FIRST LOOK AT COMEDY SERIES THE VARNELL HILL SHOW, STARRING TOMMY DAVIDSON, KYM WHITLEY AND MORE, 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
PRESS RELEASE
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 1st, followed by one new episode every Tuesday through October 13th.
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.
A first look at the upcoming Paramount+ TV series, The Varnell Hill Show, which also features Neil Brown Jr. as Thad, Wendy Raquel Robinson as Rachel Perkins, Mina Quarterman as Courtney, and Tim Chantarangsu as George; Photo Credit: Paramount+
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.
About Paramount, a Skydance Corporation: Paramount, a Skydance Corporation (Nasdaq: PSKY), is a leading, next‑generation global media and entertainment company, comprised of three business segments: Studios, Direct-to-Consumer, and TV Media. The Company’s portfolio unites legendary brands, including Paramount Pictures, Paramount Television, CBS, CBS News, CBS Sports, Nickelodeon, MTV, BET, Comedy Central, SHOWTIME®, Paramount+, Pluto TV, Skydance Animation, Film, Television, and Interactive/Games, and the newly established Paramount Sports Entertainment.
