As the CBS daytime series “Beyond the Gates” celebrates its one-year anniversary on Tuesday, executive producer Sheila Ducksworth said the milestone is the culmination of a decades-long dream. That dream began when she was 10 years old and glued to “General Hospital.”
“Launching a soap is the strangest thing I’ve done in all my years of producing,” Ducksworth said on Variety’s Strictly Business podcast. “This is something we knew we needed to build to last.”
Ducksworth, who is also president of content partnerships for CBS Studios and the NAACP, traced the show’s origins back to his childhood, when watching “General Hospital” made him want to see more representation on screen. That desire ultimately drew her from New York to Los Angeles and gave her the singular mission of creating soap operas. The show, centered around the wealthy Black Dupree family living in a gated DMV area community, officially launched in February 2024 and aired over 230 episodes over two seasons.
A big highlight this June will be a crossover event with CBS’ long-running show “The Young and the Restless,” where six cast members from that series will join the world of “Beyond the Gates.” “It’s going to be a great week to unite the Newman and Abbott families with their matriarchs and matriarchs,” Duxworth said.
CBS Morning anchor Gayle King will soon guest star with actress Tamara Tunie in an episode about breast cancer awareness produced in partnership with the nonprofit organization Know Your Lemons. “I truly believe this episode will change lives,” Ducksworth said. “It will save lives.”
The show has back-to-back episodes scheduled for May, with unannounced Tony and Grammy Award-winning guest stars scheduled for the Easter episode.
Ducksworth developed the show through CBS Studios and NAACP Content Ventures with head writer Michel Val Jean and producing partner Procter & Gamble, who have been involved since early 2021. She said the anniversary reflects years of quiet persistence toward a vision she never abandoned.
“It’s beyond my wildest dreams,” she said.
“Strictly Business” is Variety’s weekly podcast featuring conversations with industry leaders about the business of media and entertainment. (Click here to subscribe to our free newsletter.) New episodes are published every Wednesday and available for download on Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, Google Play, SoundCloud, and more.
