Coming to America (TV pilot) (1989) - PILOT ERROR TV REVIEW episode artwork

EPISODE · Jan 22, 2026 · 28 MIN

Coming to America (TV pilot) (1989) - PILOT ERROR TV REVIEW

from All2ReelToo - A Pop Culture Podcast · host All2ReelToo | The Geek Collective | Cullen Park Productions

🎬 Pilot Error Alert! 👑📺 In this episode of All2ReelToo’s PILOT ERROR TV REVIEW series, we dust off a forgotten TV experiment and ask the big question: what if Coming to America had actually made it to television? Based on the beloved 1988 film, this unaired 1989 pilot follows Prince Tariq of Zamunda and his loyal assistant Omar as they trade royal luxury for everyday life inside a working-class Queens household. Culture clashes, fish-out-of-water comedy, and familiar themes collide as the show attempts to stretch a movie classic into a weekly sitcom format. The pilot features an intriguing cast including Tommy Davidson as Prince Tariq, Paul Bates as Omar, along with Hattie Winston, John Hancock, Paris Vaughan, A.J. Johnson, and more. But does the magic of the original film survive the jump to network TV… or was this pilot doomed from the start? Tune in as we break down the concept, performances, and why this royal misfire never made it past takeoff. #All2ReelToo #PilotError #ComingToAmerica #UnairedPilot #TVThatNeverWas #ForgottenTV #80sTelevision #PopCulturePodcast #TVHistory #FailedPilots Listen now: all2reeltoo.com 🎬 Support the show: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/cullenpark/membership Merch: https://www.teepublic.com/user/cullenpark 🎙️ Catch Mike's captivating chats on: Pop Culture Junkie discussing the 1983 V Miniseries: https://popculturejunkie.com/podcast/looking-at-v-with-michael-e-cullen/ Movie Smash Podcast discussing #GhostWorld (2001): https://www.movie-smash.com/episodes/episode/32534003/episode-18-ghost-world-2001-special-guest-michael-e-cullen-ii-from-the-all2reeltoo-podcast Film Talk with Jordan Ramirez, chatting about #Once (2007): https://youtu.be/fubJGxZ3NSU?si=ptSlTewm72LTVspQ Spoiler Alert with Ryan Moore and Matt discussing #MadameWeb: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRXjJGtzdlU Spoiler Alert with Ryan Moore discussing #CaptainAmericaBraveNewWorld: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHvsYPsvLBM&t=1471s The Family Fright Night Horror Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/episode/7kstbpDOnLQeI8BQGLzina 🎶 Enjoy eerie tunes by host Matthew Haase - https://www.youtube.com/@LimitlessMatt 💰 Support us on Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/CullenPark, shop our spooktacular merch - http://tee.pub/lic/CullenPark, and catch Mike on The Nerdball Podcast - https://pod.fo/e/ba2aa 🙏 Help fund our friend Mark Klein's funeral: https://www.gofundme.com/f/honoring-mark-kleins-legacy 💪 Make a difference with these organizations: Palestine Children's Relief Fund: https://www.pcrf.net/information-you-should-know/how-to-help-palestine.html Trans Lifeline: https://translifeline.org/ The Hotline: https://www.thehotline.org/ Matthew Perry Foundation: https://matthewperryfoundation.org/ The Trevor Project: https://www.thetrevorproject.org/ HRC Foundation: https://www.hrc.org/hrc-story/hrc-foundation Point Foundation: https://pointfoundation.org/ Direct Relief: https://www.directrelief.org/ NAACP Legal Defense Fund: https://www.naacpldf.org/ Black Voters Matter Fund: https://www.blackvotersmatterfund.org Tahirih Justice Center: https://www.tahirih.org/ Mona Foundation: https://www.monafoundation.org/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

🎬 Pilot Error Alert! 👑📺 In this episode of All2ReelToo’s PILOT ERROR TV REVIEW series, we dust off a forgotten TV experiment and ask the big question: what if Coming to America had actually made it to television? Based on the beloved 1988 film, this unaired 1989 pilot follows Prince Tariq of Zamunda and his loyal assistant Omar as they trade royal luxury for everyday life inside a working-class Queens household. Culture clashes, fish-out-of-water comedy, and familiar themes collide as the show attempts to stretch a movie classic into a weekly sitcom format. The pilot features an intriguing cast including Tommy Davidson as Prince Tariq, Paul Bates as Omar, along with Hattie Winston, John Hancock, Paris Vaughan, A.J. Johnson, and more. But does the magic of the original film survive the jump to network TV… or was this pilot doomed from the start? Tune in as we break down the concept, performances, and why this royal misfire never made it past takeoff. #All2ReelToo #PilotError #ComingToAmerica #UnairedPilot #TVThatNeverWas #ForgottenTV #80sTelevision #PopCulturePodcast #TVHistory #FailedPilots Listen now: all2reeltoo.com 🎬 Support the show: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/cullenpark/membership Merch: https://www.teepublic.com/user/cullenpark 🎙️ Catch Mike's captivating chats on: Pop Culture Junkie discussing the 1983 V Miniseries: https://popculturejunkie.com/podcast/looking-at-v-with-michael-e-cullen/ Movie Smash Podcast discussing #GhostWorld (2001): https://www.movie-smash.com/episodes/episode/32534003/episode-18-ghost-world-2001-special-guest-michael-e-cullen-ii-from-the-all2reeltoo-podcast Film Talk with Jordan Ramirez, chatting about #Once (2007): https://youtu.be/fubJGxZ3NSU?si=ptSlTewm72LTVspQ Spoiler Alert with Ryan Moore and Matt discussing #MadameWeb: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRXjJGtzdlU Spoiler Alert with Ryan Moore discussing #CaptainAmericaBraveNewWorld: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHvsYPsvLBM&t=1471s The Family Fright Night Horror Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/episode/7kstbpDOnLQeI8BQGLzina 🎶 Enjoy eerie tunes by host Matthew Haase - https://www.youtube.com/@LimitlessMatt 💰 Support us on Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/CullenPark, shop our spooktacular merch - http://tee.pub/lic/CullenPark, and catch Mike on The Nerdball Podcast - https://pod.fo/e/ba2aa 🙏 Help fund our friend Mark Klein's funeral: https://www.gofundme.com/f/honoring-mark-kleins-legacy 💪 Make a difference with these organizations: Palestine Children's Relief Fund: https://www.pcrf.net/information-you-should-know/how-to-help-palestine.html Trans Lifeline: https://translifeline.org/ The Hotline: https://www.thehotline.org/ Matthew Perry Foundation: https://matthewperryfoundation.org/ The Trevor Project: https://www.thetrevorproject.org/ HRC Foundation: https://www.hrc.org/hrc-story/hrc-foundation Point Foundation: https://pointfoundation.org/ Direct Relief: https://www.directrelief.org/ NAACP Legal Defense Fund: https://www.naacpldf.org/ Black Voters Matter Fund: https://www.blackvotersmatterfund.org Tahirih Justice Center: https://www.tahirih.org/ Mona Foundation: https://www.monafoundation.org/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Coming to America (TV pilot) (1989) - PILOT ERROR TV REVIEW

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How long is this episode of All2ReelToo - A Pop Culture Podcast?

This episode is 28 minutes long.

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This episode was published on January 22, 2026.

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🎬 Pilot Error Alert! 👑📺 In this episode of All2ReelToo’s PILOT ERROR TV REVIEW series, we dust off a forgotten TV experiment and ask the big question: what if Coming to America had actually made it to television? Based on the beloved 1988 film,...

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