drama for CBS

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In a move that may bode well for the future of daytime dramas, CBS Studios and the NAACP, in partnership with P&G Studios, are developing a new CBS series that follows the lives of a wealthy black family in a luxurious, gated community.

Dubbed Portalsthe new daytime drama from Michelle Valjean, who has written more than 2,000 episodes of daytime dramas and won multiple Daytime Emmys for her work on The bold and the beautiful And Public Hospital. She will serve as writer and showrunner and will also be an executive producer alongside CBS Studios NAACP Project President Sheila Ducksworth, along with Leon Russell, Derek Johnson, and Kimberly Dobreiner.

“The Gates will be everything we love about daytime drama, with a fresh, fresh perspective,” Ducksworth said. “This series will revitalize traditionally underserved audiences, with the potential to be a groundbreaking moment in broadcast television. With multi-dimensional characters, exciting stories and Black culture front and center, The Gates will have impactful representation, one of the main focuses of the project.”

“I am excited to develop this project with CBS and P&G, two of the longest-standing and most passionate champions of daytime television, and the NAACP, whose enduring commitment to Black voices and artists is powerful and inspiring,” Ducksworth continued. “I would also like to thank George Cheeks of CBS, Derek Johnson of the NAACP, and Mark Pritchard of P&G for their personal engagement and support in taking our next step forward with The Gates.”

It's been years since a broadcast network launched a new daytime channel. There are only three channels present between CBS and ABC – BB And The young and the restless on CBS, and Public Hospital On ABC.

CBS continues to rank No. 1 in daytime with its dramas but all three series are down in the key demos from last year. Days of our lives It's now streaming on Peacock – having moved from NBC to the platform in 2022.

CBS Studios' production project and development agreement with the NAACP was created to help elevate a diverse range of voices as well as increase the visibility of Black artists on streaming and streaming platforms in an ever-evolving media landscape.

P&G Studios is a division of Procter & Gamble.