The Varnell Hill Show
Cast & Key People
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Our Review
Tommy Davidson reprises his Martin character Varnell Hill, almost 30 years later, in Paramount+’s new comedy picking up with the character as the host of his own late night talk show. For Martin fans this is a novelty event: Varnell was one of the sitcom’s most quotable side characters, and Davidson remains a gifted physical comedian who never got the vehicle he deserved. The show mines the gap between Varnell’s ’90s fame and his current fight for relevance in a media landscape that has passed him by, with the usual late night-adjacent ensemble (writers’ room, producers, guests playing themselves). It’s affectionately in on the joke, leaning on nostalgia without being only nostalgia. The ceiling is limited, this is a comfort food comedy, not a prestige play, but the floor is elevated by Davidson’s commitment to the bit. Six half hours, easy to binge, funny in the way old school multicamera energy translated to streaming. If you loved Martin, queue it; if you didn’t catch the reference, it’s a passable workplace comedy about a has been clawing at relevance.
