‘Martin’ Netflix Release Date Revealed

WZUP! Fans of the beloved ’90s comedy series Martin will be able to watch the show in its entirety on Netflix this Spring. Originally announced to be added to the streamer last Fall, fans will be able to stream the series beginning March 31. 

All five seasons, totaling 132 episodes, will drop at once. This update comes after the initial expected Netflix arrival date, first revealed as December 2023, was pushed back. 

Created by John Bowman, Martin Lawrence and Topper Carew, the series helped put Fox on the map, airing between 1992 and 1997 across five seasons, with Lawrence starring as the titular character. The show chronicled the lives of Martin Payne, a radio DJ in Detroit, and his relationships with his girlfriend Gina, her best friend Pam, and his friends Tommy and Cole. Many celebrity guests, including Beverly Johnson, The Notorious B.I.G., and Snoop Dogg appeared on the series throughout its run. Aside from the series being released on DVD years back, the show has been available to stream on BET+.

Lawrence wore many hats outside of star, creator, and executive producer, also playing several supporting characters in the show. He starred as King Beef, a parody of the leading man in a blaxploitation film; Elroy Preston, a mechanic with a southern twang is Martin’s take on a Black Elvis Presley; Bob from Marketing, Gina’s white co-worker; Roscoe, Gina’s snot-nosed kid next-door neighbor; Otis the security guard, a baton-happy citizen; Dragonfly Jones, a Martial Arts instructor; Mama Payne, Martin’s overbearing mother; Jerome, the neighborhood pimp; and Sheneneh Jenkins, Martin’s around-the-way girl-next-door neighbor. 

The show was canceled in its fifth season following a sexual harassment lawsuit Tisha Campbell (then Tisha Campbell-Martin) filed against the star. She played Gina. In the suit, she alleged her on-screen husband created an intimidating work environment after she turned down his advancements. 

JET Magazine reported on the lawsuit in their January 1997 issue. The actress claimed the environment was “intolerable” and that she “was subjected to repeated and escalating sexual harassment, sexual battery, verbal abuse and related threats to her physical safety” by Lawrence. She alleged that his behavior worsened with tantrums, outbursts, and threats when he didn’t get his way on set. She even asked writers to stop incorporating scenes featuring her and Lawrence in bed together, claiming that Lawrence took their love scenes too far with excessive groping and using tongue while kissing against her wishes.

Lawrence denied the allegations. In November of 1996, Campbell left the show and its 6.7 million viewers, leaving the producers to find creative ways to film without her. She eventually returned but refused to film scenes with Lawrence. Both appeared in the finale, but not together.

They’ve since made peace. Campbell and Lawrence have participated in several reunion interviews and specials together.