About the Series
Tagline: “Power. Quietly Administered.”
Logline: “The phenomenal rise of a New York City post office clerk to become the behind-the-scenes engine and trusted advisor for three American Presidents - Cortelyou shows us how one man’s skill, integrity and grit can shape a nation - even if history has forgotten his name.”
Format: Limited Series
Genre: Historical/Political Drama
Length: 6–8 episodes, 45 minutes each
Tone & Style: The tone balances stately political drama with the deeply private yet inspirational protagonist. Think the gravitas of the movie The Darkest Hour or the television series The Crown, meets the character warmth of Lincoln or A Gentleman in Moscow.
What the Series is Really About: At its core, Cortelyou is about what leadership should look like. It tells the true story of George B. Cortelyou, who rose through merit - not wealth or connections - to become the quiet force behind several American presidents - including one of the most popular of all-time, Theodore Roosevelt. And he did so with mind-boggling skill and an adherence to virtues that seem quaint in today’s political environment.
Set at a time when America was becoming a world power, the series is a reminder that our democracy was built - and can only survive - on the strength of people who put country before ego. In today’s climate of corruption, division, and strongman politics, Cortelyou shows us the kind of leadership we’ve lost… and the kind we need to find again.
Overview: Cortelyou - a true story - is a richly drawn, character-driven political drama chronicling the extraordinary yet underrecognized career of George B. Cortelyou, one of the most quietly influential figures in American history. A man who rose by merit, not privilege, Cortelyou was the indispensable advisor to three U.S. presidents, shaping the modern presidency from behind the scenes. His official roles included Chief Clerk to President Grover Cleveland, Private Secretary to President William McKinley, and Secretary to the President under both McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt. He later served as the first Secretary of Commerce and Labor (1903 -1904), Chairman of the Republican National Committee during the election of 1904, Postmaster General (1905 -1907), and Secretary of the Treasury (1907- 1909). Beyond these titles, Cortelyou functioned as the nation’s first de facto Press Secretary, Presidential Scheduler, and a precursor to the modern White House Chief of Staff.
He first entered the White House as a young man under President Grover Cleveland (Democrat), who famously told his successor: “If you want things to run smoothly, my advice is to keep Cortelyou.” President McKinley did - and not only came to rely on Cortelyou as a trusted gatekeeper and strategist, but viewed him as a part of the family. When President McKinley was shot by an assassin, it was Cortelyou who caught the president and who heard his last conscious words: “My wife, Cortelyou. Be careful how you tell her.”
But that moment, while defining, is only the beginning. A new, young, vigorous President enters the scene - Theodore Roosevelt. Over the course of the series, we follow Cortelyou as he works with President Roosevelt to reshape the presidency, reorganizing the Executive Mansion into the “White House,” creating a functioning press office, managing presidential security, and writing the protocols still used today for White House operations, travel, and more.
As Roosevelt recognizes the full scope of Cortelyou’s capabilities, his responsibilities expand dramatically. He entrusts Cortelyou with managing his 1904 reelection campaign - despite resistance from party insiders who view him as too principled for the rough-and-tumble world of politics. Cortelyou delivers a decisive victory. Next, he is appointed Postmaster General, returning to where he started as a young postal clerk, to overhaul the entire mail system (critically important in those days) with logistical genius and mechanical innovation, calling automobiles “horseless wagons” to bypass congressional resistance. At Roosevelt’s direction, he takes on the powerful industrial trusts (a.k.a. monopolies & cartels), bringing the railroad antitrust cases all the way to the Supreme Court to affirm a bold message: no one, not even the wealthiest business empires, are above the law. When Roosevelt establishes the new Department of Commerce and Labor to regulate big business, Cortelyou is given a blank slate and builds it from the ground up. His success earns yet another promotion, this time to Secretary of the Treasury. There, in partnership with JP Morgan and JD Rockefeller, he calmly steers the nation through the Bank Panic of 1907 with strategic nerve and a great deal of autonomy. Morgan, deeply impressed by Cortelyou’s command of crisis, attempts to recruit him to help lead his financial empire.
Meanwhile, the story shines a light on the people behind the power. Edith Roosevelt and Lilly Cortelyou, friends and confidantes, offer a parallel lens into the pressures of public life from a women’s perspective. Their private walks, candid conversations, and shared frustrations, including concerns about women’s voting rights and the way female immigrants are “reviewed” by male Immigrant Inspectors at Ellis Island. And when Booker T. Washington, a prominent African-American leader, dines at the White House in a historic visit, it sparks a national uproar and new tension about race and equality.
Cortelyou wasn’t chasing the spotlight, but the spotlight, again and again, found him. Though he was considered for the presidency and courted by the titans of industry, Cortelyou chose service over fame, structure over chaos, and principle over power. And in doing so, he shaped a nation for the better.
Narrative Arc: Cortelyou’s narrative arc has the bones of a complete and emotionally satisfying character journey: quiet beginnings, meritocratic rise, tests of principle, moral wounds, and finally, a moment of personal choice that defines the legacy. Cortelyou transforms from capable task master to a man in charge. It’s character-first, yet rooted in major historical events and personalities - which makes it perfect for a prestige limited series.
Context & Setting: The series unfolds at the dawn of the 20th century, when America is bursting with innovation and ambition. New inventions - electric light, the telephone, the X-ray, and automobiles, are reshaping daily life. The Panama Canal is under construction, national parks are being created, and skyscrapers are rising from the ground. At the same time, the nation wrestles with over-sized corporate power, labor unrest, and racial inequality. Cortelyou operates at the center of it all, organizing and facilitating the machinery of American power in an age of transformation from post Civil War era to a dawn of the American Century.
Target Audience:
1. Anyone who appreciates a noble hero.
2. Prestige Drama Viewers (Ages 35–75)
Fans of The Crown, John Adams, Mad Men, The West Wing, Downton Abbey and A Gentleman in Moscow; Educated - interested in history, politics, leadership, and institutional power. They appreciate character-driven stories, strong production design, and historical nuance.
3. Political and History Buffs
Viewers who read, watch documentaries and podcasts on history, the presidency, and are interested in historical figures. They’ve watched Ken Burns docs and read a book by Ron Chernow, David McCullough, Walter Isaacson or Doris Kearns-Goodwin.
Why Now: In an time when institutions are strained, partisanship is high, and public trust in leadership is fragile, Cortelyou offers a powerful counterpoint to the chaos. He represents a kind of leader in government almost 'too good to be true' today - someone who wielded immense power without the need to be the center of attention, who believed and aimed for real achievement over the appearance of achievement. Cortelyou was quiet, yes, but never passive. Beneath his calm exterior was a fierce sense of purpose and a disciplined will. He didn’t posture; he executed. As public trust in institutions continues to erode, Cortelyou reminds us of the unseen architects who make democracy function. His legacy is not carved in monuments, but etched in the daily workings of the American presidency, its press, its financial system, and the very structure of modern governance.