User reviews

In the hallowed halls of history, Benjamin Franklin stands as a towering figure, revered for his intellect and ingenuity. Apple TV+'s "Franklin" delves into the lesser-known chapter of Franklin's life, illuminating his pivotal role in securing French support for the American Revolution. Led by the venerable Michael Douglas in the titular role, "Franklin" emerges as a compelling exploration of one man's quest to change the course of history.

From the outset, it's evident that "Franklin" is a labor of love, meticulously crafted to capture the essence of its titular character and the tumultuous era in which he lived. Douglas's portrayal of Franklin is nothing short of masterful, imbuing the Founding Father with a blend of wit, wisdom, and humanity that is as captivating as it is authentic. Whether navigating the treacherous waters of diplomacy or indulging in his more hedonistic pursuits, Douglas's Franklin is a delight to behold, anchoring the series with his undeniable charisma.

Director Tim Van Patten, known for his work on acclaimed series like "Boardwalk Empire" and "The Sopranos," brings his signature style to "Franklin," infusing the series with a sense of grandeur and gravitas befitting its subject matter. From the opulent salons of Paris to the dimly lit corridors of power, Van Patten's keen eye for detail ensures that every frame is a visual feast, transporting viewers to the heart of 18th-century Europe.

But perhaps the true triumph of "Franklin" lies in its ability to humanize its titular character, presenting him not as a mythical figure, but as a flawed and multifaceted individual. Far from being a one-dimensional hero, Franklin is portrayed as a complex and nuanced figure, grappling with doubts, desires, and moral dilemmas as he navigates the murky waters of diplomacy. It's a testament to the writing team's skill and sensitivity that Franklin emerges as a fully realized character, complete with all the contradictions and complexities that define us as human beings.

Of course, Douglas's performance is bolstered by a talented supporting cast, including Noah Jupe as Franklin's grandson Temple and a host of European actors who bring the world of 18th-century France to life. Together, they create a rich tapestry of characters, each with their own motivations and ambitions, adding depth and dimension to Franklin's world.

While "Franklin" may occasionally falter in its pacing and narrative structure, these are minor quibbles in an otherwise stellar series. At its core, "Franklin" is a celebration of one man's indomitable spirit and the power of diplomacy to shape the course of history. It's a timely reminder of the importance of perseverance, ingenuity, and above all, the belief that one person can indeed make a difference.

In conclusion, "Franklin" is a triumph of historical storytelling, offering a nuanced and compelling portrait of one of America's greatest statesmen. With its stellar cast, sumptuous visuals, and engaging narrative, "Franklin" is a must-watch for anyone with an interest in history, politics, or simply good storytelling. So, immerse yourself in the world of 18th-century Europe and prepare to be captivated by the remarkable tale of Benjamin Franklin.

Wonderful period costumes and elegant English dialog; the French dialog with English subtitles adds to historical authenticity, but it can be distracting. The overall series may be slow moving, if not boring at times, but the immersive depth of Benjamin Franklin's diplomacy with the French - and subsequently with the British - depicts what a true statesman he really was. Were it not for Franklin's largely unsung endeavor to gain French support for the American Revolution and ultimate founding of the United States, the U. S. would likely not have become an independent and self-determining country. Wonderful actor choices, especially Michael Douglas.

This is well written, features beautiful set design and absolutely stunning costumes. From the details in period hair and makeup to mannerisms and gestures, the show is visually entertaining. There is quite a bit of dialogue and story lines to keep up with, be prepared. I had to pause a few times to let some of the underlying aristocratic humor sink in.

Keep expectations low for the portrayal of Franklin, the man. His character (or is it just Michael Douglas?) lacks the sincere charm and wit that was surely omnipresent of the Franklin who saved America from defeat. I would have liked to have seen either a brief list of accomplishments in the opening or retro reel to give Franklin's celebrity some clout for the viewer.

No, scratch that last part. I am just disappointed with Douglas. Zero charm. Total lost opportunity to portray a truly great American icon. Other than that, a well done show.

There were so many things which frustrated me about this show as I'm a fan of Franklin, American history, this particular story and time period, and Mr. Douglas - it had the makings of greatness.

Unfortunately, there are just too many things weighing it down. While the subtitles were not an issue (try watching Shogun!), the story and script just dragged and droned along at such a glacial pace that it was painful.

