A love letter to ‘90s Black sitcoms, with special thanks to Martin, A Different World, and Living Single.

There are sitcom episodes… and then there are cultural monuments. For me, the “Hollywood Swingin’” two-parter from Martin (Season 3) is a monument. It’s not just another funny episode. It’s one of those moments where the writing, the acting, the improv, the guest stars, and the complete unpredictability of live television collided in a way that still makes me laugh out loud all these years later.

Let’s start with the setup. Martin, tired of being Detroit-famous and ready for bigger things, books a last-minute trip to Los Angeles to land an interview with the one… the only… Varnell Hill, played by a wildly unhinged and fully committed Tommy Davidson. Varnell is everything you’d expect from a fake Hollywood talk show host with too much money and too little chill: loud, extra, full of Hollywood nonsense, and deeply allergic to follow-through. He’s all charisma with zero sincerity, and Tommy Davidson played the role like he was shot out of a cannon.

A masterclass in improv. The portion where Martin is interviewing Varnell was already comedy gold, but then came the legendary catfish line. Varnell starts bragging about his house and drops this unscripted gem: “The catfish… are delicious.” That line was pure, 100% Tommy Davidson improv. Martin was supposed to hold it together… but if you listen closely, you can hear him breaking. The camera pans away, but Martin is straight-up laughing off-camera, and it’s not subtle. There’s just something magical about seeing comedians crack each other up mid-scene, and this was one of those moments where the bloopers made it into the final cut without anyone stopping the cameras.

And because this was the golden age of Black sitcom guest stars, this wasn’t just any episode… Jodeci was there. Yes, Jodeci. They were the scheduled musical guests on the fictional Varnell Hill Show, booked to perform like any regular episode-ending musical number. What they weren’t expecting? Martin Lawrence crashing the stage and ad-libbing an entire performance with them. The scene where Martin jumps up and starts singing with Jodeci was completely unrehearsed. Jodeci had zero clue that they were about to become part of his comedy skit. They were literally there to sing, do their part, and go home. Instead, Martin did what Martin does best—he went off-script, took over the stage, and gave us one of the most awkward, hilarious, and charming unscripted moments in TV history. You can actually see the confusion and amusement on Jodeci’s faces. They’re looking at him like, “Is this really happening right now?” And honestly… it’s beautiful.

Favorite Quote: Varnell, in true fake-Hollywood-friend fashion, tries to justify his lack of sincerity with this audience exchange: “How many times have I invited you to my house?” Rerun doesn’t even hesitate: “Hundreds!” Varnell follows up: “How many times have you been to my house?” Rerun: “None.” And when Varnell asks the million-dollar question: “What would happen if you showed up at my house?” Rerun delivers the line that would live forever inside my head for the next 30 years: “I’d probably get sprayed.”

So yeah… the next time someone gives me a fake invite to something I know I’m never actually going to be included in… or the next time someone starts flexing about their “10-mile lake out back”… just know that somewhere in the back of my brain, I’m hearing Rerun’s voice, loud and clear: “I’d probably get sprayed.”

This episode still hits because it wasn’t just the jokes—it was the energy. The unpredictability. The live-wire feeling that anything could happen… and probably would. It had everything: one of the best sitcom casts ever assembled, a legendary guest star in Tommy Davidson going full improv mode, a surprise Jodeci cameo, Rerun dropping comedic bombs from the audience, and Martin lowkey breaking character because he couldn’t keep a straight face. And honestly… isn’t that everything great TV should be?

If you’re reading this and you’ve never seen this episode? Fix your life. Go find Season 3, Episodes 25 & 26 of Martin. Thank me later. And if you want to soundtrack your trip down memory lane, check my 90s Kings playlist on RanjiRoo Radio. (Yes… Jodeci’s on there. Obviously.)

Here’s one last twist: nearly three decades later, Tommy Davidson is stepping back into the spotlight, reprising Varnell Hill in a brand-new spinoff series on BET+. As reported by Deadline (and echoed across outlets like Entertainment Weekly and People), the eight-episode comedy—executive produced by Martin Lawrence and showrunner Bentley Kyle Evans—will give us a behind-the-scenes look at The Varnell Hill Show. Expect chaos, fourth-wall-breaking hilarity, and all that Varnell-style bravado as he fights to stay relevant in today’s media landscape