New Story Lines Smooth Way For Fox’s Troubled ‘Martin’
FOX’s “Martin” at 8 cruises along despite rough sailing off-camera for the stars who portray Martin and his wife, Gina.
The writers and producers deserve credit for juggling story lines to cover the abrupt departure of actress Tisha Campbell in what has become an incendiary flap over her relationship with co-star Martin Lawrence.
In case you don’t keep track of Hollywood’s dirty laundry, Campbell filed a lawsuit last month accusing Lawrence of relentless sexual harassment as well as physical and emotional abuse. Campbell claims that Lawrence became so volatile that she feared for her life.
Lawrence issued a statement denying the charges. His lawyers say their client is being pulled into the middle of a contract dispute between Campbell and the show’s producers, who filed suit first to force her back to work.
Despite the distractions, the show has gone on. This week, David Alan Grier guests-stars in a wacky episode that takes an old comedy chestnut to extremes. Martin’s latest mess is a doozy.
He discovers that, as a result of a mistake on his marriage license he’s married not to the absent Gina but to his archenemy Pam (Tichina Arnold).
They race off to the island where the marriage took place only to discover that the judge (Grier) who performed the ceremony is Pam’s cousin, Leon Lonnie Love.
When he refuses to grant a divorce, Martin hatches a plan to unring his wedding-bell blues. But he’ll have to pay a high price.
Highlights
“Friends,” NBC at 8: Chandler (Matthew Perry) dates a woman (Sherilyn Fenn, “Twin Peaks”) with an artificial leg, and Phoebe (Lisa Kudrow) is revisited by her former singing partner (E.G. Daily), now a jingle-writer who wants to cash in on “Smelly Cat.”
“High Incident,” ABC at 8: The series plays the race card: Mistaken for a criminal, Rhoades (Blair Underwood) is roughed up by a local sheriff.
“Seinfeld,” NBC at 9: This won’t be the first time that Jerry (Jerry Seinfeld) finds something is wrong with the “perfect” woman he’s dating. Christine Taylor of FOX’s “Party Girl” is the girlfriend of the day.
Kramer (Michael Richards) joins a gang, and J. Peterman (John O’Hurley) hires Elaine (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) to ghostwrite his autobiography.
“Moloney,” CBS at 9: The police shrink is flat on his back after back surgery, but that doesn’t keep him from tending to police work and coping as a single dad. Peter Strauss was recovering from real-life surgery when the episode was filmed.
“48 Hours,” CBS at 10: Find out how some people who “shop till they drop” are being lured into unwanted purchases. Included is an interview with a therapist who counsels so-called “shopaholics.”
Cable Calls
“Toy Soldiers” (1991), TBS at 5:05: Colombian terrorists take over a military prep school full of spoiled rich kids who fight back to survive. It’s not an altogether flimsy premise, though the execution is shaky.
Sean Astin, Wil Wheaton (“Star Trek: The Next Generation”) and Louis Gossett Jr. co-star.
“K-2” (1992), USA at 9: The mountain footage is top-notch in this high-climbing tale about two daredevils (Michael Biehn and Matt Craven) scaling one of the world’s most treacherous mountains. They become stranded on a ledge, where their loyalty is put to the test.
Talk Time
“Tonight,” NBC at 11:35: From Las Vegas, Nev., Chicago Bulls star Dennis Rodman, Tracey Ullman (“Tracey Takes On …”) and magician Lance Burton.
“Late Show With David Letterman,” CBS at 11:35: Actor Pierce Brosnan, million-dollar Pro Bowl field-goal kicker Lance Alstodt and comedian Brian Regan.
“Politically Incorrect With Bill Maher,” ABC at 12:35 a.m.: Chevy Chase, Steven Bochco, law professor Susan Estrich and GOP speechwriter Jennifer Grossman.
“Late Night With Conan O’Brien,” NBC at 12:35 a.m.: Fran Drescher (“The Nanny”), actor William Shatner and comedian Paul Lukas.