Michael Douglas’ Dreary ‘Franklin’ Series Could Use a Zap of Lightning
Despite the implication of its title, Franklin is not a comprehensive biopic of Benjamin Franklin; rather it’s a narrower drama about his 1776-1785 time in France attempting to secure an alliance to help America triumph in the Revolutionary War. That was, to be certain, a key period in the tale of both the nation and the Founding Father. Nonetheless, Apple TV+’s eight-part series, which premieres Apr. 12, is the dreariest sort of history lesson, as bloated and clunky as it is shallow and suspense-free. Starring and executive-produced by Michael Douglas, it transforms this unique chapter in America’s origin story into the lamest of prestige-TV slogs.
An adaptation of Stacy Schiff's book A Great Improvisation, Franklin, France, and the Birth of America—written by Kirk Ellis and Howard Korder, and directed in its entirety by Tim Van Patten—commences on Dec. 3, 1776, with Franklin (Douglas) arriving on the Brittany Coast, desperate to find a way to bolster the Revolution’s flagging prospects. With the Continental Army in disarray, Franklin seeks to negotiate a union with France that will turn the tide against the formidable British empire. For this mission, he’s brought along his wide-eyed grandson Temple (Noah Jupe), a teenage pup whose father is presently in jail for traitorously siding with America’s enemy, thus creating some tension between Franklin and the boy. Even so, such friction isn’t enough to unduly strain their bond, especially since Temple, like everyone else in France, is in awe of Franklin, whose reputation (including as the “creator” of electricity) means that everywhere he goes, he’s greeted like a celebrity.
Franklin views its subject with similar awe, albeit less for his pioneering past accomplishments than for his acute intellect, deft wit, and colorfully canny personality—which, early on, includes his fondness for passing gas (“What is electricity compared to a good fart?”). Douglas embodies the icon with vibrant confidence and slyly understated seriousness, his Franklin the sort of easygoing titan who knows that winning people over—and getting what he wants—requires more finesse than ferocity, especially in a country where decorum and ceremony are so highly prized.