The Varnell Hill Show

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.