He’s Big Ben: Michael Douglas delivers as ‘Franklin’ in new series about trip that changed US history

Michael Douglas fits the bill as Ben Franklin in “Franklin,” an eight-part series premiering April 12 on Apple TV+.

“Franklin” tells the story of 70-year-old Ben Franklin’s secret diplomatic mission to France in 1776 to gain French support (money, arms) for America’s fight against the British in the Revolutionary War. There are a lot of moving parts here, so viewers would be apprised to pay attention as Franklin navigates French high society — and politics — in an effort to achieve his goal.

The series is based on the book “A Great Improvisation: Franklin, France, and the Birth of America” by Pulitzer Prize-winner Stacy Schiff.

As the series opens, Franklin — commissioned by Congress to undertake his clandestine journey across the Atlantic — has no diplomatic experience. He’s joined on his journey by his grandson, Temple Franklin (Noah Jupe) as the US sits in a precarious position; it’s losing the war as the British gain ground with several routs, including Fort Washington, taking over New York and other territories. Even George Washington concedes that “I think the game is pretty near up.”

It’s Franklin’s job to talk France, led by King Louis, into siding with America against France’s hated rivals the British (who conquered a lot of territory in the US originally taken over by France). Franklin lands in France in December 1776 and makes his way to Paris with that monumental task ahead of him. He quickly gains celebrity status (his likeness on coins, oil paintings of his visage, the public copying the fur hat he wears) and embarks on making history … which will take a while (two years, to be exact).

“You are what the role requires you to be,” Franklin says, and that could be applied to Douglas, who tackles a daunting role with earnestness, good humor and an elan matching that of Franklin’s French peers, most of whom are fascinated with this multi-dimensional, extremely intelligent American — author, inventor, raconteur and, now, statesman, rolled into one.

The series does not shy away from Franklin’s peccadilloes; a widower of three years, he flirts relentlessly with the wives of French nobility and the intelligentsia and rhapsodizes, after one dinner, on “the passing of wind” (which he does, audibly) to set one’s constitution right.

The opening episodes of “Franklin” set the stage for the task ahead. King Louis wants nothing to do with Franklin, nor does his right-hand-man, French Foreign Minister Vergennes (Thibault de Montalembert). Franklin, who knows he must procure French funding for the war — if he fails, he says, “The United States will end before it’s begun” — devises crafty methods to get around the King and his henchmen, all the while battling French saboteurs, spies and other nefarious parties out to destroy the United States and Franklin’s mission to save his country.

Franklin approaches Leray de Chaumont (Olivier Claverie), a wealthy arms dealer, to aid in the fight against the British; Chaumont invites him to stay (with Temple) on his estate, and it’s from there that Franklin maps out his oft-foiled strategy — and rebuffs a condescending peace overture from the British in the process.

As mentioned earlier, there are many narrative strands in “Franklin” of which to keep track and it’s difficult, at times, to follow the minutiae and all the characters involved. There are a few distracting subplots, one involving Temple and his romantic pursuits and his friendship with the Marquis de Lafayette (Theodore Pellerin), but I’m guessing that’s to cater to younger viewers.

Douglas is excellent as Ben Franklin in his first role in a period piece and even looks the part (which helps) and just seems to get better with age (he’s 80), exuding an authority befitting Franklin’s status. The seven-month production was filmed entirely in France (another plus) and Douglas is in good hands with director Tim Van Patten (“The Sopranos,” “Boardwalk Empire,” “The Wire” and many others).

My advice is to sit back and enjoy Douglas as he admirably chews the scenery and molds a multi-faceted man into a single-minded hero of American history — with a few bumps along the way.