#22 - Coming To America: Unsold Pilot

I like to think I have a pretty good knowledge of shows based on films, even the ones that failed or only made it as far as an unsold pilot, but I have to admit the existence of an unsold pilot for Coming To America passed me by.

So a year after the films release, a television pilot was produced in 1989 which rather then Eddie Murphy (who would have been way too expensive - but he stayed on executive role) we get Tommy Davidson playing Prince Tariq (you'll recall Murphy played Prince Akeem). Davidson about a year later would go onto to appear in sketch show In Living Color.

While Akeem set off to find a woman who loved him for him and not his money, Tariq as being exiled to America by his brother to attend college and has blown through his allowance in only 9 days. While Murphy was charming in the role, Davidson is nothing like that even other female character which p-off's his aide Oha (Paul Bates - who is the only actor to appear from the people, he has the same name but it's unclear if he was mean't to be the same character) and to make money get a job at their landlords diner (not McDowells).

It's not very good, but if it had gone to series and made it to show in 89, I would have probably regularly watched it. Another thing that stood out with the pilot was the randon excuses for Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson impressions.

Overall, more of a curio then anything and easy to see why there wasn't a series to follow.