Martin (TV series)

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"Wuzup, Wuzup, WUZUUUP!!"

Martin is a sitcom that aired on FOX during The Nineties, starring Martin Lawrence as Martin Payne, a Detroit disc jockey (later TV talk show host) and his various misadventures with his girlfriend (later wife) Gina (Tisha Campbell), homeboys Tommy (Thomas Mikal Ford), Shawn (Jonathan Gries), Cole (Carl Anthony Payne II), Gina's friend Pam (Tichina Arnold) and Sheneneh's more vocal best friend sometimes Gina and Pam's other friend Laquita (Simbi Khali). For about four seasons or so, it was one of FOX's most popular shows.

And then it was discovered that Lawrence was abusing drugs. Even worse, Campbell sued him for sexual harassment. At that point, she refused to be in the same room as him, even when filming. Needless to say, the writers had a difficult time writing around this (they basically had the couple interact by yelling from different rooms or talking on the phone with a split screen).

These events did not bode well for the series. In fact, they spelled the end of the series in just one season. Still, reruns air on syndication all over the U.S., and the show is still popular even today among certain crowds. It should be noted that the series did conclude with Martin and Gina moving to Los Angeles.

Not ever to be confused with the cult vampire film, Martin, by George Romero.

Tropes used in Martin (TV series) include:
  • Acting for Two: Besides the title role, Martin Lawrence plays a ridiculous amount of recurring characters.
  • Actor Allusion: In the first two seasons, Martin always kept a framed poster of Do the Right Thing in his living room. It was one of Lawrence's first film roles and played Cee. When Christopher "Kid" Reid of Kid n Play and House Party fame guest stared, Sheneneh begs him to kiss her "like the way he did with that light skinned girl in House Party", referring to Campbell of course.
    • It's a wonder that Kid didn't recognize his House Party love interest as Gina.
    • Marla Gibbs once guest starred as an inept new housekeeper. Her sassy attitude was similar to her character on The Jeffersons, and when she first appeared at Martin and Gina's door, the couple said "You got the wrong apartment, you probably want 227" (another sitcom she starred in) and "You'll have to move on up" (or something along those lines).
  • Aerith and Bob: The main characters, and Sheneneh's brood. Which includes Keylolo and Bonquisha.
  • The Alcoholic: Reccuring character Marian, who been in a least four episodes showing up at parties, club and even on Martin's talk show in the audience. However, she stated that she was on medication.
  • The Alleged Car: Cole's frequently mentioned AMC Pacer.
  • Altar the Speed: At the end of the third season.
  • Anti-Hero: Unlike a lot of sitcom protagonists, Martin is the furthest thing from mild-mannered.
  • Arrogant Kung Fu Guy: Dragonfly Jones. Subverted hilariously in that he gets his ass handed to him most of the time.
  • Berserk Button: In the episode "C.R.E.A.M.", Martin flies into a murderous rage whenever Colt mentions his idea of a soup restaurant where the soup is free, but the spoons are rented out, hence the name, Rent-'Em-Spoons. MC Hammer nearly suffers a similar attack at the end of the episode when he has the same idea and name.
  • Beta Couple: Pam and Tommy. Martin doesn't approve.
  • Break the Haughty: Very common plot since Martin is full of himself, but most noticeable during his long job search after losing his radio station gig.
  • Burger Fool: Martin for a short while during his extensive job hunt.
  • The Cast Showoff: Both Tisha Campbell, Simbi Khali and Tichina Arnold demonstrate their singing voices on a few episodes.
  • Catch Phrase: Quite a few, most of them said by Martin.
  • Celebrity Paradox: As pointed out in the Actor Allusion section, Martin used to keep a framed poster of Do the Right Thing in his living room, yet no one seem to notice how he looks so much like Cee (one of the four teenagers Lawrence portrayed in that film).
    • One episode had Christopher "Kid" Reid, Lawrence's co-star from the first two House Party movies, guest star and doesn't noticed how much Martin resembled his co-star/Bilal or how much Gina resembled his character's love interest Sydney (both played by Campbell).
    • Another example is where Martin watches School Daze on TV and wants to see the scene where "the light-skinned girl lick that guy's head". The girl in question is played by Campbell.
    • Probably the most complex example is where Martin receives a handheld TV and comments that he can now see "Def Comedy Jam and the Martin show". What Martin show?
  • Cluster F-Bomb: Done hilariously with a few bleeps as Lawrence (who is no stranger to racy language) and has provided this in-character on two occasions (Martin taking it out on a listener who made fun of Gina and cursing out the new radio station owner, which led to him getting fired).
  • The Danza: Martin himself.
    • And don't forget Tommy, played by Thomas Mikal Ford.
  • The Ditz: "Cole...you stupid." Bruh Man isn't too bright either. Shanice, Cole's girlfriend also counts. How stupid is she? Even Cole is dumbstruck by her stupidity in the series' finale when she didn't get that Cole was trying to propose to her.
  • Drop-In Character: Brother Man Bruh-Man frum tha Fifth Flo', who always entered Martin's apartment through the window.
  • Five-Man Band:
  • Four-Temperament Ensemble: Martin is choleric/sanguine, Gina is melancholic, Pam is choleric, Tommy is phlegmatic and Cole is sanguine.
  • The Hyena: Tommy
  • Incoming Ham: Martin

