The Temptations (TV Miniseries) - Overview

Overview

The miniseries starred Charles Malik Whitfield as Otis Williams, Leon as David Ruffin, D. B. Woodside as Melvin Franklin, Terron Brooks as Eddie Kendricks, and Christian Payton as Paul Williams. Also featured were Charles Ley as Dennis Edwards, J. August Richards as Richard Street, Obba Babatundé as Berry Gordy, Vanessa Bell Calloway as Johnnie Mae Matthews, and Mel Jackson as Norman Whitfield.

As the miniseries was based upon Otis Williams’ book, it came from his perspective: the focus of the story tended to be on Williams and his best friend Melvin Franklin, with David Ruffin and Eddie Kendricks seen as antagonists for much of the second half (although Kendricks was still given a more sympathetic portrayal than Ruffin - Kendricks was even shown scolding Ruffin and later joking with the other Temptations about Ruffin's chronic lateness when they were preparing for their reunion tour, only to be surprised when he showed up early). Dennis Edwards was not heavily focused upon, nor was much said of the problems he later had with Otis Williams. In fact, the voice-over narration that introduced Edwards flatteringly stated that Edwards was much less trouble than Ruffin had been, although his infamous angry reaction to the first verse of "Papa Was a Rollin' Stone" was featured. Nevertheless, the miniseries gave a general overview of both the history of the group and that of Motown, and, thanks to de Passe's connection, the film was able to use authentic props and locations.

A number of liberties were taken with factual events for dramatization purposes. For example, in the film, Melvin Franklin apparently dies in the kitchen of his mother's house. In reality, he died in the hospital after a long bout with diabetes and other diseases. As Franklin's death was still fresh in the minds of the miniseries’ creators (he died in 1995), it was decided that the miniseries would not present Franklin's death as it actually occurred. Also, David Ruffin was not found dead in the middle of a random street. Instead, he had died from a drug overdose and was taken to a hospital by his chauffeur. Another inaccuracy is the depiction of Ruffin, Kendricks and Edwards performing together before the 1982 reunion tour, when in reality Ruffin and Kendricks did not start performing together until 1985, with Edwards joining them in 1989 after the group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. For a more accurate account of their history, please read: Ain't Too Proud To Beg: The Troubled Lives and Enduring Soul of The Temptations - Ribowsky, Mark (2010). John Wiley & Sons, Hoboken, New Jersey. . The movie does not show Kendricks' death from cancer in 1992.

Although the movie is set mostly in Detroit Michigan and Los Angeles, the Producers chose to shoot the film in Pittsburgh, presumably to take advantage of the many different architectural and geographical looks that Pittsburgh offers. De Passe Entertainment had, some six years earlier, shot The Jacksons: An American Dream in Pittsburgh as well.