Douglas was not at his finest. I thought the casting might have been great, but it wasn't. Douglas was flat and seemed to be struggling with a bad cold or throughout the series. He was just bland.

The directing was terrible. No pace, no excitement, no fun. It just trodded along, seemingly lost.

Sad. There was potential.

This is not the brilliant HBO Series 'John Adams.' It lacks the budget, the cast and the writing. Michael Douglas is as miscast as Ben Franklin as Tom Wilkinson was perfect. I like Eddie Marsan, but he's no Paul Giamatti. Elfin Noah Jupe is horribly miscast as Temple Franklin and looks like a kid playing dress up. He is also at the center of most of the saccharine and unnecessary melodrama.

I am a huge fan of Executive Producer/Director Tim Van Patten (The Sopranos and Boardwalk Empire) but historical drama might not be his métier, as quite clearly French is not Michael Douglas's!

The pace of the series slowed to a crawl by the aptly entitled 'Begin By Creeping.'

What this series succeeded beautifully in doing is making me want to rewatch the outstanding 'John Adams!'

I'm enjoying it immensely so far through five episodes. Benjamin Franklin spoke multiple languages, but French was definitely not one his strongest. The show depicts his imprecision with the language which I appreciate from a historical accuracy standpoint.

I'm thrilled the Marquis de Lafayette is a central figure in the story. The guy was a rockstar and deserves his modern day due. I am intrigued by the French side of the story regarding America's War for Independence. You can see the seeds being sown placing France's civilization on the brink of collapse.

For those who are not history buffs, there will be moments of "is that true?!" You'll think it's just modernizing history. But you'll find the more things change, the more they stay the same.

Being a rabid history buff, I looked forward to watching this series. Unfortunately there were just too many distractions built in. It is historically pretty accurate, save Michael Douglas as Franklin. He just didn't make a convincing Franklin. And, I understand the desire for authenticity, but there was way too much French language dialogue, thus too many subtitles. And, being an old fart (I knew Franklin personally), the subtitles were much too small. I spent too much time squinting at the screen. That doesn't make for an enjoyable experience. Perhaps I expected too much, or I'm too demanding, but I can't recommend Franklin.

The number of posts on here that complain about the presence of subtitles in this multi-lingual production is maddening. Apparently closed captioning makes things unwatchable. And apparently the only possible way to improve this show is to stick a fake nose and wig on Michael Douglas, judging by other reviews that don't make as much mention of subtitles.

Deal with it. This is a great production. It looks beautiful and the performances are good. The story is relatively timely, too, managing to draw effective parallels between 18th- and 21st-century ways of conducting diplomacy.

Seriously, if you have a problem with subtitles, go away.

Grasping who did what in what war has always been difficult for me. I much prefer Tom Wilkinson's Franklin in HBO's John Adams. Great example of British versus American acting styles. Wife and I are watching as much as I we can, ignoring Douglas, focusing on events. Half of Madame Brilion advice about gout is correct. Avoid alcohol, especially red wine. Avoidance of women is incorrect, Removal of fluid, is good, all bodily fluids contain uric acid, which crystallizes and lodges between joints, usually farthest away fro heart. Great role for Robert Mayes as Dr. Bancroft. When does Slow Horses return?

Based on historical facts, Franklin is an engaging show. The writers clearly used accounts of Benjamin Franklin's personality and writings as well as little historical details that pepper this show with a kind of richness that is delightful. Some writer's license is taken here and there, but I find it's an excellent historical account of an 18th century political sparing complete with espionage, romance, treachery, and heroism. It does not cease to deliver.

This is one of the most captivating shows I've watched in a long time. If you like historical dramas, this is probably for you. It's hard for me to see the show outside the lens of historical drama, as I really like such shows and movies. I find myself constantly thinking "did that really happen" then I look it up and sure enough... it did. Or, "what was that like back in 1777/1778?" and I feel inspired to dig deeper and learn more.

