Shonda Rhimes struck TV gold by taking viewers inside the sexy and shocking inner workings of a fictionalized White House with Scandal. Now Shondaland and former Scandal writer and producer Paul William Davies are setting their sights on the unmistakable mansion once again — this time, with a twist. Prepare for The Residence March 20, a murder mystery revolving around the most disastrous (and deadly) state dinner in history, starring Uzo Aduba as wry detective Cordelia Cupp.
Loosely inspired by, but not based on, Kate Andersen Brower’s book The Residence: Inside the Private World of the White House, this new Netflix drama blends political intrigue with a locked-room mystery. The premise: A dead body is discovered during a high-profile White House state dinner, sending the residence staff and D.C.’s elite into a frenzy. Enter Cordelia Cupp (played by Uzo Aduba), an eccentric detective with a talent for cracking impossible cases and delivering razor-sharp one-liners.
Cordelia Cupp is a consulting detective for the Metropolitan Police Department and the most sought-after investigator in the world. She’s known for her unexpected humor, relentless pursuit of truth, and sharp eye for human behavior.
While most political dramas focus on the high-stakes power plays of presidents and their advisors, The Residence shifts the spotlight to the people who actually run 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue — that is, the butlers, chefs, florists, and housekeepers who see (and know) everything. It’s a behind-the-scenes look at the White House, but with a thrilling twist: Someone among them is a murderer. “The Residence is honestly a lot of things,” says showrunner Paul William Davies, a former writer for Scandal.
“It’s funny, it’s suspenseful, it’s clever, it’s totally farcical in places, it’s genuinely romantic in others.”
“As a murder mystery, what I think really makes it fresh and unique is Cordelia Cupp. She’s just special,” explains Davies. Aduba will lead a sprawling cast that features Randall Park, Giancarlo Esposito, Susan Kelechi Watson, Jane Curtin, Jason Lee, Ken Marino, Al Mitchell, Edwina Findley, and so many more (including a pop star).
Aduba says, “What makes Cordelia part of the catalog of Shondaland heroines is that she’s strong, she doesn’t mince words, she’s unapologetically herself.” While other characters in The Residence may think the mystery ahead is impossible to crack, Cordelia sees a puzzle worth putting together.
“This case is unsolvable to everyone except Cordelia Cupp,” Aduba says.
More than anything, Davies hopes viewers will have fun on their journey alongside Cordelia and Edwin. “It’s a word I used over and over and over in so many documents I created for this show. Often in all caps: ‘Keep it FUN,’ ” he says. “I want people to be entertained. I want them to laugh, to be engaged — to try to solve this mystery. I hope they enjoy meeting these people, and they learn something.”