The Secret Diary of Desmond Pfeiffer
The Secret Diary of Desmond Pfeiffer ( ) is an American sitcom that aired on UPN from October 5 to October 26, 1998. Before it even debuted, the series set off a storm of controversy because of a perceived light-hearted take on the issue of American slavery. Story A Black English nobleman named Desmond Pfeiffer, chased out of the United Kingdom 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. Cast Chi McBride as Desmond Pfeiffer, Black English gentleman serving as President Lincoln's butler Dann Florek as Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of the United States Christine Estabrook as Mary Todd Lincoln, President Lincoln's wife Max Baker as Nibblet, Pfeiffer's assistant Kelly Connell as Ulysses S. Grant, general of the United States Army Controversy Before the series' premiere, several African-American activist groups, including the Los Angeles Chapter of the 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