Entertainment

BET's New Edition Miniseries Should Star These Men

by Rachel Semigran

Though I often think of the late '90s and early '00s as the height of the boy band craze, the Backstreet Boys, N'Sync, 98 Degrees, and especially New Kids on the Block owe a lot to New Edition. The Boston fivesome formed in 1978 and in the '80s crooned and danced their way into the airwaves and teenage girls' hearts across the world. Entertainment Weekly reported on Monday that BET is currently developing a biopic/miniseries about the iconic R&B group. Founding members Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins, Ronnie DeVoe, Ralph Tresvant as well as late '80s addition Johnny Gill (who joined after Brown left the group) are signed on to produce the project. Bobby Brown's involvement in the three-part series has yet to be announced.

New Edition were famous for their hits "Candy Girl," "Cool It Now" and "Mr. Telephone Man." Even though they've been through some turmoil over the years and gone through a rotation of members, New Edition still appear together and perform today (sans Brown). In a joint statement about the BET project, the group wrote, “From our beginning in the Orchard Park Projects in Boston to Hollywood and everything in between, just like the Temptations and the Jackson 5, we are ready to retrace our footsteps and show everyone how we got here."

We won't see the film until 2016 and no casting decisions have been made yet, but I have a few ideas about who would fit the parts. But first, press play:

Shameik Moore As Ricky Bell

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Moore made waves starring in Dope and his combination of sweet and tough would be perfect for the part.

Donald Glover As Michael Bivins

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Bivins struggled with a lot of artistic decisions within the group and Donald Glover's backgrouns as a rapper and singer in his own right connect him to the heart of Bivins and his music.

Michael B. Jordan As Bobby Brown

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Jordan is not one to shy from challenging and controversial roles, so he could certainly take on the complexity of playing such a polarizing figure.

Rakim Mayers (A$ap Rocky) as Ronnie DeVoe

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Mayers may have only recently caught the acting bug, but he's been in the music business for years. He has the style and attittude to play New Edition's most eccentric and passionate member.

Elijah Kelley as Ralph Tresvant

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Nothing but smooth stylings from this Hairspray star. He's the perfect pick for New Edition's soulful tenor.

Kofi Siriboe As Johnny Gill

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He might be the new kid on the block, but he'll steal the show.

Here's hoping the original members make a few cameos in the miniseries. At the very least, we'll get a walk down R&B memory lane that's chock full of drama, '80s fashion, and incredible music.