The Secret Diary of Desmond Pfeiffer

The Secret Diary of Desmond Pfeiffer
Pfeiffer cast. From left to right: Nibblet, Desmond Pfeiffer, Abraham Lincoln, Mary Todd Lincoln
Created by	Barry Fanaro, Mort Nathan
Starring	Chi McBride Dann Florek Christine Estabrook Max Baker Kelly Connell
Country of origin	United States
No. of episodes	8, 4 actually broadcast
Production
Running time	21 minutes
Original release
Network	UPN
Release	October 5, 1998 – October 26, 1998

The Secret Diary of Desmond Pfeiffer was a UPN half-hour sitcom shown in 1998. Before it was ever shown the series set off a storm of controversy because of a perceived light-hearted take on the issue of American slavery. It was canceled after one month mostly due to low ratings.

Story

A black English nobleman named Desmond Pfeiffer (the "P" is not silent) is kidnapped by his enemies and sent to America on a slave ship. He eventually becomes President Abraham Lincoln's valet. In the show, he serves as the intelligent and erudite backbone of a Civil War-era White House populated by louts and drunkards. The show portrays Lincoln as a sex-starved idiot and his wife Mary as a nymphomaniac.

Main characters

• Desmond Pfeiffer (Chi McBride) - Black English gentleman serving as President Lincoln's butler.
• Abraham Lincoln (Dann Florek) - 16th President of the United States.
• Mary Todd Lincoln (Christine Estabrook) - President Lincoln's wife.
• Nibblet (Max Baker) - Pfeiffer's assistant
• Ulysses S. Grant (Kelly Connell) - General of the United States Army.

Controversy

The show was attacked by many because of some of the jokes, particularly in the pilot episode, made light of the history of slavery in America. UPN delayed showing the pilot and edited some of its scenes in response to the public outcry. This failed to placate opponents.

Trivia

In 2000, the show featured prominently in the pilot episode for Clerks: The Animated Series. In that episode, Dante and Randall come up with a plan for saving the Quick Stop by watching an episode of Desmond Pfeiffer, referring to it as "totally classic Pfeiffer".