Television series

Martin

Name: Martin
Genre: Drama, Comedy
Released: 1992
Cast: Tisha Campbell, Carl Anthony Payne II, Thomas Mikal Ford, Martin Lawrence, Tichina Arnold

Martin is a live-wire early-90s sitcom that runs on one man's manic energy and the whole neighborhood he plays himself. Martin Lawrence vanishes into a dozen alter egos — Sheneneh, Jerome, Mama Payne — then snaps back into a genuinely sweet, combustible relationship with Gina. It's loud, physical, unapologetically raunchy, occasionally cringe by today's standards, but rarely boring, and it launched a whole comic sensibility.

TVMaze rating

6.4

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Living Single1993

FOX's other essential early-90s hangout comedy, sharp-tongued friends navigating careers and romance in the same cultural moment as Martin, with just as much quotable banter.

But More conversational, less physical chaos — no costume changes or alter egos, just very good talking.

In Living Color1990

The sketch show that made Martin Lawrence a star, same anarchic character-hopping energy that would define his sitcom, plus the Wayans family at their sharpest.

But Sketch format means no ongoing relationships or plot — it's blackout comedy, not a story you follow.

The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air1990

A contemporaneous charismatic lead carrying a whole show on charm and physical comedy, with the same generous warmth underneath the jokes.

But Noticeably softer and more family-friendly; Martin's edges and raunch are largely sanded off here.

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

The PJs1999no page yet

Same era, same comedian-driven urban comedy DNA as Martin, but swapped into stop-motion — proof the format, not the milieu, is what changes.

An Eddie Murphy-produced stop-motion animated sitcom about a housing-project superintendent and his neighbors, same raunchy urban comic voice rendered in claymation.

But The animation style is deliberately ugly and cheap-looking, and some of its jokes now read as harsher than intended.

Sanford and Son1972

The blueprint for the loud, argumentative, deeply lovable Black sitcom lead — Redd Foxx's junkyard bickering is a direct ancestor of Martin's household chaos.

But Slower, single-set, and studio-bound; the pacing feels genuinely old-fashioned next to Martin's energy.

A Different World1987

An earlier, HBCU-set ensemble comedy with real community warmth and a willingness to get serious, a good companion for Martin's tender moments.

But Leans more into drama and social issues, with far less anarchic joke density than Martin.

The Wayans Bros.1995no page yet

Another comedian-led multi-character sitcom from the same FOX era, broad physical comedy and a similarly loose, hangout feel to its episodes.

But Less iconic and more uneven across its run; nothing here quite reaches Sheneneh-level legend.

Girlfriends2000

A direct spiritual heir following a friend group through love, work, and city life with the same sharp mouths and emotional honesty Martin balanced so well.

But More soap opera than sketch comedy — the laughs are steadier but the highs are less unhinged.

Everybody Hates Chris2005

Urban family comedy with a big personality at the center and a whole gallery of memorable side characters, narrated with real affection.

But Told from a kid's point of view, so the tone is gentler and less adult than Martin's grown-folks chaos.

Atlanta2016

Both circle a Black man's rise through radio, TV, and local fame, but Atlanta strips out the studio audience and lets the same anxieties curdle into something eerie and sad instead of loud and joyful.

A surreal, melancholy comedy-drama about people trying to make it in music and media, following a struggling entertainer through absurd, dreamlike half-hours.

But Slow, moody, and often uncomfortable rather than funny — if you want jokes-per-minute, this will frustrate you.