Martin (TV series)
Martin is an American television sitcom that aired for five seasons on Fox from August 27, 1992 to May 1, 1997. The show starred 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. Martin has frequently been regarded as one of the most influential and "pivotal" for sitcoms of all time. In 2024, the cast reunited at the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards.[1]
| Martin | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Sitcom |
| Created by | John Bowman Martin Lawrence Topper Carew |
| Starring |
|
| Theme music composer | Steve Keitt for Kid Entertainment, Inc. Joey Kibble II Mark Kibble Paul Wright III |
| Composers | Bill Maxwell (season 2-5) Greg Poree Paul Jackson Jr. (season 1) |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 5 |
| No. of episodes | 132 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producers | John Bowman Topper Carew Martin Lawrence Bentley Kyle Evans Billy Van Zandt Jane Milmore Samm-Art Williams |
| Producers | Walter Barnett Terry Crotzer Mark J. Greenberg Cheryl Holliday Bennie R. Richburg, Jr. Robert Lawrence |
| Production locations | Universal City Studios, Universal City, California |
| Cinematography | William Updegraff Gary W. Scott Alan Walker |
| Camera setup | Multi-camera |
| Running time | 22–24 minutes |
| Production companies | You Go Boy! Productions (1994-1997) (seasons 3-5) HBO Independent Productions |
| Original release | |
| Network | Fox |
| Release | August 27, 1992 – May 1, 1997 |
Broadcast history
| Season | Time |
|---|---|
| 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 |
Episodes
| Season | Episodes | Originally aired | Rank | Average viewers (in millions) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First aired | Last aired | |||||
| 1 | 27 | August 27, 1992 | May 13, 1993 | #41 | 11.40 | |
| 2 | 27 | August 22, 1993 | May 15, 1994 | #64 | 9.29 | |
| 3 | 27 | September 1, 1994 | May 18, 1995 | #92 | 8.11 | |
| 4 | 27 | September 9, 1995 | May 2, 1996 | #104 | 6.70 | |
| 5 | 24 | September 5, 1996 | May 1, 1997 | #110 | 6.00 | |
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.[2]
Characters
Main characters
- Martin Lawrence as Martin Payne
- Tisha Campbell as Gina Waters-Payne[3][4]
- 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 3–5)
- 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 (Brother For 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[5]
- Ol' Otis (seasons 1-4)
- Jerome (seasons 1-4)
- Roscoe
- Dragonfly Jones (seasons 1-3)
- Bob (seasons 1-2)
- King Beef (seasons 1-2)
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.[6] 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.[7] 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.[8] Campbell and Lawrence have since reconciled, and repaired their relationship.[9]
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 Max and Netflix also carrying the full run of the series.
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 |
References
- Gajewski, Ryan (January 16, 2024). "'Ally McBeal,' 'Grey's Anatomy,' 'Martin' Casts Reunite for Emmys Ceremony". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
- "A Macho Image for a Sensitive Soul". The New York Times. November 3, 1992. Retrieved October 18, 2014.
- "'Martin's' Wife Leaves Fox Series". Los Angeles Times. January 7, 1997. Retrieved October 18, 2014.
- "'Martin,' Campbell reconcile". Variety. March 21, 1997. Retrieved October 18, 2014.
- "John Amos Says He Was Kicked off Good Times Because He Didn't Agree with the Shucking and Jiving". June 4, 2015.
- "Tisha Campbell Files Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Against Martin Lawrence". Jet. Johnson Publishing Company. January 27, 1997.
- "TV Notes". The New York Times. January 15, 1997. Retrieved October 18, 2014.
- "Martin Lawrence Ends Sitcom, 'Martin', In Fifth Season". Jet. Johnson Publishing Company. April 28, 1997.
- "Martin Lawrence and Tisha Campbell Say They're 'Good' Despite Harassment Lawsuit in the '90s". Peoplemag. Retrieved January 25, 2024.