Tamra Tunie, matriarch of CBS’s newest soap opera Beyond the Gates, showed up in style for the Essence Festival of Culture presentation. During the panel, the fan-favorite actress underscored the importance of the show’s diversity, now more than ever.
One of the first questions that host Crystal Renee Hayslett asked Tunie was to speak about the diversity from the creatives both behind the scenes and those in front of the camera. To which the actress responded, “The beauty of our show is yes, the central family is African American, which is the first time in the history of daytime television.” Tunie is referring to the fact that Beyond the Gates is the first hour-long daytime drama with a central family that is African American. Generations paved the way with a half hour drama back in 1989.
The actress continued to share an interesting perspective, adding, “But what you may not be aware of that behind the scenes, what we call below the line in Hollywood language, is predominantly African American as well. Our hair department is completely African American, our make up department is predominantly African American, our wardrobe department is completely African American, most of our crew, I would say 75% of our crew and people in production department are African American.”
Tunie went on to speak to the uniqueness of this production. Explaining, “So, this is the first time in the history of television that an hour long daytime drama has that kind of representation overall, in all of the departments, and that is what makes it unique and special, and a disrupter if you will. We have disrupted daytime television y’all.”
Also in attendance on the panel was executive producer Sheila Ducksworth, who added, “Additionally, our head of casting Kim Coleman, our head of production design Bruton Jones, led a team of 100 people set deck and props and construction to bring you the sets that you saw also African American. Our music composer, Kurt Farquhar, the list goes on and on, Vince Steib that does our lighting, it is just an incredible experience and I have to say above all of them, the first black woman to create a soap, Michele Val Jean.”
Tunie excitedly continued to praise Val Jean and the diversity of her writers sharing, “Her writers room is predominately African American, and the beauty of our show is that what you see on camera is a diverse community. The Black family is the center of the community. But we also have an Asian actor, a Latino actor, and Caucasian actors, and it is really showing what the planet earth looks like. What is really special is in the writers room that there is that kind of representation as well, even though it is predominately black led.”
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CBS officially describes Beyond the Gates as a soap opera that is “set in a leafy Maryland suburb just outside of Washington, D.C., in one the most affluent African American counties in the United States; a posh gated community with winding tree-lined streets and luxurious mansions to call home. At the center of this community are the Duprees, a powerful and prestigious multi-generational family that is the very definition of Black royalty. But behind these pristine walls and lush, manicured gardens are juicy secrets and scandals waiting to be uncovered. And those who live outside these gates are watching closely. These are the places where our characters live, love, work and play. Those who have “made it” and those who haven’t are all trying to navigate life … and some with more grace than others.“
Beyond The Gates is developed and produced by CBS Studios and the NAACP in partnership with P&G Studios a division of Procter and Gamble. The series is the groundbreaking first hour-long black soap opera to premiere in daytime. The creation is the brainchild of award-winning showrunner Michele Val Jean, in association with executive producer Sheila Ducksworth, and is the first new soap opera to premiere since NBC debuted Passions back in 1999.
Beyond The Gates airs weekdays at 2 p.m. EST on CBS and streamed daily on Paramount Plus.
Beyond the Gates can be streamed from the beginning on Paramount Plus.
