EXCLUSIVE: The Martin cast reunion was a big highlight of the January 2024 Emmy Awards, underlining the lasting popularity of the 1990s sitcom. A year later, the show is getting a franchise extension with Varnell Hill, a spinoff series greenlighted by BET+. It is headlined by actor-comedian Tommy Davidson as the titular Varnell Hill, reprising the beloved character he played as a guest star on Martin.
Varnell Hill is co-created and executive produced by Martin co-creator, star and executive producer Martin Lawrence and Martin executive producer/showrunner Bentley Evans, with Jesse Collins also executive producing. There is no confirmation of Lawrence appearing on the show but I hear he is poised to reprise his Martin Payne role in multiple episodes.
The announcement comes on the 35th anniversary of In Living Color, on which Davidson was an original cast member.
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Varnell Hill, which has received an eight-episode straight-to-series order, is a workplace comedy set behind the scenes of the long-running late-night talk show, The Varnell Hill Show. Delving into the chaotic world of television production, the series explores Varnell’s journey to remain relevant in an ever-evolving industry and the corporate dynamics of network executives, business stakeholders, and creative teams involved in the making of the show.
A blend of satire, humor, cutaways, and fourth-wall breaks, Varnell Hill will feature a mixture of exciting new characters and celebrity guest cameos.
Evans, who wrote the pilot and will direct, serves as showrunner. He will executive produce Varnell Hill via his Bentley Evans Productions alongside Martin Lawrence, Stacy Lyles and Robert Lawrence of Runteldat Entertainment and Collins, Dionne Harmon, Andy Horne and Rae Proctor. The series will be produced by Evans and his production team.
While Davidson only appeared on one two-part episode in Season 2 of Martin, his talk show character Varnell Hill has achieved a cult status among fans of the Fox sitcom. A contemporary of Lawrence’s Martin Payne, Varnell flaunts his success to Martin during a visit to the latter’s local radio show, prompting Martin to travel to Los Angeles and crash Varnell’s national talk show for a shot at stardom. This is the same talk show that will now be the setting of the spinoff.
It is Varnell and Martin’s scene in the studio at the WZUP radio station, in which Varnell breaks into a song, that has become a pop culture staple, a moment Davidson and Lawrence recreated a couple of years ago when the former appeared in character as Varnell on Lawrence’s YouTube cooking show.
“Did you miss me? Well, now you don’t have to! I’m excited and honored to be a part of such a creative project with the brilliant mind of Martin Lawrence, over 30 years in the making,” Davidson said about Varnell Hill. “Fans have requested it and now it’s coming to BET+!”
Martin, which starred Lawrence, Tisha Campbell, Tichina Arnold, Thomas Mikal Ford, and Carl Anthony Payne, premiered in 1992 and ran on Fox for five seasons
In addition his work on Martin, Evans was co-creator, executive producer and showrunner on The Jamie Foxx Show and executive producer, showrunner and director on Foxx’s Netflix series Dad Stop Embarrassing Me. He has in the works Only In America with Foxx and Buck Wonders with Eddie Murphy.
Evans is repped by Zero Gravity Management. Lawrence is repped by UTA, Artists First and Gang Rymer. Davidson, who has a popular recurring role on another BET+ comedy series, The Ms. Pat Show, is repped by Innovative Artists.
The post ‘Martin’ Spinoff ‘Varnell Hill’ Starring Tommy Davidson Ordered By BET+ From Martin Lawrence & Bentley Kyle Evans appeared first on Deadline.
