WHY THIS PROJECT?

The Right Man. The Right Moment. The Right Story.

1. A True Untold Story (Untapped IP)
George B. Cortelyou was real. Audiences crave untold stories of real people who made a positive difference. In a world hungry for competence and integrity, this is the story we need now.

2. The Rise of a Different Kind of Hero
Cortelyou’s ascent - from stenographer to Presidential contender - offers the emotional arc of a classic underdog story. His quiet strength and real achievements are deeply refreshing.

3. An Era That’s Been Overlooked
The turn of the 20th century, 1895 to 1908, was one of the most dynamic and dramatic periods in American history, yet it’s been almost entirely untouched by modern prestige television.

4. History Repeats: The Same Struggles, New Faces
Political polarization, billionaire industrialist, presidential assassination attempts, new inventions, the environment, trade tariffs, racial tension - the themes are strikingly current.

5. Electric Surroundings
White House. Wall Street. Supreme Court. Pan-American Exposition of 1901. San Francisco Earthquake. Pennsylvania coal mines. The building of the Panama Canal. Yosemite National Park. This is a visual feast of epic moments and iconic settings.

6. A Western Spirit at Times
With Teddy Roosevelt at the helm, this series brings the grit and grandeur of the frontier to light. The contrast between New York City and Yosemite Valley will surely be noticed.

7. Rediscovering McKinley
With renewed political attention on President McKinley - referenced frequently by modern leaders - there’s growing curiosity about his presidency and legacy. This series brings him to life (and his wife) with depth and context, through the eyes of his most trusted aide.

8. A Cast of Living Legends
The supporting characters are icons: Theodore Roosevelt, Booker T. Washington, Emma Goldman, John D. Rockefeller, Thomas Edison, the Wright Brothers. The series reintroduces them as full-blooded human beings - not caricatures from textbooks.

9. Innovation in the Air
Electricity, telephones, motion pictures, automobiles, the x-ray machine, the safety razor - this was the dawn of the modern world. The show captures the excitement of progress.

10. Cortelyou is the Missing Link Between:

  • The 19th-century spoils system and the modern professional civil service

  • The old White House and the modern presidency

  • Backroom politics and modern campaign strategy

  • Gilded Age chaos and early 20th-century federal coordination

  • McKinley’s traditionalism and Roosevelt’s dynamism

He’s the person who held the machine together while everything around him changed. Without him, the transition between these eras feels abrupt or incomplete - he completes the picture.