Paramount+ reveals first look at ‘The Varnell Hill Show,’ bringing an iconic ‘Martin’ character back to TV

The eight-episode series will feature Tommy Davidson, Kim Whitley, Wendy Raquel Robinson, and a special appearance by Martin Lawrence.

Varnell Hill is ready to ask the world, “Did ya miss me?”

The character, portrayed by Tommy Davidson during a memorable stretch on “Martin” in the 1990s, is set to return with an eight-episode series on Paramount+. Set as a half-hour workplace comedy, the show will be executive produced by Martin Lawrence and Bentley Kyle Evans along with Davidson. The show premieres with two episodes on September 1 and will air episodes weekly until October 13.

According to Paramount+, Davidson returns as the titular character attempting to hang on and survive in an evolving media landscape. Taken from the perspective of being behind the scenes of “The Varnell Hill Show,” Davidson and an ensemble cast including Kym Whitley, Wendy Raquel Robinson, Emmanuel Hudson and Chris Williams navigate everything from a chaotic writer’s room to testy executives trying to put their input in the show.

What complicates things even more? Lawrence himself makes a special guest appearance on the show, likely to rekindle the rivalry he and Hill had back in the day. During a multi-episode stretch, Davidson’s character would effectively compel Martin to try and step his game up, leading to him crashing a taping of “The Varnell Hill Show” featuring Jodeci.

Additional guest stars for the upcoming season of “The Varnell Hill Show” include Deon Cole, Ms. Pat, Damon Wayans, Mike Epps, Omarion and more.

The return of Hill comes nearly 30 years after the original “Martin” ended. Running from 1992 to 1997, the beloved Fox sitcom starred Lawrence as the titular character with an ensemble cast including Tisha Campbell, Tichina Arnold, Carl Anthony Payne II and Thomas Mikal Ford, who passed away in 2016.

In 2022, the living cast members reunited with a 90-minute BET+ special, looking back on fond memories, hilarious outtakes, and paying tribute to Ford.