When premiered in February, soap opera fans and veterans alike hailed it as a win for Black history and culture.
On Monday, the first soap to feature a majority Black cast was renewed for a second season. Its creation was both a savvy business move and an acknowledgment of Black viewers' passion for the genre as broadcast ratings have declined.
George Cheeks, the CBS chief, told Vulture last year the show was born out of crunching numbers: 鈥淥ne of the things that the data made very clear is that daytime soap operas over index with Black women.鈥�
鈥淚 think there鈥檚 kind of a renewed appreciation for the audiences that do still engage in broadcast programing, and a recognition that one of those audiences are Black women, and this was a way to serve that audience,鈥� says Elana Levine, a University of Wisconsin professor and author of 鈥淗er Stories: Daytime Soap Opera and US Television History.鈥�
The Drucilla effect
Victoria Rowell's 鈥淵oung and the Restless鈥� character, Drucilla Barber Winters, was introduced in 1990 as 鈥渁n illiterate thief,鈥� she says. Rowell worked with co-creator and then-head writer, William J. Bell to give the character dimension.
Drucilla became a ballet dancer, like Rowell herself, a storyline that showed 鈥渋t is possible to be in a lower socioeconomic environment and be aspirational.鈥�
She still receives letters from fans who cite Drucilla as inspiration.
The feeling, Rowell explains is, 鈥淥h my God, I can be a ballet dancer through Drucilla, a pull-up-by-the-bootstraps kind of chick that鈥檚 rough around the edges and that can learn how to read and write, perhaps, and meet a Neil Winters and get married and improve her life.鈥�
Rowell says she always understood her role as 鈥渟o much bigger鈥� than an acting job. She recalls meeting with the then-editor of Soap Opera Digest to advocate for a cover featuring the Black cast members 鈥� and it ended up happening.
Rowell's tenure with the show, though, has been up and down. She has only glowing things to say about Bell, who died in 2005. But after she says she pushed for the casting of more Black actors and wasn鈥檛 hired back on the soap as a result. They later settled. After 鈥淏eyond the Gates鈥� was announced, Rowell says she received a letter from CBS acknowledging her place in the show鈥檚 DNA.
鈥淚 have been contacted with great respect from the powers that be at CBS, thanking me for all of my hard work, recognizing the work that I have done that has influenced this moment and I appreciate that,鈥� she said.
She was 鈥渁stounded鈥� to be asked to audition for the matriarch role of Anita Dupree, but says she didn't hear back after submitting her tape. The role went to Tamara Tunie, whom Rowell describes as 鈥渁 brilliant actress.鈥�
CBS did not respond to a request for comment.
More soap veterans weigh in
Darnell Williams was cast as teen Jesse Hubbard on ABC鈥檚 鈥淎ll My Children鈥� in 1981 to capitalize on younger fans who fell in love with His fan base exploded after Debbi Morgan was cast as Angie Baxter. Jesse and Angie are regarded as daytime's first Black supercouple.
鈥淏efore that, we didn鈥檛 see Black love, and what message does that send? It said that it did not exist because it was not reflected,鈥� said Sherri Williams, an assistant professor at American University who studies Black representation in media.
Darnell Williams says he was surprised by the audience reaction.
鈥淚 think about the first time we realized the impact we鈥檇 had on the audience, we had gone to a movie in Times Square one night, and after the movie, the lights had come back up and we heard this rumbling. We were looking around and all of a sudden we heard our names being chanted,鈥� Williams said.
When he thinks about 鈥淏eyond the Gates,鈥� Williams says he's hopeful about the job opportunities the show can provide.
For years, Veronica Redd played Mamie Johnson 鈥� Drucilla's aunt 鈥� on 鈥淭he Young and the Restless.鈥� When she tuned into the premiere of 鈥淏eyond the Gates,鈥� what she saw got her attention, but what she heard blew her away.
鈥淚 was not prepared,鈥� laughs Redd. It begins with a women driving a Mercedes-Benz through the gates of an exclusive country club. The Emotions' 鈥淏est of My Love鈥� is playing 鈥� something that told Redd the production value was top notch.
Daytime isn't usually Redd's favorite genre even though she acknowledges 鈥渋t's paid the bills for many decades.鈥� 鈥淏eyond the Gates,鈥� though, has earned a spot in Redd's TV time.
鈥淭hey got me hooked,鈥� she says.
Enlightenment through entertainment
If 鈥淏eyond the Gates鈥� can open the doors to new conversation, that's a good thing, says Kimberly McGhee, a Tennessee viewer.
McGhee appreciates how one of the main characters is a psychiatrist. Mental health can be viewed and McGhee believes incorporating it into storylines could help beat the stigma.
The soap also addresses Black history: Clifton Davis plays the Dupree family patriarch, a civil rights activist whose advocacy efforts are often mentioned. Bringing in the civil rights generation is 鈥減retty significant,鈥� said Sherri Williams, but 鈥渘ot surprising鈥� given the NAACP's producing credit.
鈥淭he NAACP is a group that has been fighting for civil rights and for Black liberation for more than a century, and it鈥檚 also an organization that has been advocating for authentic images of Black people in television and film,鈥� she explained.
Some have critiqued how the main cast primarily includes
鈥淣ow, of the people who auditioned, if they went with the best option, the best talent, totally understand that,鈥� said Atlanta viewer Simone Umba. 鈥淏ut we can still have those talks in regards to colorism because that鈥檚 a recurring thing.鈥�
鈥淏lack families have to have relatives of all shades, but we don鈥檛 see that in this nuclear family. This feels like a missed opportunity to truly be historic and represent Black people across the spectrum,鈥� said Williams.
A diverse audience
鈥淏eyond the Gates鈥� may have been created with a Black audience in mind, but a diverse one is tuning in.
Charlene Polite Corley, Nielsen鈥檚 vice president of diverse insights and partnerships, says 52% of the total audience is Black.
鈥淚t鈥檚 bringing folks along for this really unique story being told in a lot of ways for the first time. And so, yes, the Black audience is leading here, but there鈥檚 a whole lot of other kinds of folks who are tuning in, too,鈥� she said.
A varied audience is 鈥済ood for everyone,鈥� says Elle Murasaki, a Black viewer from New Jersey who hosts weekly live chats on Instagram to discuss the show.
鈥淭here is this misconception that being for the culture is exclusive. That it鈥檚 Black-only and that we don鈥檛 want to include any other demographic into it,鈥� she said. 鈥淲hile there is a majority Black cast telling this story, I think everybody can identify.鈥�
Kerry Bulls, a white fan from Baltimore, also does not miss an episode.
鈥淚f you like a good storyline and if you like the genre of a soap opera and something that鈥檚 soapy and glitzy, then 100%, this is something that you should watch,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t doesn't matter what color you are.鈥�
Alicia Rancilio, The Associated Press
