The year is 1978. The city, Roxbury, MA, just outside of Boston. Eleven year old Bobby Brown convinces some friends (Ricky Bell, Mike Bivins, and Ralph Tresvant) to perform in local talent shows in an attempt to win money (and girls). Once the group is formed, they convince a hot local manager, Brooke Payne, to turn them into talent show winners. The boys are eventually discovered by music impresario, Maurice Starr, who signs them to a record deal. They add a fifth member, Ronnie DeVoe, and their debut song "Candy Girl" hits #1 on the charts. Gary Evans, a manager from NYC, promises them a better deal, bigger stardom, and more money. When the boys get a new deal with MCA Records in L.A., things get off to an inauspicious start when MCA president Jheryl Busby, underwhelmed by his new signing, pushes them to deliver a hit album or else.
