7 Reasons To Watch “The New Edition Story”

After months of teasing and expertly building up anticipation, tonight BET finally airs its 3-part miniseries The New Edition Story. This is a big week for the group who just received their star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Whether you are old enough to remember all of their legendary moments first-hand or came to love them later on in their career, the movie will no doubt give you everything you need and more. Practically every R&B group that came after them owes their success to New Edition, who set the tone for the modern male R&B group. Early reviews have been positive, with some likening the film to other classic biopics such as The Jacksons: An American Dream and The Temptations. The New Edition Story definitely has enough space (it runs a total of 6 hours) and enough drama to keep audiences tuning in, so check out my reasons why you should watch!

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1. The Music – If there is one reason why you should tune in to The New Edition Story it is hands down because of the music. The iconic group has so many hits as a collective, that you are sure to be up dancing from your sofa for most of the night. To add even more music to the film, audiences will also get to enjoy all of the solo hits the group had once they went off to dominate the charts outside of the group. So get ready to dust off your singing pipes and your choreo skills to relive all of the New Edition music you can handle.

2. The Cast – It has been discussed at length how grueling the casting process was for The New Edition Story. The cast was reportedly required to attend weeks of boot camp to ensure that they had their characters down pact, in everything from mannerisms to precise choreography. Based on the clips and trailers that have been released, the strenuous casting process worked. With the likes of Luke James (as Johnny Gill,) Elijah Kelley (as Ricky Bell,) Algee Smith (as Ralph Tresvant,) Keith Powers (as Ronnie Devoe,) Woody McClain (as Bobby Brown) and Empire star Bryshere Gray (as Michael Bivins,) the cast features relative newcomers and well-known stars who knock it out the park.

3. The Untold Story – One of the reasons why The New Edition Story runs over three nights is because the group wanted to tell their whole story, specifically parts that fans have never known. Apparently, there was much more drama, including fighting, financial woes and groupie tales, than the public ever knew, but the film holds nothing back. This untold story is the result of all six group members being producers on the film and insisting that their story be told fully…and we can’t wait to watch it all unfold.

4. The Nostalgia – This is one of the most fun parts of watching the film, getting to relive not just the music, but travel back to when times were simpler, music was better and everyone just wanted to have a good time. Whether you were a kid, a teenager or an adult during the New Edition heyday, you can wrap yourself tight with enough nostalgia to get you through 2017…and with this new president you’ll definitely need it.

5. The Drama – Thanks to social media not being around the public at large doesn’t know just how much drama was going on behind the scenes in New Edition, but that all changes tonight. Fights between Bobby Brown and the rest of the group, fights between Bobby Brown and BBD, fights between managers and parents and heavy drug use, are all covered. Also relationship drama is explored, including Brown’s highly publicized marriage to icon Whitney Houston.

6. The Costumes – In order to truly channel New Edition, you have to look the part and this is where the crucial issue of costumes comes into play. Based on early photos, clips and trailers, the costumes in The New Edition Story are so spot on it’s almost uncanny. From the early clean-cut fashions as kids to their more mature, trendsetting style in the late 80s, early 90s, New Edition always looked just as good as they sounded and the movie gets every fashion moment right.

7. The Legacy – Finally, the most important reason to watch The New Edition Story is to honor the legacy of a group that paved the way for so many. It’s bittersweet when biopics are released after members have passed away and thankfully all six members of New Edition are still alive and well to honor their legacy, their way. As a culture, we should appreciate our legends while they are still here and watching this 3-part miniseries is an excellent way to start.