Indie Spotlight: Ben Franklin Lives Again In ‘State Of Franklin’

We receive a ton of tips every day from independent creators, unaffiliated with any major motion picture studios, television networks, new media studios, or other well-funded online video entities. The Indie Spotlight is where we’ll write about and shout out to a select few of them and bring you up to speed on the great (and sometimes not-so-great) attention-grabbing series you probably haven’t heard about until now.  Read previous installments here. 

Here is a web series recipe I have never seen before: Take a down-on-his-luck middle-aged man, add a Founding Father, and stir. Those are the ingredients for State of Franklin, which brings Benjamin Franklin into the modern day.

The main character in State of Franklin is Toby Hamilton, a recently-divorced man portrayed by series creator Mitch Moore. Things aren’t going so well for Toby, and to make matters worse, Benjamin Franklin has somehow time-traveled into his living room. The series follows Toby and Ben as they forge a cross-century friendship.

Moore didn’t choose the famously clever Philadelphian on a whim; instead, he writes in an email that he has “always been fascinated by Benjamin Franklin. He was truly an amazing man and way ahead of his time. I’ve always wondered what he would think of our society today, and I thought that would be an interesting premise for a series.”

As it turns out, it works quite well. The chemistry between the two leads is apparent from the second episode on. Moore paints Franklin as a man who is infinitely curious man who is mystified by modern creation; that contrasts well with Toby, who is still stuck in his old life and determined to win back his ex-wife. “State of Franklin is more than just a fish-out-of-water story,” writes Moore. “It’s about these two men and how their friendship helps them deal with life’s challenges.” It’s perhaps the most unlikely buddy comedy we’ll see all year, but it’s pretty fun, too.

OTHER UNDER-THE-RADAR SERIES TO CHECK OUT

• Beth & Tim Are Breaking Up. A couple decides to go through a relationship bucket list in order to make their forthcoming breakup smoother.
• Sasquatch 7. A cast of colorful characters chase after Bigfoot in this mockumentary.
• Get a Life Coach. A ridiculous protagonist tries (with limited success) to establish herself as a life coach.
• sixteenbit. This web series combines old video game music with underground exploration.

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