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Martin Lawrence returns in first look at ‘Martin’ spinoff

Martin Lawrence and Tommy Davidson star as Varnell Hill in episode 1 of season 1 of ‘The Varnell Hill Show.’ (Paramount+)

Martin Lawrence is back in the first look at a brand-new Martin spinoff.

Paramount+ has released the premiere date and first-look photos for The Varnell Hill Show, a half-hour workplace comedy spinoff of the classic sitcom Martin.

This new show stars Tommy Davidson back as his same character from Martin, Varnell Hill. Additionally, Lawrence is set to make guest appearances as his titular role from the hit ’90s sitcom. Lawrence and Bentley Kyle Evans executive produce the series.

“Nearly three decades after audiences first met him, Varnell Hill is stepping back into the spotlight — and he’s determined to prove he’s still the star of the show. Set behind the scenes of a long-running late-night talk show, The Varnell Hill Show follows Varnell (Davidson) as he fights to stay relevant in a rapidly changing entertainment landscape,” according to an official description. “Between network executives eager to modernize the show, a chaotic writers’ room, celebrity guests, family drama, and his own outsized ego, Varnell quickly discovers that keeping a television empire together may be harder than building one in the first place.”

Along with Davidson, the show’s ensemble cast includes Kym Whitley, Wendy Raquel Robinson, Nick Cafero, Emmanuel Hudson and Chris Williams. There will also be special guest stars including Ms. Pat, Deon Cole, Damon Wayans, Mike Epps and Omarion.

The Varnell Hill Show will premiere its first two episodes on Sept. 1. A new episode will release every following Tuesday through Oct. 13.

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Key moments from the Lindsay Clancy trial as the defense starts to make its case

▶ Watch Video: Key moments from past week of Lindsay Clancy's trial for killings of her 3 children Jurors in the Lindsay Clancy murder trial have heard weeks of testimony as prosecutors have tried to make their case that the Massachusetts mom should be held criminally responsible for killing her three young children in 2023.Clancy, 36, has pleaded not guilty to murder charges in the case, but her attorneys don't deny that she caused the deaths of her kids, 5-year-old Cora, 3-year-old Dawson and 8-month-old Callan, in their Duxbury home on Jan. 24, 2023. Instead, Clancy's attorneys have said she had postpartum psychosis and bipolar disorder and was overmedicated. The prosecution alleges that Clancy planned the murders before faking a suicide attempt. Here are some key moments from the trial:Lindsay Clancy had thoughts of harming her children, mother saysWhen the prosecution rested its case on Aug. 17, Clancy's mother, Paula Musgrove, was called to testify for the defense. She recalled a conversation that Clancy had in December 2022, a few weeks before the killings, with her and Clancy's husband at the time, Patrick Clancy.Musgrove said her daughter was very nervous when she said she had something to tell them."She told us that she had thoughts of harming the children," Musgrove said.During cross-examination, prosecutor Jennifer Sprague asked Musgrove if she had any concerns about the children's safety or thought about having Clancy committed to a mental health facility, and Musgrove said she didn't.Musgrove also testified that in the days leading up to the killings, her daughter had become paranoid and that Clancy said she couldn't remember anything."The medication was pretty much just destroying her mind, and it wasn't her," Musgrove said. "She said that, 'This isn't me. I just want to feel better and enjoy my kids again.'"Lindsay Clancy's private writings revealed in courtThe jury has heard about Clancy's internet searches in court as well as diary-style entries on her phone's notes app."I'm sad and depressed because I am not able to parent my third child like my first," Massachusetts State Police Detective Timothy Chiappini said while reading one entry out loud in court on Aug. 13.Lindsay Clancy attends her trial in Plymouth Superior Court in Plymouth, Massachusetts, Aug. 17, 2026. Greg Derr/Pool via Reuters
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