More than three decades after one ofMartin’s most memorable guest characters strutted onto television screens,Varnell Hill is finally ready for his close-up.
Tommy Davidson is reprising the larger-than-life television personality inThe Varnell Hill Show, a new Paramount+ comedy expanding the universe of Martin Lawrence’s influential 1990s sitcom.
And this is more than a loose remake built around nostalgia.
Martin Lawrence is involved behind the scenes and will also step back in front of the camera as Martin Payne, while the new series surrounds Davidson with a cast of veteran comedians and television favorites. Paramount+ has scheduled the series to premiere globally Sept. 1.
Here are five things to know before Varnell takes over television again.
1. ‘The Varnell Hill Show’ premieres Sept. 1
The wait officially endsSept. 1, 2026, whenThe Varnell Hill Showpremieres globally on Paramount+.
The first season consists ofeight episodes. Two episodes are scheduled to arrive on premiere day, followed by one new episode each Tuesday through the season finale Oct. 13.
The release makes Varnell Hill the latest piece of a beloved Black sitcom to find new life for a streaming generation — but the character has been waiting considerably longer than most.
2. Tommy Davidson is stepping back into a character introduced in 1993
LongtimeMartinfans already know exactly why Varnell Hill getting his own series feels like a full-circle moment.
Davidson originally played Varnell during a two-episode season 2 storyline ofMartinin 1993.
Varnell was introduced as a former Detroit radio colleague of Martin Payne who had made his way to Los Angeles and become a successful television personality. His flashy lifestyle and oversized confidence made an immediate impression — including on Martin, who briefly imagined what his own life could look like in Hollywood.
What was once essentially a memorable guest role is now the foundation for an entire series.
Davidson told PEOPLE earlier this year that eight episodes had already been filmed and edited. He also described reuniting on camera with Lawrence after years apart as an emotional experience.
3. Martin Lawrence is returning as Martin Payne
Yes,Martin is coming back too.
First-look photos released by Paramount+ show Lawrence once again in character as Martin Payne alongside Davidson’s Varnell Hill.
Lawrence is expected to make special appearances rather than serve as the new series' lead. He is also an executive producer on the project alongside Bentley Kyle Evans, connecting the spinoff directly to key creative talent from the originalMartinuniverse.
The return is particularly notable because Lawrence has previously expressed reservations about mounting a traditionalMartinrevival without late cast member Thomas Mikal Ford.
The Varnell Hill Showoffers another route: expand the universe without attempting to recreate the original sitcom.
4. This time, we’re going behind Varnell’s talk show
Rather than simply placing Varnell into another traditional family or workplace sitcom, the series turns his fictional television career into the workplace.
The Varnell Hill Showis ahalf-hour workplace comedy set behind the scenes of Varnell’s long-running late-night talk show.
Varnell is now an established television star trying to keep his empire relevant while the entertainment industry changes around him.
That means dealing with network executives who want to modernize his show, a chaotic writers' room, celebrity guests, family complications and, perhaps most importantly, Varnell’s own legendary ego.
The concept gives the series room to parody television itself while exploring what happens when an old-school celebrity tries to survive a new media era.
The show is expected to use satire, cutaways and fourth-wall breaks as part of its comedy style.
5. The cast and guest list are stacked
Davidson and Lawrence are far from alone.
The announced cast includesKym Whitley, Wendy Raquel Robinson, Nick Cafero, Emmanuel Hudson and Chris Williams.
First-look photography also shows Neil Brown Jr., Mina Quarterman and Tim Chantarangsu appearing in the series.
And the guest list sounds like a comedy and culture crossover event of its own.
Special guest stars announced for the series include:
- Ms. Pat
- Deon Cole
- Damon Wayans
- Mike Epps
- Omarion
Additional guest appearances are expected.
For a show built around a fictional late-night television program, the celebrity-guest format could become one of its biggest strengths.
Varnell finally gets his moment
Martinaired on Fox from 1992 to 1997 and became one of the defining Black sitcoms of its generation, with characters, catchphrases and performances that continue to live throughout popular culture.
Varnell Hill appeared in only a small part of that original run.
More than 30 years later, that may be exactly what makes the spinoff interesting.
Rather than attempting to simply reproduceMartin,The Varnell Hill Showpulls one character from its world and asks what his life might look like decades later.
Varnell still has the confidence.
He still has the television show.
Now we get to find out whether he can keep it.
The Varnell Hill Show premieres with two episodes Sept. 1 on Paramount+. New episodes follow Tuesdays through Oct. 13.