"Wuzup, Wuzup, WUZUUUP!!"

  • Jerkass: Sheneneh
    • Martin as well.
  • Jerk with a Heart of Gold: A whole episode is dedicated to this. It's Martin's birthday, and no one wants to show up to his party because he's...a little abrasive. Throughout, contrasting clips are shown of Martin's meaner and kinder sides. Turns out it was all a trick to get him to come to a surprise party.
  • Large Ham: Much of the main cast could qualify, but especially Martin and Cole.
      • Don't forget all of the other characters Martin played.
  • Law of Inverse Fertility: Martin and Gina panic when she has a pregnancy scare, but just as they warm up to the idea of having kids, it turns out she wasn't pregnant after all, and they're deeply disappointed.
  • Let's Get Dangerous: Otis the Security Guard is out of shape and inept. When insulted, though...he gets deadly.
  • Motor City
  • My Beloved Smother: Mama Payne will kill to protect her son. And she doesn't approve of Gina at all, so there's some conflict.
  • The Nineties
  • Obliquely Obfuscated Occupation: More than one episode was dedicated to trying to figure out what Tommy did for a living. Pam didn't even know even after she became his wife.
  • Obnoxious In-Laws: See My Beloved Smother above. Gina's parents meanwhile are arrogant, but mostly harmless.
  • Phrase Catcher: "Damn, Gina!"
    • Sheneneh: "Oh my guuuuuuuhness!"
    • Tommy: "You ain't got no job!
  • Poorly-Disguised Pilot: That one Pam-centric episode seems to count, as it revolves around her taking on a A&R position and finding a singing talent played by Tyrese Gibson.
  • Real Life Writes the Plot: Because of the backstage tensions between Martin Lawrence and Tisha Campbell (the actress who played Gina), a lot of the later season episodes were written so that Martin and Gina don't appear in any scenes together.
  • Romance on the Set: Averted hard. Lawrence wanted this with his costar, but Campbell felt quite differently, leading to the tensions mentioned above.
    • It has also been said that there was tension due to her new husband at the time, Duane Martin, being jealous of Lawrence and Campbell on the set and not liking him (he also wanted to be on the show but Lawrence said no). None of the other cast members supported her allegations though. It does seem like something was going on between them at some point though. She is very close to him at 2:55 of that clip.
  • Running Gag: Lots.
  • Sassy Black Woman: Sheneneh. Sheneneh.
    • And Pam.
  • She Who Must Not Be Seen: Cole's girlfriend Big Shirley.
  • Shout-Out: The Do the Right Thing poster in Martin's living room (see actor allusion above) as well as a reference to the film where Martin, who's been fired from his radio job by the new manager, throws a small trash can at the window just like how Mookie smash the window at the pizzeria, but with no effect. Martin says "It looked fly when Spike did it."
    • Another occurs in the episode "Suspicious Minds" where Martin had himself and his friends dressed in black and sitting around a table to emulate a scene from New Jack City to confront them on who took his expensive CD player. Martin even does the "SIT YO FIVE DOLLAR ASS DOWN OR I'LL MAKE CHANGE!" line.
  • Sinister Minister: Reverend Leon Lonnie Love, played by David Alan Grier, is a comedic example.
  • Sitcom Arch Nemesis: Pam, to Martin.
  • Small Name, Big Ego: Martin uses his popularity as a radio personality to show other people up, and convinces himself that he has the number one show in the world to the point that he shouts his "WHAZZUP!!" catch phrase to expect people to recognize him. They don't.
  • This Is Reality: Sort of inverted and more like Leaning on the Fourth Wall on one episode where the guys help a woman in labor deliver a baby. Not only the baby shot out of the womb like if the woman was a pitching machine, but it has no umbilical cord as Tommy pointed out.

'Martin: "Dammit, Tommy, We don't need umbilical cords! (turning to the audience)THIS IS TV!"

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