The Contending previews Beyond the Gates on CBS, the first new daytime soap opera in more than 25 years.
Everything old becomes new again at some point. Barnes & Noble bookstores are coming back, and now soaps are returning to network TV with the release of Beyond the Gates, the first new daytime soap opera since Passions in 1999.
The CBS serial tells the story of the wealthy Dupree family, which includes patriarch Vernon Dupree played by Clifton Davis.
“We are the center of the story for Beyond the Gates,” said Davis on the red carpet at SCAD TVfest 2025. “All the stories come out of folks associated with or are part of our family.”
On the daytime drama, his character is a retired U.S. Senator and his wife Anita, played by Tamara Tunie, is a Grammy Award-winning artist, both with two adult daughters Dani, played by Karla Mosley, and Nicole, played by Daphnée Duplai.
“It’s the stories of their lives interwoven with the community,” says Davis. “I try to keep everyone back together.”
“Pick up the Pace. It’s Not a Normal Soap!”
While fans can expect the typical high-drama soap conventions, Duplai said they’re not reinventing the wheel, but making it better.
“One of the first things showrunner Sheila Ducksworth said to me was, ‘Pick up the pace. This is not a normal soap. Think: Shonda Rhymes. Think: Olivia Pope.’ Not that soaps are sleepy, but they do have a tone, and we’re punching that up a bit.”
Plus, how often can modern soap opera fans say they started a soap from Day One?
“You get to live and grow with them.”
“We Have a Little Bit for Everyone”
Both Duplai and showrunner Sheila Ducksworth (who very much has the perfect “soap opera name”) pointed to the fact that they grew up on soap operas, starting at a young age. For Ducksworth, this is a true passion project.
“It’s something I’ve wanted to do for decades. I’m a big fan of the genre. It’s so difficult to get a soap opera going in continual production. We’re so glad we have partners at CBS and CBS Studios. We couldn’t ask for more support.”
The series also allows Ducksworth to think outside of the box in terms of what she’d like to see in the modern soap opera.
“Here we have the opportunity to make a brand-new imprint on soaps,” continued Ducksworth. “We’re doing a lot of things I wished I had seen on soaps before. It’s fast-paced, very contemporary. We have four generations of people on the soap in our cast who are going to bring all kinds of storylines to life. While it is a majority African American-led, we have a little bit for everyone.”
Beyond the Gates starts February 24 on CBS.
