“Beyond The Gates” producer promises a “messy as hell” black family (exclusive)

Beyond the gates is unlike any soap opera you have ever seen.

Touted as the first black day soap of over 35 years (and the first ever, hour-long soap led by a black role), the explosive drama, which premieres February 24 at CBS, follows the prestigious, multi-generational Dupree family and their Life in a lush Washington, DC, suburb, one of the most prosperous African American counties in the country.

But behind the exclusive Gated Community of Fairmont Crest, with its five-star dining room and exclusive country clubs, Duprees are seemingly image-perfect life lacing with secrets and scandals.

The role includes Tamara Tunie (When the world turns) as Matriarch Anita Dupree, Clipon Davis (Amen) as patriarch Vernon Dupree, Daphnee Dupelix (Passion) as Dr. Nicole Dupree Richardson and Karla Mosley (The bold and the beautiful) like Dani Dupree.

“You really haven’t seen these characters earlier in the day (TV),“ Michele Val Jean, Beyond the gates’ Creator, showrunner and executive producer, exclusively tells People. “They are a really close, completed black family, and they are messy as hell. It’s not like they are perfect; they are also messy.”

Val Jean adds that like many other black families, no matter how “messy” things become, Duprees will always have each other’s back.

“When Push will shoot, they may be angry with each other and not talk to each other, but when someone in that family is in trouble, the others will be there to get them out. That’s the basis of the show,” says Val Jean. “That is the basis for most soap operas, all the drama, but it must be rooted in something. And this show is rooted in the family.”

Although Duprees are known for bringing the drama, there are some soap tropes like Val Jean plans to avoid – at least for now.

“I think my show will be more grounded than that. I don’t think we’ll see anyone. … well, it’s hard to say sometimes. I don’t want We do not have foreigners or something similar.

For election Jean has to write a soap opera about “rich black people who were messy” been a decades long dream. She got her start Generations, The first soap opera to show a black family. It was broadcast on NBC from 1989 to 1991.

Val Jean calls the experience of her “training ground”, who prepared her for the manifestation of Beyond the gates After being contacted by Sheila Ducksworth, chairman of CBS Studios/NAACP Venture.

“Sheila Ducksworth is the engine behind all this,” says Val Jean.

Ducksworth, who also acts as an executive producer, says that her desire to portray a family like Duprees on TV -Tvvvångstammer from the lack of black representation in the genre.

“It was just something I felt was missing, something I haven’t seen before,” she tells people.

“We would get our one, two or three characters of 40 in a soap opera that was culturally and racist diverse, and that was it,” says Duckworth. “I always wanted to see more of a reflection of real life. So it was really important from a very young age, especially to see a soap opera where more people looked like me.”

“I think that for people around every corner of the world to see that this is another look at the black life in America, I think it will be important,” she adds. “There are a lot of ambitions but still achievable, and that is what we want to show.”

Beyond the gates Has a multi-generational role that also includes white, Asian and Latinx actors as well as characters with different sexual identities. Ducksworth says viewers can expect it to encompass “everything”.

At the same time, she notes that the landmark series is peeling back the stocks and gives the world a unique look at the black experience.

“We have it in a place where this is Mecca. This is the place where I would say has the greatest concentration of black wealth in the whole country. But there has never been a spotlight on it. These aspects really are, (and ) we integrate (them) into our show to reflect the greatness and the brilliance of black culture in America. ”

An example is the series’ fictional version of HBCU (historically black colleges and universities) Howard University called Banneker University. The name is a nick to mathematician, astronomer and writer Benjamin Banneker and his contribution to Washington, DC

While the National Political and Raste Climate is an ongoing conversation, Val Jean is excited for viewers to let Beyond the gates Serve as an escape to “exceed all this.”

“We try to produce and write the most entertaining show as possible and get out of all this for an hour,” she says. “The world will not disappear. It will be there when you turn off the show. And it will still be beyond your control. But for the time you sit there watching the show you can forget all that and just go into these people and their shenanigans.

“I want to tell stories that feel fresh and completely contemporary. One of the biggest aspects that has been in DNA from the beginning is the ambition,” Duckworth adds. “It is present, it is strong, it is real in the soap, and I am excited about it because what is better than hope completely sincere? For people to see if this is something you strive for, there are people out there like have it. We think that with it will basically feel good that people can enjoy looking at it.

Fixed Beyond the gates’ Debut comes when classic soap operas are facing cancellations, Val Jean and Duckworth are hopeful that it will make their mark for decades to come.

“I can’t see why we can’t be on for 100 years,” says Duckworth. “It’s a great time for TV, not even just TV during the day – just TV. It’s a fantastic, amazing time, and we can’t wait to get started and get the world what is healthy, new, different and really a of a beat. ”

Beyond the gates Premiere February 24 at CBS and broadcast weekdays at 2p, M, et.