Following in the footsteps of fellow Bad Boy Will Smith, Martin Lawrence is bringing back the character who made him a sitcom sensation in the 1990s. Deadline reports that Lawrence will produce Young Martin, an hour-long dramatic series depicting the teenage years of Martin Payne, the character he played for five seasons on the hit sitcom Martin.
The series will focus on the teenage years and young adulthood of Payne, a charismatic teenager navigating the hazards of life and love in modern-day Detroit. Says WonderHill Studios CEO Marvin Peart, who will executive produce the series with Lawrence‘s RunTelDat production company, “Out of all the hit shows during the 90’s, there was only one Martin — a show that defined culture and positivity. Martin reflected a real group of friends from our community that wound up on TV screens all over the world. I respected and revered Martin Lawrence for creating Martin Payne and what he did for African Americans on television in front and behind the camera.” There has been a renewal of interest in Martin lately; BET+ aired a well-received 30th anniversary special for the series in 2022, and the cast reunited on-stage at the Emmy Awards earlier this year. Young Martin also comes in the wake of the success of Bel Air, a dramatic reimagining of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air; the series is produced by Lawrence‘s friend and co-star Smith.
What Was ‘Martin’ About?
Airing Fox from 1992 to 1997, Martin starred Lawrence as WZUP disc jockey (and later talk show host) Martin Payne, who lived in Detroit with his girlfriend (and later wife) Gina (Tisha Campbell). The series’ plots often revolved around their domestic bliss, or lack thereof, and the lives of their friends, including Tommy (Thomas Mikal Ford), Cole (Carl Anthony Payne II), and Pam (Tichina Arnold). A number of other actors recurred on the series, including Tracy Morgan, Charlie Murphy, and David Alan Grier. In addition to the lead role, Lawrence played a number of other characters on the series, most notably Martin and Gina’s obnoxious neighbor Sheneneh Jenkins. The show’s production was not without its share of controversy. During the filming of the show’s fifth and final season, Campbell quit the show and sued Lawrence for sexual harassment. She was written out of the series for ten episodes, but returned for the two-part series finale on the condition that she not share any scenes with Lawrence. The two have since reconciled.
Young Martin will be executive produced by Lawrence, Rae Proctor, Robert Lawrence, and Stacy Lyles from RunTelDat, with Bob Yari, David McPherson, Rosa Peart, and Greg Martin for WonderHill Studios. The series does not yet have a TV or streaming home.
Young Martin is currently in development; no casting or release date has yet been announced.
via Collider