# Martin (1992)

> A brash Detroit radio and television personality juggles his romance with Gina and the antics of his close circle of friends.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/156

## Facts

- Seasons: 5
- Episodes: 132
- Episode runtime: 22 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: comedy
- Created by: Martin Lawrence, John Bowman, Topper Carew
- Network: FOX
- Cast: Martin Lawrence, Tichina Arnold, Tisha Campbell, Carl Anthony Payne II, Thomas Mikal Ford, Garrett Morris, Jon Gries, Tommy Davidson
- TMDB rating: 7.5/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0103488/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: mild
- Complexity: simple
- Violence: none
- Tone: breezy, irreverent, sassy, cheerful, hilarious

## What critics say

Viewers broadly rate Martin as a positive, lively sitcom whose early seasons are its strongest, though some reviewers find its raunchy edge watered down for broadcast.

## Synopsis

Martin (1992-1997) is an American sitcom created by Martin Lawrence, John Bowman and Topper Carew, produced for FOX as a star-driven comedy in the tradition of 1990s network situation comedies. Martin Lawrence plays Martin Payne, a sassy radio and television personality whose romance with his girlfriend Gina Waters-Payne (Tisha Campbell) keeps pulling him into trouble. Tichina Arnold plays Pamela James, Gina's outspoken best friend, while Carl Anthony Payne II as Cole Brown and Thomas Mikal Ford as Tommy Strawn supply the loyal, mischievous friend circle whose escapades fill many episodes. Across five seasons and 132 half-hour episodes, the show runs as a continuing comedy in which each story grows from Martin's vanity, his impulsive schemes and the tangled loyalties of his relationships. Its engine is simple: Martin wants to impress, keep his romance intact and stay in control of his image, and the people around him keep complicating that plan. Set in a contemporary Detroit milieu, the series carries a breezy, cheerful, direct-to-camera energy, with a warm affection for its characters and a loud, confident comic voice. Fans of Living Single, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and Seinfeld will find similar pleasures in its star-centered bravado and friend-group banter.

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- [The Bernie Mac Show (2001)](https://ember.film/tv/1591)
- [The Game (2006)](https://ember.film/tv/194)
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- [Being Mary Jane (2013)](https://ember.film/tv/48872)

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