The Secret Diary of Desmond Pfeiffer

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Secret Diary of Desmond Pfeiffer
'Pfeiffer' cast.
Pfeiffer cast. From left to right: Nibblet, Desmond Pfeiffer, Abraham Lincoln, Mary Todd Lincoln
Format Situation Comedy
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
Broadcast
Original channel UPN
Original run October 5, 1998October 26, 1998
External links
IMDb profile
TV.com summary

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.

Contents

[edit] 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.

[edit] Main characters

[edit] 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.

[edit] 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".