VARNELL HILL IS BACK IN THE SPOTLIGHT: FIRST LOOK AT THE LONG-AWAITED COMEDY SERIES "THE VARNELL HILL SHOW," PREMIERING GLOBALLY SEPTEMBER 1 ON PARAMOUNT+

Tommy Davidson reprises his beloved Martin character in a new workplace comedy executive produced by Martin Lawrence and Bentley Kyle Evans

Photo Credit: Catie Kuczynski

August 5, 2026 - Paramount+ today unveiled first look photos and announced the premiere date for The Varnell Hill Show, a new half-hour workplace comedy executive produced by Martin Lawrence and Bentley Kyle Evans, and starring and executive produced by Tommy Davidson as the unforgettable talk show host first introduced in the iconic sitcom Martin. The eight-episode first season will make its global debut on Paramount+ with two episodes on Tuesday, September 1, followed by one new episode every Tuesday through October 13.

Nearly three decades after audiences first met him, Varnell Hill is stepping back into the spotlight - and he's determined to prove he's still the star of the show. Set behind the scenes of a long-running late-night talk show, The Varnell Hill Show follows Varnell (Davidson) as he fights to stay relevant in a rapidly changing entertainment landscape. Between network executives eager to modernize the show, a chaotic writers' room, celebrity guests, family drama, and his own outsized ego, Varnell quickly discovers that keeping a television empire together may be harder than building one in the first place.

Davidson leads an ensemble cast that includes Kym Whitley, Wendy Raquel Robinson, Nick Cafero, Emmanuel Hudson and Chris Williams, alongside a lineup of guest stars including Ms. Pat, Deon Cole, Damon Wayans, Mike Epps, Omarion and many more with special appearances by Lawrence.

In association with BET Studios, the series is executive produced by Lawrence, Davidson, Jesse Collins and Dionne Harmon for Jesse Collins Entertainment, Stacy Lyles, Rae Proctor, and Robert Lawrence for Runteldat Entertainment, Mark Greenberg, Andrew Horne, and Evans for Harvest Studios, who also serves as showrunner, writer and director.

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