Tommy Davidson became emotional while discussing the long-awaited Martin spin-off The Varnell Hill Show during an appearance on CBS Mornings, describing the effort behind bringing the project to television as a hard-fought achievement.
Davidson, who played the flamboyant talk-show host Varnell Hill in the 1990s sitcom, reflected on the work involved in turning the character into the star of a new series. “We really, really, really grinded,” he said.
The actor and comedian also reprised Varnell’s distinctive singing routine from Martin during the interview, revisiting the performance that helped make the character memorable to viewers.
The Varnell Hill Show is set behind the scenes of Varnell’s long-running late-night programme, where the larger-than-life host attempts to remain relevant while dealing with a changing television industry, network executives and a chaotic production team.
The eight-episode workplace comedy premieres on Paramount+ on Tuesday 1 September, with two episodes released on the first day and new instalments following weekly. Davidson stars and serves as an executive producer, alongside Martin creator Martin Lawrence and Bentley Kyle Evans. ([paramountpressexpress.com](https://www.paramountpressexpress.com/paramount-plus/shows/the-varnell-hill-show/releases/?view=113108-first-look-at-the-long-awaited-comedy-series-the-varnell-hill-show-premiering-globally-september-1-on-paramount&utm_source=openai))
Lawrence will make special appearances in the series, which also features Kym Whitley, Wendy Raquel Robinson, Nick Cafero, Emmanuel Hudson and Chris Williams. The show reunites Davidson with Evans, who helped develop the original Martin series, nearly three decades after Varnell first appeared on screen. ([paramountpressexpress.com](https://www.paramountpressexpress.com/paramount-plus/shows/the-varnell-hill-show/releases/?view=113152-nearly-30-years-in-the-making-martins-fan-favorite-varnell-hill-finally-gets-the-spotlight-in-the-varnell-hill-show-premiering-september-1-on-paramoun&utm_source=openai))
