Fans of the sitcom Martin can rejoice!
Martin Lawrence and Bentley Kyle Evans are bringing a spin-off of the popular comedy series to BET+. The series will be titled Varnell Hill and star Tommy Davidson in the lead role.
The news, first revealed by Deadline, comes on the 35th anniversary of In Living Color, where Davidson was one of the original cast members.
The Varnell Hill character appeared on the original Martin series and became a favourite among fans of the show, even though the character only appeared in the show’s second season.
The original Martin series starred Lawrence alongside Tichina Arnold, Tisha Campbell, Thomas Mikal Ford, and Carl Anthony Payne. The show debuted in 1992 and ran for five seasons on Fox.
Already greenlit by BET+, Varnell Hill has been ordered straight to series with eight episodes. The premise will be a workplace comedy following the behind-the-scenes happenings of the long-running fictional talk show, The Varnell Hill Show. The series will focus on Hill’s attempts to stay relevant in the evolving media landscape.
According to Deadline, the series will blend satire, humour, and fourth-wall breaks, and feature a mix of exciting characters and cameos by celebrity guests.
In addition to writing the pilot episode, Evans will direct and serve as the showrunner for the series and executive produce alongside Lawrence and Jesse Collins.
Evans is no stranger to comedy. In addition to his work on Martin, Evans was the co-creator and showrunner of The Jamie Foxx Show. In addition, he has upcoming projects with Jamie Foxx and Eddie Murphy in the works.