Michael Douglas in ‘Franklin’ is the ‘handsomest’ Ben Franklin you’ll ever see. What you won’t see is any Philadelphia.

A new show about Benjamin Franklin ditches the inventor’s pot belly and bald head for the luscious gray locks of Michael Douglas. In the eight-episode miniseries Franklin, debuting on AppleTV+ on April 12, Douglas takes on the Founding Father during a tense period when the American Revolution was in dire need of money, men, and arms — and they relied on a 70-year-old Franklin to earn France’s support. The showrunners made what some might consider a controversial choice: to cut out Philadelphia.

“Philadelphia was definitely in earlier drafts of the script many years ago. But we ended up shifting really into Franklin’s point of view for that very specific time that he was in France,” said Tim Van Patten, the series director and executive producer. “But he mentions it all the time, and I wish we had shot there, I love Philadelphia.”

Based on biographer Stacy Schiff’s A Great Improvisation: Franklin, France, and the Birth of America, the series follows the diplomat’s eight-year campaign that was critical to ensuring an American victory. Turning the dense political history into entertaining drama is always a challenge, but Van Patten focused on creating a spy thriller full of twists.

In the series, as in life, Franklin is surrounded by British and French spies trying to uncover his moves and motives to thwart the revolution’s efforts. The savvy politician was usually steps ahead of them, even when they attempted to turn his grandson Temple Franklin — the son of Franklin’s disgraced British loyalist son William — against him. A Quiet Place’s Noah Jupe plays the teen who joined his grandfather in France as his secretary.

Aside from politics, the series also highlights Franklin’s roguish Philly charm and penchant for fart jokes. “It’s definitely not your father’s Benjamin Franklin. It really showcases the man fully,” said Van Patten, known for directing New Jersey-based classics like The Sopranos and Boardwalk Empire. “Michael is the handsomest Benjamin Franklin you’ll ever find.”

The director said they tested several costume options, like a fake belly and receding hairline, for Franklin but they were time-consuming and didn’t quite click. “He’s not hiding behind anything. It just makes him feel so much more present and visceral,” he said. “I actually feel like Michael totally disappears into the character.”

The 79-year-old actor recognizes that he’s not a Franklin look-alike, admitting that Philly reenactors “probably look more like him than I do,” he told The Inquirer. Of course, Douglas, also an executive producer on the series, still maintains Franklin’s signature bifocals and 18th-century American wardrobe, which he does not forego even in the decorated halls of Versailles frequented by his contemporaries wearing elaborate wigs and heavy makeup.

Jupe, who plays the younger Franklin, hadn’t heard of Franklin reenactors before, but loves that the history is still visible in the city. He hopes the Philly reenactors all take an interest in the show. “That’s at least seven views,” he joked.

As he prepared for the role, Douglas was surprised by how much of a “player” Franklin was. “As concentrated as he was and how brilliant he was, he could be distracted quite easily — let’s just say that — by the beauty, or the quality that women have,” the actor said, chuckling. The show plays up his French relationships and flirtations. (Some historians disagree that Franklin was a womanizer, but that’s practically irrelevant when it comes to making entertaining television, especially once Michael Douglas is involved.)

While Douglas has visited Philadelphia over the years, he admitted that he hasn’t seen Franklin’s former home or grave site. “I do look forward to going back now to retrace a lot of his steps,” he said. “Franklin is Philadelphia’s son, so you better be watching [the show]!”

Douglas hopes audiences learn something new about the famous Philadelphian and believes the show has additional resonance in this election year. “When you realize how fragile our democracy is, and you see right now what we’re going through, and how democracies are really an endangered species as more and more countries become autocratic — those are all things that, I think, will come in the mix,” he said.

For anyone disappointed there won’t be more Philadelphia in the show, there is one small moment that spotlights Pennsylvania after the Marquis de Lafayette is shot in the Battle of Brandywine just outside of Philadelphia. When he awakens, lost and confused, the Frenchman asks a woman if he’s in heaven. When she says it’s Pennsylvania, the revolutionary replies, “Even better.”

“Franklin” airs weekly on AppleTV+ beginning April 12.