By Nefertiti Austin
Special to the “Sentinel”
The highly anticipated “The Varnell Hill Show” not only celebrates the comedic genius of Tommy Davidson, who reprises his role from the classic sitcom “Martin,” but also honors the talent of three childhood friends who came together to create the spin-off.
Show creators Kevin G. Boyd, Sherri McGee McCovey, and Bentley Kyle Evans grew up in Baldwin Hills and View Park-Windsor Hills, located in South Los Angeles. In fact, Sherri and Kevin’s parents raised them as godbrother and godsister, and they still call Baldwin Hills home. Sherri attended Beverly Hills High School and then went on to Spelman College, while Bentley and Kevin attended Westchester High School; Kevin joined Sherri at nearby Morehouse College, and Bentley stayed local at Santa Monica College to pursue a career in entertainment.
The trio’s shared experiences encompassed college and professional collaborations that kept them connected over the years, culminating in late 2019 when “The Varnell Hill Show” was created. “Varnell was always such a memorable character from the ‘Martin’ universe,” says Boyd. “When Martin expressed interest in revisiting the character in a series, Sherri and I began exploring what Varnell might look like as the focus of a show.” As the project developed, Bentley joined in, contributing his own creative ideas to shape what would eventually become the series’ premiere episode, shot at his Harvest Studio in Northridge.
The three Hollywood veterans emerged during the early days of the Black Television Renaissance in the 1980s and 1990s, a period when Black writers, actors, directors, and those above the line found steady work. In fact, McCovey got her big break on “The Parkers,” where she got an Assistant job for creator Sara Finney Johnson and sold her first TV pitch, which became the pilot episode. “I remember the excitement of attending weekly live tapings of ‘Martin’ and ‘Moesha’ back in the day,” recalls McCovey, who started her career as a freelance journalist writing for Ebony, Essence, Black Enterprise, and InStyle magazines. “During that time, I would document the careers of my friends who were making headlines in Hollywood while also trying to build a television career.” When the opportunity to develop the Varnell Hill Show arose, McCovey was excited to work with Boyd and Evans, whom she had watched succeed in entertainment through “Martin” and “The Jamie Foxx Show.” “For the three of us to represent Baldwin Hills and View Park/Windsor Hills is a meaningful full-circle moment.” McCovey built a fifteen-year career working with Oscar-winning comedian Mo’Nique, co-writing three books, co-writing the film “Hair Show,” and serving as a writer and producer on multiple shows for ABC, BET, Comedy Central, YouTube, and Aspire TV. Her other credits include “Sunday Best,” hosted by Kirk Franklin; “Hart of the City,” with Kevin Hart; and the Emmy-winning series “Recipe for Change,” produced by NBA star LeBron James’ SpringHill Entertainment. Since 2022, she has worked as a content producer for Straight Shooter Media, the production company of ESPN star Stephen A. Smith.
Boyd transitioned into network television with credits on “The Jamie Foxx Show,” “Fastlane,” “Girlfriends,” and “One on One.” He also developed and sold original TV projects to Disney, FX, UPN, ALLBLK, and BET and has written branded character content for Beats by Dre.
Evans began his Hollywood career as an extra in the indie film “Hollywood Shuffle,” which became an industry classic. “When the time came for college, I planned to go to Morehouse with my friends, but my father said, ‘Do you want to chase your friends or your dreams?’” Evans recalls. “The rest is history.” During his acting days, Evans often ran into Martin while auditioning, often for the same roles, and the two became friends. Evans eventually shifted from acting to writing, and when he heard Martin was getting his own sitcom, he reached out for a job. Martin looked out, and Evans became a staff writer on the now-classic show, rising through the ranks to become an Executive Producer. It led to his next project, creating “The Jamie Foxx Show,” which aired for five seasons on the WB Network. It was on “Jamie Foxx” that Bentley hired Kevin. Evans also went on to create and write the shows “Love That Girl,” “Family Time,” Netflix’s “Dad Stop Embarrassing Me,” and the upcoming “State of Mind,” Aspire TV’s first-ever original scripted multi-camera sitcom.
Paramount+ is excited about “The Varnell Hill Show,” which features a star-studded cast including Wendy Raquel Robinson (“The Chi,” “The Game”), comedienne Kym Whitley (“Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “Next Friday”), Chris Williams (“Silicon Valley,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm”), and Neil Brown Jr. (“Insecure”). Guest stars include Ms. Pat, Mike Epps, Deon Cole, Lavell Crawford, Damon Wayans, and more.
The pilot episode, “Did Ya Miss Me,” was written by the trio, with Bentley also serving as director and showrunner. Set behind the scenes of the fictional Varnell Hill late-night talk show, the series explores the chaotic world of television production and Varnell’s journey to stay relevant in an ever-changing television industry. “We sold the show in 2020, one week before the world shut down,” says McCovey. “It’s been a long time coming, and we’re excited for a new generation to enjoy one of Martin’s most memorable characters.”
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