The Lives of Benjamin Franklin is a 1974 American television miniseries that chronicles the life of Benjamin Franklin.
The series was broadcast by CBS and won five Emmy Awards, including the award for Outstanding Limited Series.Scott, Vernon (20 May 1975). Mary's show most popular, Desert Sun, p. A-2 (UPI content) Howard Fast won the Emmy for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series for the first installment (The Ambassador). Glenn Jordan was also nominated for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series for The Ambassador episode, and Loring Mandel was nominated for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series for the episode "The Whirlwind".Emmys.com listings, emmys.com, Retrieved 14 September 2020
The four 90-minute episodes(1 September 1974). Specials for the season, San Bernardino Sun debuted on November 21 and December 17, 1974, and January 9 and 28, 1975.O'Connor, John J. (21 November 1974). TV: Sly, Amusing Benjamin Franklin, The New York Times, p. 95.O'Connor, John J. (17 December 1974). TV: CBS Dramas on Ben Franklin Going Smoothly, The New York Times, p, 75.O'Connor, John J. (28 January 1975). TV: Enlightening Study of Franklin Ends Tonight, The New York Times, p. 67.Gardella, Kay (21 November 1974). Ben Franklin Star of Bicentennial Series, New York Daily News, p. 59.*31 July 1974). Get a Line on the Real Ben, Indianapolis News (details of upcoming series; incorrectly reports that Franklin had 13 illegitimate children, a common false tale)
Cast Willie Aames as Franklin at age 12 Beau Bridges as Franklin the young man Richard Widmark as Franklin the rebel Eddie Albert as Franklin at age 72 Lloyd Bridges as Franklin the diplomat Melvyn Douglas as Franklin the elder statesman Susan Sarandon as younger Deborah Franklin Sheree North as older Deborah Franklin
See also List of films about the American Revolution List of television series and miniseries about the American Revolution Benjamin Franklin, 2002 TV series Benjamin Franklin, 2022 documentary film Franklin, 2024 miniseries
References
External links
Charles Lisanby on designing the sets for the miniseries Benjamin Franklin (video), televisionacademy.com