The New Edition Story

Development

BET ordered a three-night miniseries about the group in August 2015. Five members—Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins, Ronnie DeVoe, Johnny Gill, and Ralph Tresvant—came on as co-producers. Bobby Brown did not join at first. The group’s longtime manager, Brooke Payne, also became a co-producer.

Abdul Williams, who wrote the 2010 film Lottery Ticket, was hired to write the script. Jesse Collins, an executive producer on BET’s Real Husbands of Hollywood, took on the same role for this project. Collins later said the miniseries would air in 2017. By April 2016, Brown had agreed to be a co-producer as well.

Chris Robinson, who directed ATL, was chosen to direct. In November 2016, Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds, Jimmy Jam, and Terry Lewis were brought in to handle the music production. Casting started in Boston in January 2016. The following April, BET announced that Bryshere Y. Gray, known for his role on Empire, would play Michael Bivins.

Elijah Kelley took the part of Ricky, Luke James played Johnny, Algee Smith portrayed Ralph, Keith Powers played Ronnie, and Woody McClain was cast as Bobby Brown. Younger versions of these five were played by Dante Hoagland, Caleb McLaughlin, Myles Truitt, Jahi Winston, and Tyler Marcel Williams. In May 2016, La La Anthony, Yvette Nicole Brown, Monica Calhoun, Lisa Nicole Carson, and Sandi McCree were added to play the mothers of the group members: Flo DeVoe, Shirley Bivins, Patricia Tresvant, Mae Bell, and Carole Brown.

Later that month, Wood Harris was cast as Brooke Payne, Michael Rapaport as Gary Evans, Wallace Smith as Jeff Dyson, Faizon Love as Maurice Starr, Duane Martin as Louil Silas, Tank as Jheryl Busby, and Bre-Z as Peanut Bell.

Promotion

The first look at the film dropped at the 2016 BET Awards on June 26. A photo of the cast mimicking the Home Again album cover from 1996 came out the following month. By September 2016, BET had set the premiere for three nights: January 24, 25, and 26, 2017. A longer trailer followed, focusing on the famous fight between Bobby Brown and Bell Biv DeVoe after he went solo. The UrbanWorld Film Festival also showed a few clips in an exclusive preview.

Reception

The premiere of The New Edition Story drew 4.2 million viewers, marking BET’s highest-rated premiere since the 2012 season opener of The Game, which had 5.2 million. The second and third episodes attracted 3.96 million and 4.23 million viewers, respectively, making the miniseries the top cable program for three straight nights. Critics responded positively. On Metacritic, the series earned a score of 76 out of 100.

On Rotten Tomatoes, it holds a perfect 100% rating with an average score of 7.2 out of 10; the site’s consensus describes it as a colorful, honest, and clear showcase of its subjects, paced entertainingly and leaving room for many of the group’s biggest hits. The child actors playing the younger members of New Edition in the first part received particular praise. Sylvia Obell of BuzzFeed gave the casting an A+, calling it “absolute perfection,” and compared the miniseries to another landmark TV biopic, saying it is on track to become the best black TV biopic since The Jacksons: An American Dream.

Much of the discussion focused on the striking resemblance of young Bobby Brown, played by Tyler Marcel Williams, who captured his looks, demeanor, and signature body roll. Similarly, Jahi Di’Allo Winston’s vocals as young Ralph Tresvant were noted for their uncanny accuracy; viewers reported chills during his first lead solo, singing “Candy Girl,” as he nailed every note. Trey Mangum of Blavity said BET “outdid” themselves, noting that the warm reception made it clear the story needed telling at the perfect time.

He praised the “spot-on” casting of both the younger and older actors, as well as the fact that both groups recorded their own vocals—a rarity for musical biopics. On The Breakfast Club, co-host Angela Yee called the casting “fantastic.” Michael Bivins of Bell Biv DeVoe praised Algee Smith’s portrayal of Ralph Tresvant, describing him as “real nice, sliding into the most difficult spot.” In a separate interview, Ricky Bell and Bivins both commended Elijah Kelley for his portrayal of Ricky Bell, and Bell also praised young actor Caleb McLaughlin for his performance.