Franklin is a historical account of the remarkable life of Benjamin Franklin, all told with a playful glint, stemming from the beguiling central performance from Hollywood heavyweight Michael Douglas. To mark the launch of the series – which arrives to Apple TV+ on April 12 – we had the pleasure of speaking to both Noah Jupe, who plays the grandson of the eponymous protagonist, as well as the series’ director, Timothy Van Patten.
Below you can watch both of our interviews in their entirety, as we discuss the engaging tonality of the show, and of course, what it really like to collaborate so closely with Douglas on the project.
Noah Jupe
Timothy Van Patten
Synopsis
Franklin explores the thrilling story of the greatest gamble of Benjamin Franklin’s career. In December 1776, Franklin is world famous for his electrical experiments, but his passion and power are put to the test when – as the fate of American independence hangs in the balance – he embarks on a secret mission to France. At age 70, without any diplomatic training, Franklin convinced an absolute monarchy to underwrite America’s experiment in democracy. By virtue of his fame, charisma and ingenuity, Franklin outmanoeuvred British spies, French informers and hostile colleagues to engineer the Franco-American alliance of 1778 and the peace treaty with England in 1783. The eight-year French mission stands as Franklin’s most vital service to his country, without which America could not have won the Revolution. Diplomats and historians still regard it as the greatest single tour of duty by an ambassador in our nation’s history.
Franklin makes its global debut on Apple TV+ on April 12, and will air new episodes weekly every Friday through May 17, 2024.
