Franklin is a finished eight-episode limited series, not an upcoming one. Apple TV premiered it on April 12, 2024, and released the final episode on May 17, 2024. Michael Douglas stars as Benjamin Franklin in a story about his secret mission to France during the American Revolution, which began in December 1776.
What the series covers
The show picks up in December 1776. Franklin is already famous for his electrical experiments, but Apple’s official description says his position is precarious: American independence hangs in the balance, and he has been sent to France to win French support. The drama follows that diplomatic gamble, including the spies, informers and political rivals who surround him in Paris.
The scope is deliberately narrow. TIME’s review (by Craig Bruce Smith) describes the show as a “slice of history” and attributes that phrase to director Tim Van Patten, meaning the series is a focused episode of Franklin’s life rather than a full biography. Smith’s review points to two outcomes that frame the story: the Franco-American Treaty of Alliance of 1778 and the Treaty of Paris of 1783. Those treaties are the historical endpoints the drama is building toward, and they are the best place to check how much of the plot is documented history and how much is dramatic invention.
Release schedule and episode count
The series was released in two phases on Apple TV, and the schedule is complete.
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| Date (2024) | Release | Episodes |
|---|---|---|
| April 12 | Premiere | Episodes 1–3 |
| April 19 | Weekly Friday release | Episode 4 |
| April 26 | Weekly Friday release | Episode 5 |
| May 3 | Weekly Friday release | Episode 6 |
| May 10 | Weekly Friday release | Episode 7 |
| May 17 | Finale | Episode 8 |
Apple’s press release describes the format as an eight-part limited series, meaning there is no announced second season in the material reviewed for this article. The Apple TV listing identifies the title as Season 1.
Cast and creative team
Michael Douglas plays Franklin and also serves as an executive producer. The principal cast, as listed in Apple’s materials, is below.
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| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Michael Douglas | Benjamin Franklin |
| Noah Jupe | Temple Franklin, Franklin’s grandson |
| Thibault de Montalembert | Vergennes |
| Daniel Mays | Edward Bancroft |
| Ludivine Sagnier | Madame Brillon |
| Eddie Marsan | John Adams |
| Assaad Bouab | Beaumarchais |
| Jeanne Balibar | Madame Helvetius |
| Théodore Pellerin | Marquis de Lafayette |
Kirk Ellis and Howard Korder are credited as writers and executive producers. Tim Van Patten directed and executive produced. The series is a co-production of ITV Studios America and Apple Studios.
The book behind the series
The series is based on Stacy Schiff’s nonfiction book A Great Improvisation: Franklin, France, and the Birth of America. Its publisher, Macmillan, describes it as a history of Franklin’s eight-year French mission, and lists a 512-page edition. The book is the best route to the historical record behind the show. It is not an official tie-in edition of the series, and it was not produced as companion material for the show.
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How the series and the book differ
The two works answer different questions, so comparing their accuracy is less useful than comparing their purpose.
| Factor | Limited series (Apple TV) | Book (Stacy Schiff) |
|---|---|---|
| Form | Eight-episode scripted drama | Nonfiction history, 512 pages in the Macmillan edition |
| Scope | A focused window beginning December 1776, centred on diplomacy and intrigue | Franklin’s broader French mission across roughly eight years |
| Purpose | Dramatic storytelling built around a tense diplomatic gamble | Historical account and interpretation of the period |
| Where to start | If you want the characters and the atmosphere of Paris | If you want the sequence of events and the sources behind them |
Apple’s wording, including its description of Franklin’s “passion and power” being “put to the test”, is promotional copy rather than an independent historical judgment. Public statements from Douglas or Schiff about their intentions for the series were not found in the sources consulted for this article, so the most reliable guide to the show’s intent is Apple’s description and Van Patten’s “slice of history” framing as reported by TIME.
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Where to watch and what to check
As of this writing, Apple’s official U.S. listing offers Franklin through the Apple TV service. Availability depends on your country, so check the Apple TV app or the Apple TV website for your region before you subscribe. Prices and free-trial terms change over time. The subscription price and trial statement in the 2024 Apple press release are historical and should not be treated as current.
- Confirm that the series appears in the Apple TV catalogue for your country.
- Check the current subscription price and any trial offer in the app before you sign up.
- Look for the eight-episode run and the Season 1 label to confirm you are watching the full series.
For a companion read, Schiff’s book is the most direct option. Her account gives the historical background that the series dramatises, and it is useful for checking the points where the drama simplifies events.
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