In the dawn of the 20th century, George B. Cortelyou, the unassuming stenographer who rose to become the indispensable advisor to three U.S. Presidents, navigates assassination, economic chaos, and political intrigue to shape the nation’s future from the shadows of power.

Cortelyou is a gripping limited series that illustrates the extraordinary life of George B. Cortelyou, the forgotten mastermind behind America’s Gilded Age presidents. Starting as a humble postal clerk in 1895, Cortelyou earns the trust of Grover Cleveland, William McKinley, and Theodore Roosevelt through his unparalleled organizational genius, discretion, and foresight - pioneering roles that foreshadow the modern White House Chief of Staff and Press Secretary.

The series unfolds against the backdrop of pivotal historical events: The Spanish American War, Cortelyou’s front-row seat to McKinley’s assassination at the 1901 Pan-American Exposition, where the dying president collapses into his arms; the reorganization of the White House and creation of the West Wing, the Supreme Court showdown verses big business, the inspiration for the National Park System; and the high-stakes maneuvering alongside J.P. Morgan during the Bank Panic of 1907, where Cortelyou’s bold decisions avert national collapse.

But, this isn’t just a history lesson - it’s a human story of ambition, loyalty, and sacrifice. Cortelyou grapples not only with opponents, but also with personal demons: the weight of secrets, a strained family life overshadowed by duty, and moral temptations in an era of corruption and reform. The decision he faces at the end - does he become the thing he has avoided his whole career - a political animal - when the temptations are at their most irresistible?

At its core, the series explores what principled competence looks like under pressure - from both crisis and from corruption - and how America was propelled and fortified by people who chose justice and duty over fortune and fame.