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
Nick Jameson	...	Emperor of France / ... 3 episodes, 1998
Jack Salvatore Jr.	...	Young Abe / ... 2 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.

---

Plot Keywords:

reference to mary todd lincoln | reference to abraham lincoln | ulysses simpson grant | sitcom | character name in title | 

---

Taglines:

The "P" is not silent.

---

Genres:

Comedy | History

---

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

5 October 1998 (USA)

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

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 ultimately bowed to controversy pulled the pilot off of the schedule just prior to airing, replacing it with another episode.

---

Connections

Referenced in DVD-R Hell: Deception of a Generation: Part 1 (2013)

User Reviews

A terrible idea for a show, and a rotten show based on that idea

Not only was this show stupid and insulting to everyone involved, it was a dreadful concept for a comedy. One could make a fascinating story about the black slaves and free servants that worked in the Executive mansion, a kind of "West Wing" mixed with "Upstairs Downstairs," but rather than doing that, the producers decided to go with a low brow yuk fest that was both historically inaccurate and not at all funny. Given that it was set at one of the most stressful times in American history, a period in which decisions were made that set the course for everything that came afterward in the USA, one could do a satire of contemporary morals and cultural beliefs that would be both enlightening and humorous; but that was not what we got in this show. What the producers delivered was leering juvenile jokes about horny wives, stupid politicians and funny slavery. The show lasted less than a season, and that was still too long.