The nation’s first postmaster general is getting the prestige TV drama treatment.
“Franklin,” an eight-part limited series starring Michael Douglas as Benjamin Franklin, will debut Friday, April 12, on Apple TV+.
The series will chronicle a secret mission that Franklin embarked upon in December 1776, after he concluded his term as postmaster general. With the fate of American independence hanging in the balance, he traveled to Paris and persuaded the Kingdom of France to militarily support the fledgling United States’ rebellion against the British.
Stephen Kochersperger, the acting USPS historian, said this might have been “the finest” period in Franklin’s life.
“His mission to France was extremely delicate, but without French support, the war for independence would have failed,” Kochersperger said.
“Franklin” is based upon “A Great Improvisation: Franklin, France, and the Birth of America,” a 2005 book by Stacy Schiff. The series was filmed in 2022 and also stars Noah Jupe as Temple Franklin, Benjamin’s grandson and secretary.
Apple TV+ will release the first three episodes of “Franklin” on April 12, followed by one new episode every Friday through May 17.
