BET+ Greenlights 'Martin' Spin-Off Centered on Varnell Hill

Boy, you so crazy! A whole Martin spin-off is in the works and we are kind of scratching our heads and cheering at the same time. Cheering for a new show offering some representation on television but scratching our heads at the premise. If you have been living under a rock, the original Martin sitcom followed radio disc jockey, later turn talk show host as he navigated romantic relationships and friendships in Detroit. Comedian Martin Lawrence played the main character and the show remains a part of the culture. 

The cast of Martin recently sat down for a reunion so one could hope that perhaps a reboot would not be far behind. The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air did get new life at Peacock with the reimagined reboot simply titled Bel-Air which will be airing its final season in the fall or summer as Peacock has not made that clear. So, with Bel-Air ending now would be a great time to fill that gap with another popular 90s sitcom, Martin.

BET+ sort of got that message when the network announced a green light series order for a new show. The issue is not centered around Martin or his friends but rather Tommy Davidson’s one time character Varnell Hill. The character appeared in a two part episode but was never talked about again. You can rewatch his episode titled “Hollywood Swinging” as Martin is available to stream on BET+ and Netflix. 

Davidson released a statement saying, “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. Fans have requested it and now it’s coming to BET+!”

What will this new show be about, that happens to be executive produced (and co-created) by Martin Lawrence himself? Varnell Hill is being pitched as a workplace comedy that deep dives into the crazy world of producing television shows. 

Not sure this is what we ordered but the rumors are that Martin Lawrence will appear in a few episodes as Martin Payne. No word yet on other cast members, Tisha Campbell, Carl Anthony Payne II and Tichina Arnold. As we know, Thomas Mikal Ford who played Tommy passed away in 2016. Hopefully this new series will honor him. 

What do you think of the news? We would love to hear your thoughts. Sound off in the comments!