Coming to America Sitcom | Forgotten Failures 

You know it’s bad when the laugh track sounds like it’s struggling

I did not know that Coming to America had a fricking sitcom. Edit: Thanks for the likes.

One of the best lines from the movie, and allegedly James Earl Jones' favorite is King Jaffre's startled exclamation of, "My son works?" There's no way to reconcile this line with the idea that he has sent his other son off with no money so he has to work in a diner owned by his landlord to support himself.

I read this once in TV Guide: 1. Hit movies generally never make good TV shows. 2. TV exec's often ignore #1.

Forgotten Failures is one of the most interesting series on all of RU-vid, love to learn about these weird works that could've been hits

This is why I love youtube, you discover things you never knew existed.

Tommy came to my drive-through window about two months ago in Orlando. As I accepted his card I looked at the name on it, thought it was a funny coincidence and then looked up, it was him. Told him I was a huge fan (of his older work of course) and bothered him no more. I told the ladies at the next window who it was and they chatted with him for about 5 minutes or so. He seemed pretty down to Earth.

On this episode of “This actually existed?”

The sitcom really comes off like a In living Color parody. I thought it was a joke.

I never knew they tried to make a TV series based off of Coming to America. Perhaps it’s best that the pilot is forgotten, based off the clips shown here.

I’m glad that Tommy Davidson would go on to success on In Living Color

Kind of like the Bill and Ted sitcom, this whole thing feels like an extended SNL skit.

God , did everything need to be a freaking series!!!

It's only a matter of time before this channel explodes in popularity.

"That's right I'm runnin thangs. I'm RUNNIN THAAAAAYAYYAANNGGS. Cream Corn. Stick with baby; I'll have you fartin THRU silk."

Everybody keep commenting they didn't know about this series. IT WAS A FAILURE that's why 🤣🤣🤣

I had no idea this even existed. And I like Tommy Davidson. He was really quite good in In Living Color. But this is just awful. I don't necessarily blame Tommy for how bad this pilot is though. I blame the writers a lot more for it's faults than anything else.

The family matters theme song over the clips took me out lmaoooooo

Ok, now THIS I have never heard before until now. This truly feels like something out of an alternate universe.

Smacks of a network snatching up the rights of a hot property then rushing it into development not really caring about the quality

The girl behind the counter is AJ Johnson of House Party fame.

It’s crazy to think that this film is getting a sequel this year

You deserve so much more attention it’s insane. Seriously some of the best content on RU-vid. Amazingly edited, informative, no BS. You’re truly establishing yourself as one of the top dogs.

Got to admit, I actually laughed at the Beverly Hills cop jokes. That part was good.

The problem with this sitcom is bad writing and worse casting. Tommy Davidson's comedic style does not fit with movie so why would it work with a TV show? The Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder impressions didn't fit with the situation and just seem shoehorned in to highlight Davidson's capabilities as a comic. It is also hard to accept a character that never even got a mention in the movie. Akeem simply didn't have a brother. The writing is bad by making fun of African culture with the pizza scene. Tariq describes food made with bugs and snails. The movie didn't make fun of Africans, the other characters stereotyped them and made themselves the butt of the joke. Akeem and Semi acted contrary to the stereotypes. The Tariq character was disrespectful to the culture that the movie built. Zamunda did first on screen what Wakanda did 30 years later and showed the world a version of Africa, albeit fictionalized, that portrayed its people as royalty with rich culture and customs. This show, specifically this character, takes away from that. It's a shame they used a respectable character, a fan favorite, from the movie and turned him into a clown.

Just when I thought I had explored every confounding 80s classic becomes 80s unknown sitcom, there's this! Are you fucking kidding me.

"Where did you get the money to buy a book? A man gave it to me. He gave it to you? Gave it to me, threw it at me, what's the difference?" Ok, that line is funny.

I can be a "Beverly Hills Cop" and you could be a "Beverly Hills Cop 2"! Why in "48 Hours", we could be Trading Places"! He names 4 of Eddie Murphy's movies!

I’ve never heard of the sitcom and thank God.

If only there was a copy of the failed BEVERLY HILLS COP pilot from 2013, which actually did have an appearance from Eddie Murphy as Axel. That would be perfect for your show, Joe.

It’s painful watching Tommy Davidson doing his impression of Eddie Murphy doing impressions.

I love this channel. You cover the obscure side of entertainment like no other.

Before: A sitcom version of "Coming to America" ? That sounds bad After: ... you have surpassed my expectations!

Always thought Tommy Davidson and David Alan Grier were by far the best comedians on in living color.

Randomly found your channel through the Chevy chase late show video. I am in love with your channel. Thank you for doing this. All the hard work putting these rad videos together. I feel so nostalgic.

Hats off to you good Sir! Thank you for your hard work ethic!!!

Back in the day networks would air all their pilots during the summer. Once in awhile, one will catch fire.

You guys just KNOW that the "Secret Diary of Desmond Pfeifer" is on the way. Can't wait for some totally classic Pfeifer.

Carl Mackie was a cast member on family matters also he owned the burger joint Steve urkel burnt it down and Rachel bought the burger joint and renamed it Rachel's place

Thank you for all the hard work you put into these lost media. I am always excited to see what you highlight next.

Love your channel

Thank goodness Louie Anderson made a guest appearance in thus pilot. It made me smile.

Can’t get enough of this channel. Between the fun nostalgia and Information about the films, every video is awesome!

Great work, yet again! Your videos always feel the right length, never feel padded and are so well made! Hats off to you!

