| Genre: | Biographical drama |
| Director: | Tim Van Patten |
| Theme Music Composer: | Jay Wadley |
| Country: | United States |
| Num Episodes: | 8 |
| Runtime: | 60 minutes |
| Network: | Apple TV+ |
Franklin is a 2024 biographical drama miniseries about the United States Founding Father Benjamin Franklin, based on Stacy Schiff's 2005 book A Great Improvisation: Franklin, France, and the Birth of America. It was released on Apple TV+ on April 12, 2024.[1] The series depicts the eight years Benjamin Franklin spent in France to convince King Louis XVI to support the burgeoning United States in the American Revolutionary War.
It was announced in February 2022 that Michael Douglas would star in the series as Benjamin Franklin for Apple TV+, with Kirk Ellis writing the series and Tim Van Patten directing.[2] In June 2022, it was announced that Howard Korder had joined the production as a writer and executive producer.
Filming began in June 2022 in Versailles, with Noah Jupe, Ludivine Sagnier, Daniel Mays, Assaad Bouab and Eddie Marsan amongst additional casting announced.[3]
On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, 71% of 35 critics gave the series a positive review, with an average rating of 6.5/10. The critical consensus reads, "Franklins unhurried retelling of revolutionary history can be dry as parchment, but Michael Douglas' sly performance as the founding father gives it a compelling jolt."[4] On Metacritic, the series holds a weighted average score of 57 out of 100 based on 22 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[5]