‘The Talk’ Co-Hosts Fear Job Loss After New Black Soap Opera Debuts

*The panelists on “The Talk” reportedly fear their jobs are on the line as CBS prepares to debut the first Black soap opera in over three decades.

According to RadarOnline, an insider told the National Enquirer… “Behind the scenes, tension on The Talk is at an all-time high” between co-hosts Akbar Gbajabiamila, Amanda Kloots, Natalie Morales, Jerry O’Connell and Sheryl Underwood.

According to the tea spiller, the network no longer prioritizes the daytime talk show. The advertising budget was allegedly reduced amid tanking ratings. 

The insider explained that “The Talk” could be canceled if  the forthcoming new Black soap “is a hit.”

We reported that CBS is developing “The Gates,” a soap opera about a wealthy Black family living in a posh, gated community.

 

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George Cheeks, CBS CEO and chief content officer for news and sports at Paramount+, recently discussed the genesis of “The Gates” and the creative team behind the series. 

The new soap will be a collaborative effort between CBS Studios/NAACP production venture and P&G Studios, a division of Procter & Gamble. Emmy-winner Michele Val Jean will pen the series and assume the role of showrunner. Jean has worked on over 2,000 episodes of daytime TV.

Cheeks told Vulture that “The Gates” is being developed with Sheila Ducksworth, president of the CBS/NAACP Production Venture, which develops content for the CBS Television Network and increases the visibility of Black artists.

“When we hired Sheila Ducksworth to run the NAACP venture, she and I had multiple meetings talking about what different genres she was going to lean into, and we talked a lot about daytime,” Cheeks explained.

“One of the things that the data made very clear to both of us is that daytime soap operas over index with Black women, and yet when you look at soap operas, it’s usually sort of a white-led family with supporting characters that reflect more of our society,” Cheeks continued. “So we just thought, wouldn’t it be interesting to flip that and make the core anchor family a Black family, and then make the other characters reflect more the broader scope of society?”

The network has not provided further details on the expected air date for the show.

READ MORE: Black Soap Opera ‘The Gates’ Under ‘Development’ At CBS | VIDEO

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