"It's literally a dream come true," says Michele Val Jean, creator, head writer and executive producer of CBS's newest soap opera, Beyond the Gates, describing the whirlwind of the past seven months since the show's launch.
"Everything about it — from the green light, which I'd never expected, because we don't live in a world where soaps are greenlit anymore — to the whole casting process, to being in Atlanta for the first three weeks of shooting, was surreal," she continues. "This project had been in the works at that point for four years, and so after all that time, to hear the actors breathe life into the words was just amazing."
For the seven-time Emmy-winner, whose résumé includes General Hospital, The Bold and the Beautiful, Santa Barbara and Generations, steering her own project is nothing less than a dream realized and a major career milestone. She credits Sheila Ducksworth, president of the CBS Studios/NAACP Venture, as a crucial advocate who believed in her vision from the start. "Sheila was the engine that could," declares Val Jean. "She always believed it was going to go. And I never believed it was going to go, so I'm happy to have been proven wrong."
Val Jean is especially proud of the bold storytelling the show has delivered in its first season, pointing to several standout moments as highlights. "Ted and Nicole's anniversary party, when we blew that marriage all to hell," she lists. "The reveal of Martin's secret — I thought that was really powerful, and something that had never been done on daytime before. And I love the Articulettes' reunion and everything around that group of women, that was one of my favorite things."
That momentum carried into a second-season pickup, news that thrilled the entire team. "We're all excited," she enthuses. "I happened to be in Atlanta when [CBS CEO and president] George Cheeks made the announcement that we were picked up for a second season. It was a wonderful, wonderful moment. Everybody was just so excited, and here we are embarking on that."
As for what's ahead in season 2, Val Jean is focused on pushing boundaries while staying true to the heart of the genre. "We just want to keep it moving, keep it interesting, keep it flowing, surprising the audience," she says. "One of the things that I really wanted to do with the show was not have it look, sound, or be like other shows; I wanted to be its own little experiment and go against the audience expectation. I see a lot of speculation online about where we're going, and it makes me smile, because a lot of the time that's not where we're going."
One of the most meaningful aspects of the journey has been the reception from the soap opera community itself. "When [the show] had been announced at the Emmys last year, everybody was coming up to me, talking about how happy they were, how good it was for the genre, how surprising it was that it was happening," she relays. "There was so much support across the board. We're a small community, small but mighty. And we're also united in the fact that we're kind of looked down upon. It's like the 'ugly stepchildren' of the industry, because we're soap opera people. And nobody knows how hard we work, except us. It takes work to do this medium, to get five hours of television on the air every week, year in and year out. Thirty-plus years later, it still blows me away. I still say, 'How are we even doing this?' But the support of the community means everything."
As does the support from her former B&B boss, executive producer and head writer Brad Bell. "I was writing on Bold and the Beautiful when Sheila asked me to write the bible for this show, and he just has been the staunchest supporter of this and cheerleader," Val Jean praises. "I was so grateful because I wasn't going to give up my day job and he was really understanding. When I had to finish the bible, he took me out of the script rotation and then put me back in when I was done. And he's just been fantastic."
Despite her many accomplishments, there's one honor that still catches Val Jean off guard. "The 'Created by' credit? I can never get used to it on the air," she smiles. "Sometimes I rewind it and look at it again. Thirty years in the business, and I never really thought I would end up here, but I'm grateful and happy to be here and just doing my best. And I will keep doing my best."
The Young and the Restless star Bryton James (Devon Hamilton) appeared on BTG in August, and now, The Bold and the Beautiful's Thorsten Kaye (Ridge Forrester) is set to pop up as well. "I think it's really great, because we all inhabit the same world, and it's just so much fun to sort of sneak into each other's shows," says Val Jean. "I loved Bryton, but because of my history on Bold and the Beautiful, it was just really, really fun for me to cross Thorsten and Karla [Mosley, Dani Dupree; ex-Maya Avant, B&B]. And I hope we do more crossovers."
Meanwhile, look for a new face to join the BTG family. Izaiah Hawthorne (David Lami Friebe) has been added to the cast as Jacob Hawthorne's (Jibre Hordges) brother. "He is not Jacob by any means," notes Val Jean. "He's the black sheep of the family, but he got a hand up by somebody that will surprise you. He is going to be a new love interest for one of our lucky ladies. He's going to be a counselor at Banneker, which is a university, so he'll be the door to open up that world to us. He's very cute, and he's very sexy, and he's a good actor, and I'm really happy to have him on our canvas."
And there's even more casting news to come. "There's going to be another surprise down the road that soap fans will like," she teases.
Exciting Storylines Ahead
Fall in Fairmont Crest is shaping up to be unforgettable. "All the soapy things — family secrets, unexpected terms, betrayals, surprises," Val Jean previews.
- Anita (Tamara Tunie) and Vernon's (Clifton Davis) marriage may not be on solid footing.
- Dani (Karla Mosley) and Andre's (Sean Freeman) impromptu trip together leads to shocking revelations and directs Dani toward a promising connection with Ridge Forrester (Thorsten Kaye) in a crossover with The Bold and the Beautiful.
- Nicole's (Daphnee Duplaix) journey as a newly single woman sends her down a path toward her longtime friend Carlton (Robert Christopher Reilly).
- While Martin (Brandon Claybon) and Smitty (Mike Manning) work to re-establish their commitment to each other, Naomi (Arielle Prepetit) and Jacob (Jibre Hordges) unexpectedly find themselves on opposite sides of a major marital dilemma.
- Jacob's brother Izaiah Hawthorne (David Lami Friebe) hits town and immediately establishes two complicated relationships amidst his own family drama.
- Eva (Ambyr Michelle), Kat (Colby Muhammad), and Tomas' (Alex Alegria) love triangle hits a fever pitch.
- A surprising familial connection to Hayley (Marquita Goings) poses a threat to Bill (Timon Kyle Durrett).
- Vanessa (Lauren Buglioli) and Ashley's (Jen Jacob) worlds come crashing down around them as lies and the death of a loved one change everything.
Beyond the Gates, Weekdays, CBS, Check Local Listings
