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In January, BET scored record ratings with its debut of The New Edition Story, after 4.4 million total viewers tuned in to the three-part installment. It dominated social media -- BET was the No. 1 social television network on premier night, and top 20 trending topics on Twitter included #BobbyBrown, #Betamac, #MikeBivins, #CandyGirl and #LukeJames -- not to mention, nights one and three of the miniseries accounted for the network?s highest-rated and most-watched telecasts since the 2012 Season 5 premiere of The Game.

The New Edition Story, which followed the members starting from their childhood upbringing in Boston, chronicled the group?s rise to fame and starred Algee Smith as Ralph Tresvant, Luke James as Johnny Gill, Bryshere Gray as Michael Bivens, Woody McClain as Bobby Brown, Keith Powers as Ronnie DeVoe and Elijah Kelly as Ricardo Bell.

Now, Woody McClain is making like Bobby Brown (in real life) and going solo. Monday (Nov. 6), BET announced it?s working on a spinoff biopic, where McClain will reprise his role as 48-year-old Brown. The network?s two-part follow-up, The Bobby Brown Story, will pick up where The New Edition Story left off, exploring the artist?s tumultuous journey from his abrupt exit from the popular ?80s boy band to his affair with Janet Jackson, his controversial marriage to pop icon Whitney Houston, battle with drug addiction and losing daughter Bobbi Kristina.

Written by Abdul Williams and executive produced by Jesse Collins -- both also reprising their New Edition Story gigs -- The Bobby Brown Story will be one of ?redemption,? BET notes, as viewers watch the entertainer rebuild his life through sobriety, learning to be a better man, husband and father and finding love again.

Casting for other key roles including Houston, Bobbi Kristina, Jackson, Teddy Riley, L.A. Reid and Babyface is still underway, with the biopic set to release in fall 2018.