8 surprising facts about Beyond the Gates you probably never knew

Beyond the Gates is a soap opera that began airing on CBS on February 24, 2025. Created by Michele Val Jean, the show stars Tamara Tunie, Clifton Davis, Karla Mosley, and others. The show is about the Dupree family, a multi-generational and wealthy family that lives in a gated community in the Washington Metropolitan area. The show has a majorly African-American cast and is the first new soap opera to air on CBS after Passions in 1999. The show has received rave reviews for its focus on the black community and its problems.

Further, the show has also been appreciated for offering well-rounded and emotionally deep characters. It focuses on the intertwining lives of the many people in the Dupree family and their extended relations.

Some of the characters in the show include the matriarch Anita Dupree, played by Tamara Tunie, who was also the first person to be cast for Beyond the Gates. Then there are characters like Vernon Dupree, Anita’s Husband, and their children, Nicole and Danielle Dupree. The show also revolves around Nicole and Danielle’s in-laws and their families.

Viewers who are enjoying the show or have not watched it yet, can check out the list below, which features some surprising facts from the new series. These are some of the facts that even the fans might not know of.

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First soap opera to debut in more than a decade, first soap opera to have an African-American cast, and other interesting facts from Beyond the Gates

1. Beyond the Gates represents the African-American community

The soap opera took a lot of time to come to fruition. It almost took four years for the series to come to the screen. However, the show is a big win for the African-American community and especially for the women of the community. The head writer and showrunner are Michele Val Jean and Sheila Ducksworth, who are the women responsible for bringing the show alive and are the first two black women executive producers for a daytime soap opera in history. Another woman who takes up the charge is Julie Carruthers, who has previously worked with other soaps like General Hospital and Santa Barbara. A black woman showrunner and writer offers a diverse edge to the show and highlights the problems of the African-American community. The series has therefore broken new ground since its premiere, and with a mostly black cast, the show is unique.

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2. First daytime soap opera to debut since 1999

There has been no dearth of soap operas, but most of the dramas today are long-standing continuations of older and classic soap shows. But Beyond the Gates is unique in this regard as it is the first daytime TV soap opera to debut on a major American broadcast network since Passions in 1999. The show airs on CBS, which is a hub for daily soaps, and for a predominantly black show to be the first soap opera to debut in more than a decade is a huge feat. The show is unique because it breaks down the stereotypes associated with African Americans and offers a complex view of the characters. The show revolves around the Dupree family, which lives in an affluent and wealthy neighborhood in the Washington metropolitan area. The show, therefore, offers a sophisticated look inside the characters’ lives and is unique for breaking down black stereotypes.

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3. First daytime soap opera to have a predominantly African-American cast

As mentioned before, Beyond the Gates is unique and path-breaking in several aspects. Not only does it have black women as the showrunners and writers, which add a feminine flair to the storytelling, but it is also one of the first soap operas to debut since 1999 on a major American broadcasting service. Apart from all these firsts, there is yet another first for the show. The soap opera is the first daytime soap to feature a majorly African-American cast since Generations. The show offers a complex take on relationships and family dynamics in a black household and lets go of any stereotype that is attached to the community. The show has, therefore, received rave reviews for its writing, plot, and performances. For a soap opera to have a majorly black cast after many years is refreshing and important.

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4. Mammoth production

Beyond the Gates is set in an affluent family and neighborhood, and therefore, the set for the show had to be made accordingly to reflect the status. Interestingly, the show has 27 sets which are located on 35,000 square feet of space. Because there were so many sets, it took the production over 3 ½ months to build it. Apart from this, there is one interesting fact: over 100 people were employed to complete this mammoth task of creating multiple sets. The job does not finish here, however. Because over 200 people are further employed to work all day and keep the production moving on a day-to-day business. Additionally, the cast used to shoot about 100 pages or approximately two episodes in a day. Some contract players reoccur in the show at various times. Many fans and viewers, therefore, might not know that their favorite soap opera has a huge history of production and a lavish production at that, which is unique for a soap opera.

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5. The story behind Paul Cheeks

Beyond the Gates also has some easter eggs within its storyline that only inquisitive viewers can realize. Fairmont Crest and its backstory is the gated community that viewers see the show being centered around. It is shown that the place was founded in 1951 by Vernon Dupree’s father, Paul Cheeks Dupree. There is also a painting of him hanging at the country club, which is just over the fireplace. But if you look closely, the character is based on a real-life man who went by the same name and was a revolutionary architect from Ohio and Georgia. It is this real-life Paul Cheeks whose painting is hanging over the fireplace. The real-life Paul is also the father of Paramount Global CEO George Cheeks, and it is no wonder, then, that the show airs on Paramount Plus. This is one of the Easter eggs in the series, and there are some more interesting facts.

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6. The meaning behind the Fairmont Crest

As mentioned above, Beyond the Gates has a Fairmont Crest in the background. However, if you look closely, there is an F and a C on this crest. It also has the symbols of a lantern and a donos. And each symbol means something. The F stands for Fairmont and the C for Crest. When the Welcome to Neighborhood special was aired, it was revealed that the lantern represents abolitionist and activist Harriet Tubman, who was from the Baltimore area in Maryland. Interestingly, Fairmont Crest is located in the DMV area, which stands for Washington, DC, Maryland, and Virginia. Apart from all these symbols, there is also the donos, which is a symbol of rhythm and life and represents a West African drum. Therefore, the town’s history is steeped in Black traditions, and it is a fitting backdrop for a predominantly black cast-led show.

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7. Val Jean’s tribute

Showrunner Michele Val Jean is a veteran in the soap opera world, and with Beyond the Gates, the writer has proven her mettle once again. But she has left a sweet tribute to her mother inside the show as well. There is a diner outside the Fairmont Crest gated community, which is named Orphey Gene’s. But the name for this diner has two inspirations. One of them comes from Washington DC’s real-life Florida Avenue Grill. The other is Michele’s tribute to her mom. The showrunner has mentioned that her mother was a big soap opera fan, and even though she has died and is unable to see her daughter become a soap writer, Michele has made sure that the diner is lovingly named as a tribute to her mother, who lives on in the show through this heart-touching tribute.

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8. The country club celebrated African-American icons

Beyond the Gates also has a country club. The sincere dedication of the show to be an empowering reminder of black excellence and elevating the black community, can be seen with the choice of paintings that are put up in the country club. The pictures in the club are filled with African-Americans who have pioneered in the world of sports or TV. If one looks closely, one can see the portraits of tennis champions Althea Gibson and Arthur Ashe. There is also a picture of track and field superstar Jesse Owens. Also, there is a painting that features Florida and James Evans, who was in the hit show Good Times. The soap opera is, therefore, committed to the cause of uplifting the African-American community through these small gestures, and it is a show that fights against simplistic black characters and instead offers them nuance and depth in the show.