Not the downtrodden, not the ghettoized.
We wanted to show rich, Black people doing messy things.
In these Maryland suburbs, there were some of the most affluent African American counties in all of America.
Clifton Davis and Tamara Tunie on ‘Beyond the Gates’.Quantrell Colbert/CBS
You get the upstairs, the downstairs of it all.
It’s true to life."
Sally Sussman created not only a wonderful show but a wonderful atmosphere, she recalls of that period.
‘Beyond the Gates’.Quantrell Colbert/CBS
Perhaps youve heard of her?
So she really put the two of us together.
Expect secrets and lies and betrayals and love and friendship, says Val Jean.
‘Beyond the Gates’.Quantrell Colbert/CBS
The Duprees, they don’t always agree.
But when push comes to shove, that family will stick together, right, wrong or indifferent.
That is basically the foundation of the show.
Theres dysfunction, but at the end of the day, they love each other.
Its incredibly unpredictable and really fresh and new.
Admittedly, Val Jean initially didnt believe that their labor of love would ever see the light of day.
Networks werent greenlighting soaps, they were canceling them, she explains.
When I startedGenerationsthere were 13 soaps on the air, now there are three and one on Peacock.
Getting the green light felt revolutionary, says Ducksworth.
Nobody is making soaps anymore.
This is a different kind of world, says Val Jean ofGates.
The characters are different from anything that I’ve seen in daytime.
That’s what I’m excited about.
We’re presenting something that hasn’t been done before."
