Classic Detroit-set sitcom 'Martin' gets a spin-off nearly 30 years after ending its run
BET+ is greenlighting "Varnell Hill," a workplace comedy that will star Tommy Davidson as the same character he played so memorably during a guest spot on "Martin," the classic sitcom that ran for five seasons on Fox and lives on through syndication.
Davidson's Varnell Hill is a late-night TV host who is attempting to stay current in the changing TV marketplace while simultaneously navigating the politics of the corporate executives, advertisers and production team members who are involved with his show, according to BET+.
"Martin" star Martin Lawrence, who co-created "Varnell Hill," will be an executive producer of the streaming series. The show's other co-creator, writer and director Bentley Kyle Evans, will serve as showrunner and executive producer.
Evans previously worked as an executive producer and showrunner on "Martin." He has a long list of TV credits, including a sitcom that premiered just last week: the first original comedy for Detroit's faith-based Impact Network, "Highly Favored," which made its debut on the new streaming platform Impact TV+.
Davidson, an original cast member of Fox's 1990-1994 sketch comedy show "In Living Color," made a long-lasting impression on "Martin" with a two-part appearance in November 1993 as Varnell Hill.
More: Detroit-based Impact Network debuts its first original sitcom as part of move to streaming
More: BET+ series 'Diarra from Detroit' comes from a creator who's 'a daughter of the city'
In the first of those episodes, Martin interviewed Varnell, who formerly was a deejay at Martin's Detroit radio station of WZUP.
Varnell inspired Martin to move to Los Angeles and pursue his career dreams. In the second episode, Martin tried to sneak onto Varnell's late-night talk show and, as usual, hilarity ensued. Eventually, Martin opted to return to the Motor City.
In a statement on the spin-off, Davidson said: '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+!'
The production timeline and premiere of "Varnell Hill" have yet to be revealed.
Contact Detroit Free Press pop culture critic Julie Hinds at jhinds@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit-set sitcom 'Martin' gets a spin-off 28 years after its end
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