Martin Lawrence finds Second Career as Television Producer

By TV Insider
JR Staff Writer

During the late 1980s, Martin Lawrence began rising the ranks of fame. Lawrence had built a solid career as a stand-up comedian, but he was on the verge of much more. By the early 1990s, the comedian had launched a production company. This company partnered with HBO to create "Martin."

In 1992, FOX picked up the series and Martin Lawrence gained international fame. The comedian soon became one of the biggest stars in the planet. His series went from being a major hit to becoming iconic. Nearly twenty years after the series premiered, it still is met with high ratings.

Following his time on "Martin," Lawrence hit the big screen in a major way. Throughout the early 2000s, Martin Lawrence became a movie star. Soon, Lawrence began producing these films before his health became a major issue. In 2005, Martin Lawrence attempted a minor comeback before returning to the spotlight in 2008.

In 2008, Martin Lawrence launched another television production company and began working on several television programs. Lawrence's hit sitcom, "Martin," had posted major ratings for TV One, the upstart rival to BET. Because of what his sitcom had done for the network, Martin Lawrence pitched his sitcom idea to the network. TV One agreed to pick up his series, which had cast Tatyana Ali in the starring role, also teaming up with a few former UPN producers.

His "Love that Girl" series has become one of the highest-rated series on TV One. Martin Lawrence has become the face of TV One through both his "Martin" sitcom and "Love that Girl." The network has accepted Martin Lawrence as the producer of their only scripted original program. Recently, Martin Lawrence was featured in an exclusive "TV One on One" interview with Cathy Hughes. Following the success of his first series, Martin is interested in creating more television programs in the future.

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Tatyana Ali ready for Second Season of "Love That Girl"

By TV Maverick
JR Staff Writer

One year ago, TV One ventured into its first original sitcom with the help of Martin Lawrence. Lawrence has brought a number of viewers to the network with his sitcom, "Martin." The series ended in 1997, but the syndication views on TV One have given the show a second life.

In 2008, Martin Lawrence announced the formation of his new production company. Under this new production company, Lawrence planned to hold a comedy tour and produce new shows. Among the shows produced by his company is "Love That Girl."

TV One, while doing well with syndication, was beginning to receive negative criticism about a lack of scripted programs. Initially, the head of the network said they were going to wait on sitcoms. But, the deal offered by Lawrence was one that could not be refused.

Last January, the sitcom premiered on TV One to relatively high ratings. Despite having a rather large audience and Tatyana Ali as the star of the show, it received negative reviews. The show was written off as bland. Some critics said obviously Martin Lawrence did not have much creative input. Following the first season of the show, many thought it had been cancelled.

However, the series is back and Martin Lawrence is out promoting the show. Even with the negative reviews on the show, Tatyana Ali is excited the show is back. She is glad to have the job for starters and she is sure things will be better in the second season. The longer the show stays on, Ali feels the people will warm up to it because she believes it is truly entertaining.

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