The Secret Diary of Desmond Pfeiffer
| The Secret Diary of Desmond Pfeiffer | |
|---|---|
From left to right: Nibblet, Desmond Pfeiffer, Abraham Lincoln, Mary Todd Lincoln
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| Genre | Sitcom |
| Created by | Barry Fanaro Mort Nathan |
| Written by | Marc Abrams Mike Benson Bill Boulware Barry Fanaro Jim Gerkin Mort Nathan Brian Pollack Mert Rich |
| Directed by | Matthew Diamond |
| Starring |
Chi McBride Dann Florek Christine Estabrook Max Baker Kelly Connell |
| Composer(s) | Rich Eames Scott Gale |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 9 (5 unaired) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Barry Fanaro Mort Nathan |
| Producer(s) | Marica Govons |
| Cinematography | George La Fountaine Sr. |
| Editor(s) | Mike Wilcox |
| Running time | 22–24 minutes |
| Production company(s) | Fanaro-Nathan Productions Paramount Network Television |
| Distributor | CBS Television Distribution |
| Release | |
| Original network | UPN |
| Original release | October 5 – October 28, 1998 |
The Secret Diary of Desmond Pfeiffer was an American sitcom that aired on UPN in 1998. Before it was even debuted, the series set off a storm of controversy because of a perceived light-hearted take on the issue of American slavery.
A black English nobleman named Desmond Pfeiffer, chased out of England due to gambling debts, 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.
Before the series' premiere, several African American activist groups, including the Los Angeles area NAACP, protested against the premise of the series. On September 24, 1998, a protest against the series was held outside Paramount Studios. Five days later, UPN released a statement regarding the controversy and stated that the network planned on delaying the controversial pilot episode (which never aired) and would instead air an alternate episode in its place. The first episode of the series aired on October 5, 1998, ranking 116th out of 125 television programs for that week. Desmond Pfeiffer was removed from UPN's schedule on October 24 and, after airing one episode two days after being removed from UPN's lineup, was canceled.
In 2002, TV Guide listed the show as the eleventh-worst TV series ever, and in 2010 TV Guide Network listed the show at #15 on their list of 25 Biggest TV Blunders.Film Threat's Phil Hall gave the show a positive review, writing, "Today, the show is remembered (barely) as a bizarre flop – but after watching a pair of episodes that are currently available for YouTube viewing, I would be bold enough to declare that “The Secret Diary of Desmond Pfeiffer” deserves a new consideration. [...] If you have the patience for crass, innuendo-laced, no-taste bawdy comedy, you will certainly find yourself laughing out loud over this series."
The series was alluded to multiple times in the unaired pilot episode of Clerks: The Animated Series, "Leonardo Leonardo Returns and Dante Has an Important Decision to Make", which featured Dante and Randal drawing inspiration from a non-existent episode of The Secret Diary of Desmond Pfeiffer, which Randal describes as "classic Pfeiffer".
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