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
GenreSitcom
Created byJohn Bowman
Martin Lawrence
Topper Carew
Starring
Theme music composerSteve Keitt for Kid Entertainment, Inc.
Joey Kibble II
Mark Kibble
Paul Wright III
ComposersBill Maxwell
(season 2-5)
Greg Poree
Paul Jackson Jr.
(season 1)
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons5
No. of episodes132 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producersJohn Bowman
Topper Carew
Martin Lawrence
Bentley Kyle Evans
Billy Van Zandt
Jane Milmore
Samm-Art Williams
ProducersWalter Barnett
Terry Crotzer
Mark J. Greenberg
Cheryl Holliday
Bennie R. Richburg, Jr.
Robert Lawrence
Production locationsUniversal City Studios,
Universal City, California
CinematographyWilliam Updegraff
Gary W. Scott
Alan Walker
Camera setupMulti-camera
Running time22–24 minutes
Production companiesYou Go Boy! Productions
(1994-1997)
(seasons 3-5)
HBO Independent Productions
Original release
NetworkFox
ReleaseAugust 27, 1992 (1992-08-27) 
May 1, 1997 (1997-05-01)

Broadcast history

SeasonTime
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

SeasonEpisodesOriginally airedRankAverage viewers
(in millions)
First airedLast aired
127August 27, 1992 (1992-08-27)May 13, 1993 (1993-05-13)#4111.40
227August 22, 1993 (1993-08-22)May 15, 1994 (1994-05-15)#649.29
327September 1, 1994 (1994-09-01)May 18, 1995 (1995-05-18)#928.11
427September 9, 1995 (1995-09-09)May 2, 1996 (1996-05-02)#1046.70
524September 5, 1996 (1996-09-05)May 1, 1997 (1997-05-01)#1106.00

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

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
1993People's Choice AwardsWonFavorite TV New Comedy Series
1994NAACP Image AwardsWonOutstanding Comedy Series
1995Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy SeriesMartin Lawrence
Outstanding Comedy Series
1996NominatedOutstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy SeriesMarla Gibbs
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy SeriesCarl Anthony Payne II
Thomas Mikal Ford
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy SeriesTisha Campbell-Martin
Outstanding Comedy Series
WonOutstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy SeriesTichina Arnold
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy SeriesMartin Lawrence
1997NominatedOutstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy SeriesTisha Campbell-Martin
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy SeriesMartin Lawrence
Outstanding Comedy Series
1995Nickelodeon Kids' Choice AwardsNominatedFavorite Television Show
Favorite Television ActorMartin Lawrence
1996Favorite Television ActorMartin 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 NameEp #Release Date
The Complete First Season27January 4, 2007
The Complete Second Season27May 15, 2007
The Complete Third Season27November 6, 2007
The Complete Fourth Season27April 1, 2008
The Complete Fifth and Final Season24October 7, 2008
The Complete Series132February 4, 2020

References

  1. Gajewski, Ryan (January 16, 2024). "'Ally McBeal,' 'Grey's Anatomy,' 'Martin' Casts Reunite for Emmys Ceremony". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
  2. "A Macho Image for a Sensitive Soul". The New York Times. November 3, 1992. Retrieved October 18, 2014.
  3. "'Martin's' Wife Leaves Fox Series". Los Angeles Times. January 7, 1997. Retrieved October 18, 2014.
  4. "'Martin,' Campbell reconcile". Variety. March 21, 1997. Retrieved October 18, 2014.
  5. "John Amos Says He Was Kicked off Good Times Because He Didn't Agree with the Shucking and Jiving". June 4, 2015.
  6. "Tisha Campbell Files Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Against Martin Lawrence". Jet. Johnson Publishing Company. January 27, 1997.
  7. "TV Notes". The New York Times. January 15, 1997. Retrieved October 18, 2014.
  8. "Martin Lawrence Ends Sitcom, 'Martin', In Fifth Season". Jet. Johnson Publishing Company. April 28, 1997.
  9. "Martin Lawrence and Tisha Campbell Say They're 'Good' Despite Harassment Lawsuit in the '90s". Peoplemag. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
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