56 | APRIL 4 • 2024 

FRANKLIN, AMERICAN 
HORROR, STAR TREK 
DISCOVERY (LAST 
SEASON), MORE
As noted in my last column, 
Franklin, an eight-episode 
Apple TV+ series about 
Benjamin Franklin begins on 
April 12. Michael Douglas, 
79, plays Franklin. The series 
focuses on Franklin’s role 
in getting the French to 
aid Americans during the 
Revolutionary War. 
Franklin was 71 when he 
was dispatched to Paris (Oct. 
1776) as the “commission-
er” representing the United 
States in the court of French 
King Louis XVI. Franklin was 
a good choice: His scientific 
work made him the best-
known American in Europe. 
He stayed in France until 
1785 (two years after the 
United States and Britain 
singed a peace treaty). 
Louis XVI certainly didn’t 
support democratic revolu-
tions, but he and most of the 
French wanted to revenge 
their recent defeat by the 
British (1763). That defeat 
cost them virtually all their 
North American colonies, 
including Quebec. 
First, Franklin, a very 
charming fellow, coaxed 
the French into providing 
secret monetary aid to the 
American revolutionaries. 
Then, after some American 
victories, France broke rela-
tions with Britain and openly 
supported the Revolution 
with arms, and had their 
army and navy help the 
Americans. Virtually every 
historian says that the 
Revolution never would have 
been won without French 
aid. 
Douglas is the only 
American actor in the series. 

Nathan Jupe, a Brit, plays 
16-year-old William Temple 
Franklin, the “out of wedlock” 
son of Benjamin’s “out-
of-wedlock” son, William 
Franklin. Temple, as he was 
called, acted as Benjamin’s 
aide in Paris. 
Franklin “loved the ladies” 
and two French women 
— one about his age and 
another quite young are 
major characters in the series. 
Nice to Note: Mikveh Israel, 
which is still in existence, 
is the first congregation/
synagogue in Philadelphia. 
The congregation broke 
ground on its first synagogue 
building in 1782 and asked 
for public donations. Franklin, 
and several other prominent 
non-Jews, donated to the 
synagogue’s building fund.
The 12th season of the 
popular FX/Hulu series 
American Horror Story began 
on April 3 and concludes on 
April 24 (four episodes). 
American Horror is an 
anthology series. This 
means each season has a 
different story. But some 
actors return season after 
season in different roles. 
The series was co-created 
by Ryan Murphy and Brad 
Falchuk, 53. Falchuk married 
Gwyneth Paltrow, 51, in 
2018.
Leslie Grossman, 52, who 
was a main cast actor in most 
seasons, is just a guest actor 

this season. Also appearing 
in a guest role is Bette 
Midler’s daughter, Sophie 
Von Haselberg, 37. Frequent 
TV program host Andy 
Cohen “guests” as himself.
Tavi Gevinson, 27, appears 
in Horror for the first time this 
season. She has a recurring 
role as “Cora.” She was a 
co-star of the HBO revival of 
Gossip Girl.
Star Trek: Discovery begins 
its fifth and final season 
on April 4 (Paramount+). 
The series was co-created 
by Alex Kurtzman, 50. 
Famous Canadian director 
David Croenenberg, 80, 
returns as Dr. Kovich, a 
somewhat mysterious 
character who began 
appearing in season three in 
a few episodes. 
Likewise, Admiral Charles 
Vance “pops-up” now-and-
again, and he will reappear 
this season. He’s played by 
Oded Fehr, 53. Fehr grew 
up in Israel and he served 
in the Israeli Navy. He has 
worked steadily in character 
roles after he appeared in a 
“juicy” supporting role in The 
Mummy, a hit 1999 flick. He 
returned for the sequel, The 
Mummy Returns (2001). 
A Brief History of the 
Future is a six-episode 
PBS documentary that 
premiered on April 3 (9 p.m.). 
(Many encore showings. 
Check local listings). The 

series is hosted by Ari 
Wallach, 49, a prominent 
academic “futurist.” The 
series battles the dystopian 
future (“everything will be 
bad”) constantly depicted 
in popular culture. The 
program invites viewers to 
see possible solutions to our 
existential threats and paths 
to a “good future.”
Wallach was born in 
Mexico, but mostly was 
raised in the San Francisco 
Bay area. He’s the executive 
director of Longpath, an 
initiative fostering long-term 
thinking and behavior in the 
individual, organizational and 
societal realms. He’s also an 
adjunct Columbia University 
professor. His wife is Jewish, 
and they have three children. 
His late father, Raul 
Wallach, was born in Poland. 
He was picked up by Nazis 
to be a (teen) slave laborer. 
He escaped from them with 
a stolen machine gun and, 
with his younger brother, 
joined Jewish partisans who 
fought the Germans. He 
eventually settled in Mexico, 
where he and his brother 
founded a big, family-owned 
steel plant. He moved to the 
States in the 1970s. 
On April 5, HBO/Max 
begins streaming The Zone 
of Interest, a Holocaust-
related film that won the 
Oscar for best international 
film. 

CELEBRITY NEWS

NATE BLOOM COLUMNIST

ARTS&LIFE

ALAN LANGFORD

GAGE SKIDMORE

PHOTO CREDIT

David Croenenberg

this season. Also appearing 

ALAN LANGFORD

Oded Fehr
Sophie Von Haselberg

