Beyond The Gates Explainer: Why Are Episodes 1 Hour Long, Casting, Set Designs & More Questions Answered

After 25 years, a new soap opera, Beyond The Gates, is coming to the screens and excitement amongst daytime fans is palpable.

- February 22, 2025 | 6:52 PM IST

With a new soap opera, Beyond The Gates incoming, here’s everything you need to know. ( Photo Credit – Instagram )

Beyond The Gates is the latest addition to the roster of CBS after the massive success of The Young and the Restless and The Bold and the Beautiful over years.

The new show is set to premiere on February 24, 2025, but there are a few questions that fans have at the moment including why the episodes are one hour long instead of the usual half an hour long as well as some details of the casting and set design process. Here’s what we know about the same.

Beyond The Gates: Why Are Episodes 1 Hour Long?

During a press conference, Sheila Ducksworth who is the president of CBS Studios, revealed, “I grew up watching some half-hour shows. I have to say Edge of Night was the first half-hour show that I really loved and watched on ABC — and Generations, obviously.” She proceeded to further state, “In developing the show, it was really, really important that it be an hour.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Beyond the Gates (@beyondthegatescbs)

Sheila explained, “I felt for something this remarkable and something that the world has never seen before on daytime television, I wanted it to have its due.” This is exactly why Beyond The Gates has hour-long episodes that fans can enjoy without feeling the storyline of each episode was too short.

Beyond The Gates Casting Details

While Tamara Tunie plays Anita Dupree, Clifton Davis has been cast as Vernon Dupree, the matriarch and patriarch of the series. Clifton revealed during the casting process, he got a little impatient as he really wanted this role. He shared, “It was in June, my agents called me,” referring to being asked about his availability for the daytime drama but a month passed by.

Clifton’s agents then contacted the team again and were told that they are still interested in casting him, they were just focused on casting others at the time. Prior to it, he thought the opportunity was gone but his chemistry test with Tamara worked really well and the two were cast for the roles.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Beyond the Gates (@beyondthegatescbs)

Beyond The Gates Set Designs & Costumes

As for the set design, Sheila knew exactly who she wanted to hire for the anticipated show. Bruton Jones, a production designer was contacted and she called him a “huge influence in production design,” revealing that she had already given him the coveted job two years before they even got the green light to make Beyond The Gates by the network and its executives.

Brutin created 27 sets in three and a half months and as per Sheila, his creations have been “authentic for the area as well as what’s authentic for the Black experience.” To add to the above, the costume designer of the series is Jeresa Featherstone who is “the only Black costume designer in all of daytime television,” the CBS president pointed out at the conference.