Martin (TV series)
Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox television Martin is an American television sitcom that aired for five seasons on Fox from August 27, 1992, to May 1, 1997. The show stars comedian Martin Lawrence as the titular character. Lawrence also played several other characters. Martin was one of Fox's highest-rated shows during the sitcom's run. In 2024, the cast reunited at the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Premise
Martin Lawrence played the role of Martin Payne, originally a disc jockey who lived with his girlfriend Gina Waters (Tisha Campbell) in the city of Detroit, Michigan. Martin worked for the fictional radio station WZUP; in later seasons, he became the host of the talk show Word on the Street.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Characters
Main characters
- Martin Lawrence as Martin Payne
- Tisha Campbell as Gina Waters-Payne<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Carl Anthony Payne II as Cole Brown
- Thomas Mikal Ford as Thomas "Tommy" Strawn
- Tichina Arnold as Pamela "Pam" James
- Jon Gries as Shawn McDermott (seasons 1–2)
- Garrett Morris as Stan Winters (seasons 1–2; guest season 3)
Supporting characters
- Reginald Ballard as Bruh-Man (Brother Man) (seasons 2–4)
- Tracy Morgan as Hustle Man (seasons 3–4)
- Jeri Gray as Ms. Geri
- Maura McDade as Shanise McGillicuddy (season 5)
- Sean Lampkin as Nipsey (seasons 3–5)
Recurring characters
- Judyann Elder as Nadine Waters
- J. A. Preston as Dr. Cliff Waters
- Adrian Tibbs as Lil' Dawg
- Ray Massara as Buckwhite
- Charlie Murphy as Bro Fo' Real
- David Jean Thomas as Angry Man
- Jeris Lee Poindexter as Mr. Booker
- Ellia English as Mrs. Booker
- Laura Hayes as Maddie Brown
- LaWanda Page as Evelyn Porter
- David Alan Grier as Reverend Leon Lonnie Love
- Roxanne Reese as Marian
- Kenneth Whack as Kenji
- Simbi Khali as Laquita
- Yo-Yo as Keylolo
- Kim Coles as Bonquisha
- Reno Wilson as Sonny
- Tommy Davidson as Varnell Hill
- Luis Antonio Ramos as Luis
- Bentley Kyle Evans as Titus
- BeBe Drake-Massey as Myra
- Angelina Estrada as Gloria Rodriguez
Other roles played by Lawrence
- Sheneneh Jenkins
- Edna (Mama) Payne<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Ol' Otis (seasons 1-4)
- Jerome (seasons 1-4)
- Roscoe
- Dragonfly Jones (seasons 1-3)
- Bob (seasons 1-2)
- King Beef (seasons 1-2)
- Elroy Preston (season 2)
Episodes
Template:Main List of Martin episodes
Broadcast history
| Season | Timeslot |
|---|---|
| 1992–93 (season 1) | Thursday at 8:30–9:00 pm |
| 1993–94 (season 2) | Sunday at 8:00–8:30 pm |
| 1994–95 (season 3) | Thursday at 8:00–8:30 pm |
| 1995–96 (season 4) | Saturday at 8:00–8:30 pm (September 9, 1995 – October 28, 1995) Sunday at 8:30–9:00 pm (November 5, 1995 – February 4, 1996; February 18 – 25, 1996) Thursday at 8:30–9:00 pm (February 8 – 15, 1996; February 29 – May 2, 1996) |
| 1996–97 (season 5) | Thursday at 8:00–8:30 pm |
Lawsuit
In November 1996, Campbell left the series during its final season, citing "intolerable" working conditions. She filed a lawsuit against Lawrence and the show's producers in January 1997 for sexual harassment and verbal and physical assaults.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> The series explanation was that Gina was "out on business", though in the two-part episode "Going Overboard" it was stated that Gina had arrived too late to board the boat for the trip alongside everyone else.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> By April 1997, Campbell had settled the lawsuit and returned for the last two episodes of the series under the condition that she would not share any scenes or interact with Lawrence.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> Campbell and Lawrence have since reconciled, and repaired their relationship.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Result | Category | Recipient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | People's Choice Awards | Won | Favorite TV New Comedy Series | |
| 1994 | NAACP Image Awards | Won | Outstanding Comedy Series | |
| 1995 | Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series | Martin Lawrence | ||
| Outstanding Comedy Series | ||||
| 1996 | Nominated | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series | Marla Gibbs | |
| Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series | Carl Anthony Payne II | |||
| Thomas Mikal Ford | ||||
| Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series | Tisha Campbell-Martin | |||
| Outstanding Comedy Series | ||||
| Won | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series | Tichina Arnold | ||
| Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series | Martin Lawrence | |||
| 1997 | Nominated | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series | Tisha Campbell-Martin | |
| Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series | Martin Lawrence | |||
| Outstanding Comedy Series | ||||
| 1995 | Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards | Nominated | Favorite Television Show | |
| Favorite Television Actor | Martin Lawrence | |||
| 1996 | Favorite Television Actor | Martin Lawrence |
Syndication
Martin went into second run syndication on August 8, 1995, through Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution; it airs multiple times a week on the networks of Paramount Global, including MTV2, VH1 and BET, with HBO also carrying the full run of the series. Martin made its debut on Dabl on October 6, 2025, with a "Get Into Martin" marathon that preceded its arrival to the lineup on October 5.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>https://www.dabltvnetwork.com/shows/martin</ref>
Home media
Besides being purchasable on most digital video retailers, HBO Home Video released all five seasons of Martin on DVD in Region 1.
| DVD name | Ep # | Release date |
|---|---|---|
| The Complete First Season | 27 | January 4, 2007 |
| The Complete Second Season | 27 | May 15, 2007 |
| The Complete Third Season | 27 | November 6, 2007 |
| The Complete Fourth Season | 27 | April 1, 2008 |
| The Complete Fifth and Final Season | 24 | October 7, 2008 |
| The Complete Series | 132 | February 4, 2020 |
Reunion
In 2022, cast members Martin Lawrence, Tisha Campbell, Tichina Arnold, and Carl Anthony Payne II and other guests reunited. Notably missing from the reunion was Thomas Mikal Ford, who had died in 2016, but Martin: The Reunion paid tribute to him. The 90-minute special was released on June 16, 2022, on BET+ and directed by Stan Lathan.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Spin-offs
Young Martin
On July 11, 2024, an hour-long prequel series to Martin, titled Young Martin, was announced to be in development by Deadline Hollywood. The series is executive produced by Martin Lawrence, Rae Proctor, Robert Lawrence and Stacy Lyles from RunTelDat, with Bob Yari, David McPherson, Rosa Peart, Greg Martin for WonderHill Studios,
Young Martin follows a teenage Martin Payne residing in a modern-day Detroit finding his path to success as he transitions from childhood to adulthood and is described as both an origin story and a reimagining of the character.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Varnell Hill
On April 15, 2025, Varnell Hill, a spin-off series was green-lit by BET+. It will be headlined by actor-comedian Tommy Davidson, reprising his character Varnell Hill from the Martin series.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Kym Whitley joined the cast in August 2025 as a series regular.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
References
External links
- 1990s American black sitcoms
- 1990s American multi-camera sitcoms
- 1992 American television series debuts
- 1997 American television series endings
- American television series with live action and animation
- American English-language television shows
- Television series about radio
- Television series about television
- Television series by Warner Bros. Television Studios
- Television shows set in Detroit
- Television series by HBO Independent Productions
- Fox Broadcasting Company sitcoms