The Varnell Hill Show Coming to Paramount+ on September 1; Hallmark's 3rd Installment of Holiday Touchdown

Thursday, August 06, 2026

The Varnell Hill Show Coming to Paramount+ on September 1; Hallmark's 3rd Installment of Holiday Touchdown

Paramount+ unveiled first look photos and announced the premiere date for The Varnell Hill Show, a new half-hour workplace comedy executive produced by Martin Lawrence and Bentley Kyle Evans, and starring and executive produced by Tommy Davidson as the unforgettable talk show host first introduced in the iconic sitcom Martin. The eight-episode first season will make its global debut on Paramount+ with two episodes on Tuesday, September 1, followed by one new episode every Tuesday through October 13.

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. 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.

Davidson leads an ensemble cast that includes Kym Whitley, Wendy Raquel Robinson, Nick Cafero, Emmanuel Hudson and Chris Williams, alongside a lineup of guest stars including Ms. Pat, Deon Cole, Damon Wayans, Mike Epps, Omarion and many more with special appearances by Lawrence.

The Varnell Hill Show Cast

Holiday Touchdown: A Bears Love Story

With production wrapping last month in the Chicago area, the starting lineup for Holiday Touchdown: A Bears Love Story has been named. Lyndsy Fonseca (How I Met Your Mother, Single on the 25th), Robert Buckley (One Tree Hill, Chesapeake Shores), four-time Academy-Award(R) nominee Marsha Mason (The Goodbye Girl, Grace and Frankie, Frasier), Barbara Alyn Woods (One Tree Hill, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids) and Khary Payton (The Walking Dead, Young Justice) will star. Bolstering the roster, the film will also feature cameo appearances from Chicago Bears Head Coach Ben Johnson, tight end Colston Loveland, tight end Cole Kmet, legendary Bears alumni Mike Singletary, Charles "Peanut" Tillman and Dan Hampton, Connie Payton, wife of the late legendary running back Walter Payton, and the team's beloved mascot Staley Da Bear bringing a little extra football spirit to the holiday romance. Additional cameos include beloved Hallmark favorites Tamera Mowry-Housley (Haunted Harmony Mysteries) and Marilu Henner (Aurora Teagarden Mysteries), and talented Chicago-area locals Jake Connelly (Stranger Things) and Dyon "Mojo" Brooks (Miss Governor).

Holiday Touchdown: A Bears Love Story premieres Saturday, October 17 on Hallmark Channel, streaming next day on Hallmark Plus.

In addition to the movie, Hallmark is giving Chicago Bears fans another way to celebrate their team this holiday season with a Chicago Bears Santa ornament. The festive ornament offers fans a meaningful way to celebrate their love of the Bears and commemorate this special moment. It will be available on Hallmark.com and at regional Hallmark Gold Crown Stores this fall.

Get ready to see some familiar faces in Holiday Touchdown: A Bears Love Story premiering Saturday October 17 on Hallmark Channel, streaming next day on Hallmark Plus! 🤩 pic.twitter.com/UvJvhIo6op
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) August 5, 2026