AMC is developing a miniseries called Black Gold: The Teapot Dome Scandal based on the non-fiction book by Laton McCartney. Kirk Ellis is behind the project, who last made his mark by the writing the whole John Adams miniseries, which instantly makes this one noteworthy for me. Justin Falvey and Darryl Frank will serve as executive producers. They’ve previously teamed on the likes of Las Vegas and United States of Tara.
Here’s a synopsis from the book that will help the clueless about what the Teapot Dome scandal was and what the series would cover:
In this amazing and at times ribald story, Laton McCartney tells how Big Oil handpicked Warren G. Harding, an obscure Ohio senator, to serve as our twenty-third president. Harding and his “oil cabinet” made it possible for cronies to secure vast fuel reserves that had been set aside for use by the U.S. Navy. In exchange, the oilmen paid off senior government officials, bribed newspaper publishers, and covered the GOP campaign debt. When news of the scandal finally emerged, the consequences were disastrous. Drawing on contemporary records newly made available to McCartney, The Teapot Dome Scandal reveals a shocking, revelatory picture of just how far-reaching the affair was, how high the stakes, and how powerful the conspirators–all told in a dazzling narrative style.
