Beyond the Gates: First interview and set tour

Beyond the Gates will be premiering in just a matter of weeks, and the cast and crew are excited to be sharing the first glimpses into the newest soap to hit the airwaves in decades. CBS News Sunday Morning joined was on set for the show’s first sit-down interview.

Beyond the Gates debuts next month

When Sheila Ducksworth, executive producer and president of CBS’ production partnership with the NAACP, was asked if she felt the pressure of being the first soap opera to debut in over 25 years, she said she didn’t. “I actually don’t feel the pressure. I have always felt it would happen.”

On the flipside, executive producer, showrunner, and head writer Michele Val Jean had doubts as soaps have been canceled in that time frame, not new ones launched. But, she added no one has ever seen a show like Beyond the Gates. Val Jean got her start in 1989 on Generations, the last soap opera to prominently feature a black family. She said when Sheila called about this new project, she didn’t think it would go anywhere, but she still jumped on the opportunity.

Ducksworth was said to have been hooked on soaps since childhood. She spent years making the show happen but described it as a labor of love and hoped that the audience learned something by watching the show. “These areas right outside of Washington, DC, in the suburbs are some of the most affluent populations of Black folks you will find in America. A lot of people do know that but a lot of people don’t," she said.

Beyond the Gates Actors Tamara Tunie and Clifton Davis, who will play husband and wife Anita and Vernon Dupree, helped to give a behind-the-scenes look at the set. They began in a diner called Orphey Gene’s and described it as the gathering place for “everyone in the economic bracket of the show.” “This is kind of the soul and heartbeat of it,” Tunie added.

Davis and Tunie sat down with costars Karla Mosely and Daphnée Duplaix, who play the Dupree daughters, Dani and Nicole. Tunie explained that the Dupree family has been a fixture in the community since the very beginning. Davis added that they are the bulwark of the neighborhood, but they all burst out laughing when he said they also can “lose their minds along the way.” Duplaix shared that the family has all the drama and dysfunction that makes a sudser fun to watch, but the Duprees also have a healthy foundation of love and respect.

Correspondent Nancy Giles showed backstage production, taking a tour of the set. She noted special touches, such as pointing out that above the fireplace is a portrait of Paul Chaes, a real-life architect from the ‘50s, and behind a door was the home’s elevator. Bruton Jones is the production designer who oversaw the creation of 27 sets.

Jeresa Featherstone, who is the head costume designer for Beyond the Gates, explained how fashion would be an important part of the show and its characters. Hair designer Wankaya Hinkson and makeup artist Stevie Martin said historically, their department lacked people who knew how to work on actors of color. “I wanted, of course, everyone to see themselves on television and see how we can wear our hair and how different natural hair textures can also be just as beautiful as straight,” Wankaya explained.

The cast members said they were proud and confident of their work, and they were ready to give it their all. Ducksworth said she believes the show will have an impact. “I do think that TV has the power to do that. I think it will open a lot of eyes. I think it’s going to change a lot of perspectives, and I think it’s going to bring a lot of people together,” she explained.

Beyond the Gates will premiere on CBS on February 24, 2025.