The CBS daytime series The Talk could be in jeopardy, as the network revealed it was working on a daytime soap titled The Gates from Emmy-winning soap vet Michele Val Jean.
According to a report from Deadline published Thursday, the series, which has a current cast of Akbar Gbajabiamila, Amanda Kloots, Natalie Morales, Jerry O’Connell and Sheryl Underwood, is ‘the lowest-rated show on the CBS daytime lineup,’ which could factor into where the network ultimately decides to slot The Gates.
The programming decisions come at a tumultuous time for the chat show, which initially arrived on the network in October of 2010, and has run for 14 seasons.
The show’s long-running executive producer Kristin Matthews stepped down in June of 2023, the outlet reported, with The Late Late Show with James Corden executive producer Rob Crabbe replacing her in the spot.
Dailymail.com has reached out to CBS reps for comment on the story, which comes about two years after Sharon Osbourne was let go from the program following controversial remarks she made about Meghan Markle.
The CBS daytime series The Talk could be in jeopardy, as the network revealed it was working on a daytime soap titled The Gates from Emmy-winning soap vet Michele Val Jean
(L-R_ Elaine Welteroth, Jerry O’Connell, Sheryl Underwood, and Amanda Kloots were pictured in a cast photo in July of 2021
Deadline pointed at the ‘much-needed improvements’ Crabbe has implemented in his time in the position, including drawing out the show’s first act and a focus on in-depth interviews with guests.
Crabbe ‘needs more time to make his mark’ as he has only been in the position for one season, the outlet noted.
Other major personnel changes that have been implemented, according to Deadline, include a parting with executive Laurie Seidman and a prominent public relations rep in accordance with companywide layoffs at CBS.
The series ratings have been sagging, Deadline reported, noting that it was ‘down double digits’ in the demographic of ‘persons and women 18-49.’
The show is the third most-watched series in the genre, with The View and Live! With Kelly and Mark commanding larger audiences.
As of Thursday, CBS had not announced the series would be picked up for its 15th season, the outlet reported.
CBS Studios’ development of a new soap opera series is ‘the result of a partnership with the NAACP and P&G Studios,’ according to Deadline, and Ducksworth has been focused on developing The Gates as result of the professional alliance.
Representation in the daytime soap field has been sorely lacking for decades, as the last time a series in the genre focused on a Black family was the 1989 NBC soap Generations. The series, which ran for episodes from 1989-1991, starred Kelly Rutherford, Kristoff St. John and Vivica A. Fox.
Emmy-winning soap vet Michele Val Jean is focused on a new series titled The Gates
Val Jean will be the showrunner and writer on The Gates, as well as executive producer, Deadline reported
As is, only four soap operas are still on the air: the CBS shows The Young and the Restless and The Bold & The Beautiful, as well as ABC’s General Hospital and Peacock’s Days of Our Lives.
The logline for The Gates, according to Deadline, follows ‘the lives of a wealthy Black family in a posh, gated community.’
Val Jean’s credits include having penned more than 1,000 episodes of soap operas, according to iMDb, as she has won seven shared Daytime Emmy awards for her writing efforts on shows such as General Hospital and The Bold & The Beautiful.
Val Jean will be the showrunner and writer on The Gates, as well as executive producer, the outlet reported. Other EPs on the project include Sheila Ducksworth, who is the president of the CBS Studios NAACP venture; in addition to Kimberly Doebereiner, Leon Russell and Derrick Johnson.
Deadline noted that producers for The Gates are targeting ‘an hour a day’ on CBS’s daytime schedule, which would create a logjam under the current conditions.
Both The Young and the Restless and The Bold and the Beautiful are cemented into their slots amid high ratings and contractual obligations for run for multiple seasons.
The game shows The Price is Right and Let’s Make a Deal both appear to be safe, as they command strong ratings on streamlined budgets, with occasional crossovers into the network’s primetime schedule.
