The Secret Diary of Desmond Pfeiffer 

The misadventures of Abraham Lincoln, his loony associates, and the only sane man amongst them, the President's black butler Desmond.

Creators:

Barry Fanaro, Mort Nathan

Stars:

Chi McBride, Max Baker, Dann Florek

Cast

Series cast summary:
Chi McBride	...	Desmond Pfeiffer 6 episodes, 1998
Max Baker	...	Nibblet 6 episodes, 1998
Dann Florek	...	Abraham Lincoln 6 episodes, 1998
Christine Estabrook	...	Mary Todd Lincoln 6 episodes, 1998
Kelly Connell	...	Ulysses S. Grant 6 episodes, 1998

Storyline

Desmond Pfeiffer (the P is pronounced) was a black British gentleman who was run out of England after being accused of cheating at cards. He takes a job as butler to a perpetually horny Abraham Lincoln in the White House during the Civil War.

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Plot Keywords:

situation comedy | character name in title | 

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Taglines:

Critics hate it.

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Genres:

Comedy | History

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Did You Know?

Trivia

Word of mouth spread quickly that the show was demeaning to African-Americans and an untrue rumor circulated that a scene in the establishing pilot included hooded black men being executed. After protests, UPN decided to pull the pilot off of the schedule just prior to airing, replacing it with another episode.

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Connections

Referenced in The Roseanne Show: Episode #1.29 (1998)

User Reviews

The Adder in America?

I only saw one or two episodes of this short-lived series, but based on what I saw, I must wonder if the producers intended an American version of the British series "Black Adder". Certainly there seem to be some parallels, especially with the third Black Adder series, set during the reign of Mad King George. The conniving and scheming Mr. Pfeiffer seems awfully much like Mr. Blackadder, while Pfeiffer's man Nibblet and Blackadder's man Baldric share much in common.

What they did not share, unfortunately, was a deeply embedded sense of wit. The buffoonery surrounding Pfeiffer was played far too broadly to remain funny for very long. The most effective clowns are generally those who do not seem to realize their own clownishness. Dann Florek (much better known for roles like that he played in Law and Order) seems to be playing buffoon to a mirror.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

5 October 1998 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Secret Diary of Desmond Pfeiffer

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Network Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

30 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1