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