CBS is keeping Beyond the Gates in its daytime arsenal, handing the soap a Season 2 pickup after a strong debut that lifted the network’s 2 PM hour and gave General Hospital a run for its money in key demos.
The series, which bowed February 24, is part of CBS Studios’ content partnership with the NAACP and is produced in association with P&G Studios. Sheila Ducksworth, who heads up the CBS/NAACP Venture, executive produces alongside series creator Michele Val Jean, Julie Carruthers, Tracey Thompson, Leon W. Russell, Derrick Johnson, Kimberly Doebereiner, and Anna Saalfeld.
The pickup comes as the freshman drama has outperformed expectations across platforms. On linear, Beyond the Gates is up 48% in the time slot and is pulling a 7% lead over General Hospital among women 25-54. Streaming numbers via Paramount+ and CBS TVE are also on the rise, with multiplatform viewership up 67% compared to the same period last year.
A rare new entrant in the daytime drama space, Beyond the Gates centers on the Dupree family, a wealthy Black dynasty navigating power plays, buried secrets, and generational conflict inside a gated community just outside D.C.—a genre twist that’s resonated with viewers and delivered a fresher voice to a space long dominated by legacy soaps.
The series airs weekdays from 2-3 PM ET (1-2 PM PT) on CBS and streams on Paramount+. Paramount Global Content Distribution handles international sales.
The renewal is a key early win for the CBS/NAACP deal, which aims to build out scripted programming with Black creative leadership at the forefront. For Ducksworth and Val Jean—both soap veterans—it also marks a significant moment for daytime, where original series launches are increasingly rare but still capable of moving the needle when they hit.
