In case anybody is still unsure about Hollywood’s feelings toward philandering politicians, big oil intrigue, and exciting production design details, AMC is ready to set the record straight. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the network is in the initial stages of producing a new series tentatively titled, Black Gold: The Teapot Dome Scandal. The project, based on a non-fiction book by Laton McCartney, centers on the political dealings between President Warren G. Harding’s administration and big oil tycoons in the 1920s. Kirk Ellis, whose writing credits include HBO’s John Adams and TNT’s epic Into the West, has teamed up with AMC to develop the series.
The scandal stems from 1922, when the Secretary Of The Interior, Albert B. Fall, leased oil fields in Wyoming (including an outcrop known as Teapot Rock) and California to Sinclair Oil and Pan America Petroleum, without any competitive bidding for other companies. A Senate investigation later revealed that tycoons from both companies had loaned great amounts of money without interest to Secretary Fall, who was ultimately convicted of accepting bribes.