Many thought Zayn Malik was over and done with the spotlight after quitting One Direction to be, as the band’s official Facebook statement proclaimed, “a normal 22-year-old who is able to relax and have some private time out of the spotlight.” The star proved them wrong, however, when he released his first solo album “Mind of Mine,” and is proving them wrong again now with the news of his collaboration with “Law & Order” creator Dick Wolf: a new scripted television series titled “Boys.”

Based on Malik’s own experiences in One Direction, the show will feature original music as well as an integration of TV and digital media platforms. Malik said in a statement, “Dick Wolf is a legend. The opportunity to work with him and NBC to create a compelling drama series is awesome.”

Simon Cowell, the man who orchestrated One Direction’s formation in 2011, was slightly taken aback at the news of Malik’s plans, and said in an interview, “I think he should have come to me with it,” but that nothing really surprises him anymore. “I do actually believe that when they’ve got these ideas, bearing in mind where we started, they should actually come to me.”

It’s unclear just how much of the show will be taken from One Direction’s real history, but if one thing is certain, it’s that “Boys” has big shoes to fill in the genre of boy band television shows. “Big Time Rush” most certainly holds the top spot, with “J.O.N.A.S.” coming in at a close second. Even the Boyz in Motion from “That’s So Raven” hold a contending position in this race.

The ironic part is that Zayn Malik apparently never even wanted to be in One Direction, according to an interview he gave with Zane Lowe. It’s likely that this will be reflected in the script, as he has made this clear over and over since his decision to leave the band. We get it, Zayn. You were too cool for the pop music and the young girl fan base (even though you still kind of have both).

If I had to predict exactly what this show is going to be like, I would say there will be lots of bubblegum-pop songs, screaming girls and serious drama once the lights go down. Because of course, nothing is ever genuine in the music industry, and no one has ever gone behind the scenes of a pop star’s life (except maybe Hannah Montana and like ten other Disney Channel original movies).
In any event, the show has plenty of material to work with, seeing as One Direction had a number of scandals back in its day ranging from cheating rumors to paternity scandals to Taylor Swift to Kendall Jenner (to marriage proposals to Twitter feuds…). I personally hope the time that Harry Styles sprayed a fan with his windshield wiper fluid gets included on the series, or perhaps when Louis Tomlinson threw a chicken nugget out of his hotel room window to the fans waiting below. Regardless, the show is certainly going to be interesting, and will be premiering on NBC.

Email Jordan Reynolds at [email protected].