Would Baby Talk, the Look Who's Talking-inspired sitcom count as a Forgotten Failure? It lasted two seasons but I doubt anyone remembers it, for good reason.

The family Matters comparison is so spot on! great correlation, and great work.

I actually saw this when I was 8. Technically it wasn’t a series but a featured concept on a CBS anthology show called Summer playhouse. Maybe it was a failed pilot but it was not promoted or aired as a series

Loved this man! Lol spot on with the editing

I don’t know if this is better or worse than Police Academy: The Series

Networks used to believe that they could make gold out of any blockbuster. It rarely works. Tommy does a good job, but in the end it doesn't work. If only Samuel L. Jackson had returned to this show... I had never heard of this pilot. Awesome upload!

This is my favorite channel Joe! I always get excited seeing a new upload!

You keep surprising me with your work. I freaking love it!

Maybe you could make an Almost Cult Classics on the 80s Fat Boys movie “Disorderlies”? I used to catch that movie on HBO or Cinemax all the time in like 2008 and it’d be nice to hear your thoughts on the movie in light of the very recent passing of Prince Markie Dee. (Also maybe a forgotten failures on the John Leguizamo movie “The Pest”???)

I'm surprised to have missed this pilot a while back.

Nice this was done very well. Thanks for sharing and your excellent work.

More Forgotten Failures please! All your videos are awesome but these are my favorite.

You: R-rated movies don't work as network sitcoms. *MASH, What's Happening,* and *Alice:* Are we jokes to you?

Please dont judge Tommy Davidson on that pilot alone. He's actually a very talented comic

Holy crap! This is totally new to me! I love your channel so much.

This is awesome thanks

July 4th 1989, over at NBC they pre empted Night Court to air the pilot to something called Seinfeld Chronicles, I am sure came of that either.

I forgot how some 80s sitcoms were just terrible. This was one.

@Hats Off Entertainment, keep doing the “forgotten failures”! I’m hooked! Absolutely fascinating stuff 😁👍

so glad i found this channel! also, i was in tears at the family matters theme playing lol

the next forgotten failure:The Aliens sitcom shes a woman trying not to be killed and her roommates are the aliens try to kill her! airing on NBC 10:30 AM 1988

This will be interesting since I never heard of or knew of this failed endeavor.

Thanks for posting this wow I wonder how many other good movies had a sitcom

I had no idea about this show. This was a great video.

You definitely go back in time and make these then come back to present day to talk about them.

Have you done a spotlight on the failed Golden Girls spinoff, Golden Palace. It loses Bea Arthur but gains a young Don Cheadle.

Channel’s like a real life time machine. Subscribed!

Never knew this show existed but now I do and that's thanks to you. Good video sir.

I just pray that Coming to America 2 doesn't end up a forgotten failure

This was not a sitcom. It is a pilot for a proposed sitcom that Eddie Murphy produced for CBS that was never greenlit to series. When it was completed, CBS chose to pass on it, but did air it once as part of a summer program filler series they did 1 year, where they showed unaired pilots that were never picked up. Those involved attributed it's failure to be picked up to the White head writer, who had previously had success working on shows like Diff'rent Strokes and Webster, but they felt he didn't get Eddie Murphy's humor, Tommy Davidson's comedy, and Black culture. Eddie Murphy was also never present on set.

On the other hand, this failed pilot that marked legendary actor John Hancock's next-to-last TV role before he died in 1993 while several actors were now back to do great stand-up comedy which delivered audiences great and warm respect to do so and nothing else !

This is the first Forgotten Failure you've done I wasn't aware of previously. Now I'll never be able to forget, thanks..

Finally. You did something I had never heard of before.

I was the opener for Tommy a couple years back I wish I knew about this so I could have asked him about it, although maybe it’s for the best, I’d imagine he’d like to forget this happened ahah It doesn’t look THAT bad though, there’s some funny bits there, it might have been better if it was detached from the movie and tried to just be its own thing instead.

Dope find. Good vid

Great video💯

Dolemite is my name really was great. It got some recognition but honestly deserved a ton more. It was probably the best movie of 2019 imo.

I like Tommy Davidson a lot as a comedic performer, but this was not a good use of his talent.

Wowwww!!! Who wouldve thought?! Based on the clips from this, I'm glad it didn't pick up. Lol! Thanks for sharing this little gem lol.

Awesome channel btw

WTF I didn’t not know there was a freaking sitcom this is crazy

it was impossible that this would have been good.

Tommy Davidson - hidden treasure. Never heard of this before - really glad you brought it up.

I had no idea there was a Coming To America sitcom! Thank God! 🤣🤣🤣

I didn't know there was a Coming to America TV series.

Have you done the Ferris Bueller TV Show yet? That opened with him chainsawing a Matthew Broderick Ferris cardboard stand?

This maybe the most underrated channel on RU-vid. Brings back memories and the RU-vidr while younger than me, seems to have the same taste as me

Great Job 👍

Didn’t knw they made a sitcom! That’s crazy, what would be more crazy if tommy Davidson made an appear in the sequel movie.

I HAD NO CLUE THIS WAS A SITCOM!

Good video well produced

I actually remember this I thought it was funny 👍👍great video guys thanks for the memories

Thank god in living color happened. I didn’t know this ever existed.

For me the biggest disappointment from the new trailer was that Cuba Gooding Jr wasn't sitting quietly in the barber's chair.

Well i be!!! You learn something new everyday!!! Don't recall this at all!!!

As always, thanks for patiently sitting through this stuff for posterity, Joe. Glad I never watched this - I would have been very sad. Except for Paul Bates as Oha again.