Martin is an American television sitcom. It was shown on Fox for five seasons from August 27, 1992, to May 1, 1997. The show features comedian Martin Lawrence as the main character. Lawrence also played other characters. Martin was one of Fox's most popular shows during its run. In 2024, the cast reunited at the 75th Primetime Emmy Awards.

Premise

Martin Lawrence portrayed Martin Payne, a character who was first a radio DJ living in Detroit, Michigan, with his girlfriend Gina Waters, played by Tisha Campbell. Martin worked at the fictional radio station WZUP. Later in the series, he became the host of the talk show Word on the Street.

Characters

• Martin Lawrence portrays Martin Payne
• Tisha Campbell portrays Gina Waters-Payne
• Carl Anthony Payne II portrays Cole Brown
• Thomas Mikal Ford portrays Thomas "Tommy" Strawn
• Tichina Arnold portrays Pamela "Pam" James
• Jon Gries portrays Shawn McDermott (seasons 1–2)
• Garrett Morris portrays Stan Winters (seasons 1–2; guest season 3)

• Reginald Ballard portrays Bruh-Man (Brother Man) (seasons 2–4)
• Tracy Morgan portrays Hustle Man (seasons 3–4)
• Jeri Gray portrays Ms. Geri
• Maura McDade portrays Shanise McGillicuddy (season 5)
• Sean Lampkin portrays Nipsey (seasons 3–5)

• Judyann Elder portrays Nadine Waters
• J. A. Preston portrays Dr. Cliff Waters
• Adrian Tibbs portrays Lil' Dawg
• Ray Massara portrays Buckwhite
• Charlie Murphy portrays Bro Fo' Real
• David Jean Thomas portrays Angry Man
• Jeris Lee Poindexter portrays Mr. Booker
• Ellia English portrays Mrs. Booker
• Laura Hayes portrays Maddie Brown
• LaWanda Page portrays Evelyn Porter
• David Alan Grier portrays Reverend Leon Lonnie Love
• Roxanne Reese portrays Marian
• Kenneth Whack portrays Kenji
• Simbi Khali portrays Laquita
• Yo-Yo portrays Keylolo
• Kim Coles portrays Bonquisha
• Reno Wilson portrays Sonny
• Tommy Davidson portrays Varnell Hill
• Luis Antonio Ramos portrays Luis
• Bentley Kyle Evans portrays Titus
• BeBe Drake-Massey portrays Myra
• Angelina Estrada portrays Gloria Rodriguez

• Sheneneh Jenkins
• Edna (Mama) Payne
• 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)

Lawsuit

In November 1996, Campbell left the television series during its final season, saying the working conditions were "unbearable." In January 1997, she started a legal case against Lawrence and the show's producers, claiming she faced sexual harassment and verbal and physical attacks. The show explained that Gina was "out on business," but in the two-part episode "Going Overboard," it was explained that Gina had arrived too late to join the boat trip with the others. By April 1997, Campbell reached a settlement in the legal case and returned for the last two episodes of the series, with the agreement that she would not share scenes or interact with Lawrence. Campbell and Lawrence later reconciled and repaired their relationship.

Syndication

On August 8, 1995, Martin entered second-run syndication through Warner Bros. Domestic Television Distribution. It is broadcast multiple times weekly on networks owned by Paramount Skydance, including MTV2, VH1, and BET, with HBO also airing all episodes of the series. On October 6, 2025, Martin made its debut on Dabl with a special "Get Into Martin" marathon event. The show was added to Dabl's lineup on October 5, 2025, following the marathon.

Home media

In addition to being available for purchase on most digital video retailers, HBO Home Video made all five seasons of the show Martin available on DVD in Region 1.

Reunion

In 2022, cast members Martin Lawrence, Tisha Campbell, Tichina Arnold, and Carl Anthony Payne II, along with other guests, reunited. Thomas Mikal Ford, who passed away in 2016, was not present at the reunion, but the special "Martin: The Reunion" honored him. The 90-minute special aired on June 16, 2022, on BET+ and was directed by Stan Lathan.

On July 11, 2024, an hour-long prequel series to Martin, titled Young Martin, was announced by Deadline Hollywood. The series is produced by Martin Lawrence, Rae Proctor, Robert Lawrence, and Stacy Lyles from RunTelDat, as well as Bob Yari, David McPherson, Rosa Peart, and Greg Martin from WonderHill Studios.

Young Martin follows teenage Martin Payne living in modern-day Detroit as he moves from childhood to adulthood and works to find success. The series is described as both an origin story and a reimagining of the character.

On April 15, 2025, a spin-off series titled Varnell Hill was approved by BET+. The show stars Tommy Davidson, who plays the same character from the Martin series. Kym Whitley joined the cast as a regular actor in August 2025.