Martin Lawrence Creates New Sitcom For TV One Starring Tatyana Ali

So… Martin Lawrence and Tatyana Ali walk into a bar…

Variety reports that cable channel, TV One, has acquired Love That Girl, a 4-episode sitcom from Martin Lawrence and writer Bentley Kyle Evans. (Martin, The Jamie Foxx Show). Evans created the sitcom, which stars “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air” alum Tatyana Ali.

The show will air as a special 3-night event on TV One, from Tuesday, Jan. 19, through Thursday, Jan. 21, at 9 p.m. Back-to-back episodes will air each night (including repeats).

Tatyana Ali stars as a divorcee who moves back to Southern California to work with her father (played by Phil Morris of all people) in the real estate business. Alphonso McAuley co-stars as her unemployed brother, while Kendyl Joi plays her best friend.

In an unusual setup, Evans is said to have produced the sitcom without the involvement of a studio, and called in favors – which included drawing on his Martin star, Lawrence — to make the show happen.

“Not only do they get the business behind programming to the more sophisticated urban market, they have the ideal audience for a series like ours,” Evans said of TV One. “Thanks to our two distribution partners, Dennis Ray and Desmond Gumbs, we were able to structure a business relationship with TV One that will bring benefits to all parties involved. If executed properly, this will represent a whole new model for producing and delivering quality scripted series to the television market, at a reasonable cost.”