About the Series

Tagline: “Power. Quietly Administered.”

Logline: “A true prestige drama about the forgotten man, George B. Cortelyou, who ran the country from the shadows - serving three presidents (including Theodore Roosevelt) and building modern America while resisting the power grabs and corruption of his era.”

Format: Limited Series

Genre: Historical/Political Drama

Length: 6–8 episodes, 45 minutes each

Tone & Style: The tone balances stately historical drama with the charm of a private yet inspirational protagonist and the fiery personality of Theodore Roosevelt. Think the gravitas of the movie Darkest Hour or the television series The Crown, meets the character warmth of Count Alexander Rostov in A Gentleman in Moscow.

What It’s Really About

In today’s America, it’s common to assume the success of the United States was inevitable. That the arc of history naturally bends toward freedom. That our institutions, no matter how strained, will always hold. But these beliefs are dangerously complacent. The truth, often overlooked, is that the American Experiment has survived not because it was predestined to, but because individuals across generations made the hard choice to serve something greater than themselves.

George B. Cortelyou was one of those individuals. A man whose name is largely forgotten but whose influence shaped the modern presidency, he rose from postal clerk to the trusted right hand of three U.S. presidents during a period of profound transformation. He didn’t chase attention for its own sake. He chose service over self, order over chaos, and action over applause. His mark on America was deep and foundational.

The upcoming limited series Cortelyou dramatizes this quiet but critical figure as a counterpoint to today’s politics of noise and spectacle. At the turn of the 20th century, America was not the global superpower it is now - it was fragile, divided, and under siege from within. It faced political assassinations, monopolistic power, racial tensions, and labor unrest. Many assumed the American system would break under the pressure.

But it didn’t - because men like Cortelyou held it together.

By telling his story now, Cortelyou becomes more than a historical drama. It becomes a reminder. That democracy does not run on autopilot. That its survival isn’t guaranteed. That its future still depends on principled, competent people making the right decisions - often in quiet rooms, away from the spotlight.

Series 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.

Cortelyou’s Narrative Arc – At a Glance

What does he want?
Cortelyou sees himself as a man of destiny. He is on earth to do great things - positive things. While ambitious, he seeks mastery, not fame. He wants to serve the country (a fragile experiment worth fighting for) with integrity - building systems that work, solving hard problems, and doing things the right way. Contributing by bringing order over chaos. Service over self. Action over applause.

What stands in his way?
He enters a political world fueled by ego, corruption, and chaos - with no allies, no name, and no flair for self-promotion. To succeed, he must navigate powerful personalities and institutions - often filled with unscrupulous men who play to win - all while staying true to his principles. While no saint, he does it best despite the temptations. His greatest test? An offer to run for president, backed by Wall Street power and its agenda. Will he sacrifice his values and become a political animal?

How does he and the country change?
Episode by episode, Cortelyou evolves: from clerk to cabinet officer, from executor to architect. As America evolves from the Gilded Age to the Progressive Era, so does he - gaining authority, confidence, and clarity about what kind of leader he truly wants to be.

What do we feel?
By the end, viewers don’t just admire Cortelyou - they wish he were still in office. In an age of spectacle, his quiet competence feels radical. He reminds us that the most powerful person in the room isn’t always the loudest, the richest or the most famous. Sometimes, it’s the one holding everything together.

Target Audience:

Prestige Drama Viewers - especially men. While fans of The Crown are mostly women - the lead protagonist being Queen Elizabeth - Cortelyou should appeal to to both men and women, as its stars are Mr. Cortelyou and the infamous Theodore Roosevelt - a fan favorite to most American history buffs. Examples include John Adams, Downton Abbey, The West Wing, and A Gentleman in Moscow; They appreciate character-driven stories, strong production design, and historical nuance.

Political and History Buffs: Viewers who read, watch the news, are interested in documentaries and podcasts on history, the presidency, and historical figures.

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.