Michale Douglas as Franklin is one of the weirdest casting choices of all time, its weird and Awkward, he is doesn't look and act as Benjamin, he is just Douglas doing an impersonating Benjamin, that's sad, this show takes place in France and it's always obscure, there is not sun there, there is always this mist in every shot, i went to Paris last year and there is not like that, its very sunny, the plot here its just people talking to trying to convince someone to join or to do something, there are just talking and talking and its tired to be honest

The grandson of Benjamin is just a filler he and his plot line of him trying ti fix with his new cool friend, a very average show tbh.

Awful. Just awful. I couldn't watch more than 15 minutes. I suppose there comes a time in every big name actor's career where they just can't act anymore and basically just play themselves. I think Tom Hanks might be at that stage. But I'm okay with that because I love Tom Hanks. That being said, I've always enjoyed Michael Douglas in roles, most recently The Kominsky Method. He was really very good in that. I did not get the "I'm just me playing me" vibe even though he was playing an actor. THIS however, was just painful to watch. His voice, his delivery, all of it, was just off. I learned the little I know about Franklin's stay in France from HBO's John Adam's so I was looking forward to learning more! Not from this show.

I love Michael Douglas as an actor. He has had some great roles and really lights up the screen. But I can't buy him as Benjamin Franklin. His distinct voice in particular just made me think "oh that's Michael Douglas in a period piece". I was waiting for him to bust out with some slick monologue about Wall Street. As such, I couldn't get involved with the story about Franklin.

The costumes and set designs are fantastic and Franklin the man had an epic life, so if and when I get past the casting I hope to make it through the entire series. Apple TV has released some really high quality programming.

I've stuck with this because it's an interesting piece of history I didn't know much about, but it's actually incredibly dull. There's no tension, it's basically Franklin and his grandson waiting around in Paris to secure a treaty from the king. Even after that's achieved, it's more waiting around. The political "intrigue" is just tedious, it doesn't build any suspense or have you eager to find out what happens next. It's always fun to see Michael Douglas, but there is no inkling through his characterization or dialogue of how this larger-than-life figure could charm anyone and was a great and imaginative thinker. The weakest link is the grandson - who cares? His storyline - if you can even call it that -- is meandering and uninteresting. The only redeeming point of interest of this series is simply the costuming and setting and some tidbits if you're a die-hard history fan.

The story is circling Benjamin Franklin around the end of 1770 when aparently he went to France to gather support against the brittish in the American attempt to become a free independent nation. I cant say much of the accuracy of the story but this depiction seems rather vapid to me and more focused on details than the core story. Maybe because the core story itself isnt very exciting but rather booring.

The production is fairly big and thus the scenography, picture, music and sound is generally good and of quality but the story and script is lagging behind and doesnt deliver much excitement. You will see beautiful and well dressed people but less exciting interactions between people. The writers are failing and actors are stiff and lacks spark to create interest. The picture is also a bit dark, filmed in the light of candles and fog mostly, which seems unnecessary and dulling.

Michael Douglas is the acting lead depicting Franklin in this drama and Im not impressed. He has problem standing, walking and talking straight, its like he is drunk. The reason for this is likely old age or some medical issues. In any case this is a crucial problem since the story circles him. Michael Douglas ineptitide to accurately depict Franklin instead of being himself, kills much of the suspence that is built in the story, creating a loss of interest. I hate to say this because Michael Douglas was a good reliable actor that delivered pre covid(-2019).

The "diversity" aspect. Unfortunately they couldnt leave this historical portrait alone and attempts to rewrite history. They include black people both in the background and as main characters when there where no black people in France at the time and especially not at the social status depicted. They also included the depiction of a transexual and pretend Franklin would have treated him with interest, understanding and respect, which is not likely.

If you like historical dramas in the late 1700s France and dont mind watching a seemingly drunk playing Franklin and dont mind other serious inaccuracies of history, then this series is for you.

6/10 for everything but Michael Douglas as Franklin.

This was really good. Michael Douglas and cast were really awesome. Gave us a glimpse into Franklin's life during his time in France. Not your typical action series, more of a thought provoking drama. But very good and it held my attention for the whole series. As an America, I get excited and very proud watching our founding fathers. Their dedication and devotion to winning the war and succeeding from Great Britain brings tears to my eyes sometimes. And this series did on occasion, I hope Apple TV does more historical dramas; the aren't only entertaining, but they teach history as well. Well Done!

Very well produced with wonderful costumes and sets and great historical story about Franklin. However, it seems like there were a lot of ideas for storylines that didn't really seem to get developed or completed. Many side characters had small plot lines that didn't really feed into the main plot line and sort of fizzled out. Perhaps in the original written material there was a lot more development of the side characters and side plots, but in the TV series, it almost seems like wasted screen time for some of these characters and plot lines as they don't serve any real purpose in the main story, or in gaining a better understanding of the main characters or their motives.

I really love historical drama so I have no problem watching this. It's good enough, but it didn't really move me the way some great historical dramas do. The acting is very good and the series is very watchable. It just seems to be missing some intangible element that really makes some series great.

The mini-series has great production values and the story of Franklin's ultimately successful negotiations with the French which saved the American Revolution is gripping.

The switching on and off of subtitles to account for the French-speakers was very distracting, taking one's eyes from the screen. The solution might have been to switch all the dialog to English after a few scenes.

But my biggest problem with the production is Michael Douglas, an actor whose work I greatly admire. That they did next to nothing to alter his appearance to resemble Franklin is distracting. I suppose he refused to have his hairline moved back another six inches and to not to have a nose prosthetic may have been vanity. But all I see is Michael Douglas, not Benjamin Franklin. Contrast this with other bio-based productions and, at least, the main character has been made to look like the subject.

This is not to say that Douglas doesn't deliver an excellent performance, but his appearance as Douglas rather than Franklin is as distracting as the subtitles.

The story is captivating, and the production is meticulous. Michael Douglas is excellent and offers the additional ingredient that keeps you glued to the screen. By the way he looks like the Franklin we all picture. Awsome figurines and make up. Outstanding french actors in this production brings a sense of realism, but unfortunately, the constant subtitles are so distracting. There's so much content surrounding Benjamin Franklin that the series could have more seasons covering other phases of this character's life. It IS worth watching despite the constant switching between English and French, which can be a bit tiresome.

I couldn't get past Michael Douglas's portrayal of Benjamin Franklin, it's like finger nails on a chalkboard. I don't know what the director was thinking or how he thought Mr. Douglas was a good choic for the role. I wish the role would have have been recast once they saw how wrong he was for the role. He is a talented man in the right role, he was great in The Kominsky Method, Falling Down, The war of the Roses, Fatal Attraction, Wall Street and many other movies and t.v. Shows. All the other actors are doing a great job, It's such an interesting time in our nation's history and the life on Ben Franklin.

All the negative reviews are puzzling. As someone who knows very little about American history, I find this show fascinating. The sets, costumes, and dialogue truly give you a real feel for the era. Michael Douglas is exceptionally charming as Ben Franklin, and the other characters are also interesting. The meticulous attention to detail in the historical settings and the accuracy of the events portrayed make it not only an entertaining watch but also an educational experience. In fact, it has sparked my interest in learning more about Ben Franklin's remarkable life and his numerous contributions.

It's nice to see a series that deals with an important period in the history of the United States. "Franklin" isn't a series so much about the accomplishments of the 18th century genius who discovered the power of electricity, invented the printing press, and was a distinguished author, scientist, and statesman-but is about his efforts to create an alliance with France in our country's revolution against Great Britain. The sets and costumes are excellent. The story tends to drag at various points. Michael Douglas' visual portrayal of Franklin looks nothing like the many paintings and and drawings of the gentleman-Mr. Franklin was bald on the top of his skull. And Eddie Marsan as John Adams looks like Grandpa Munster with the pancake makeup and wig. For a much better portrayal of the men look to the HBO "John Adams" series with Paul Giamatti as Adams and a superb job by Tom Wilkerson as Franklin. Michael Douglas at times seems like he's trying to portray Franklin as Kirk Douglas would.

I love history. Loved HBO's John Adams. I hate Franklin. Miscast with Michael Douglas. I so preferred Tom Wilkinson as Franklin-what a tour de force! What Apple TV has done with Benjamin Franklin and John Adams really is a travesty. Hard pass. Just can't get over Fatal Attraction meets 1776. Too much French subtitles, very slow, and the audience just doesn't care whether the characters succeed or fail. I have so enjoyed much of the AppleTV content-especially Manhunt. Edwin Stanton was amazing!! Good writing, good portrayal of history. But Franklin just falls flat against a myriad of powdered French faces on the screen.