Television
His first television role was playing Tommy Traddles opposite Ian McKellen in the 1966 production of Charles Dickens' David Copperfield.
Francis considers his part as Mr. Sloane in the ITV Playhouse production of Entertaining Mr Sloane in 1968 as his first look important television role, appearing alongside the likes of Sheila Hancock and Edward Woodward. He states on his website that the production was taped just a week after the murder of playwright Joe Orton.
Francis played the character of Willoughby in the BBC's 1971 production of Sense and Sensibility. In the BBC's first adaptation of Poldark (1975–76), he played Ross Poldark's weak, troubled and debt-ridden cousin Francis. He played Det. Sgt. Dexter in New Scotland Yard in 1974. In the 1976 television adaptation of George Bernard Shaw's Caesar and Cleopatra, he portrayed Apollodorus opposite Alec Guinness. Francis appeared opposite Laurence Olivier in Saturday, Sunday, Monday, a play which was part of the Laurence Olivier Presents series for Granada Television. He also appeared as Standartenfuhrer Grunwald in Enemy at the Door.
In 1981, Francis played the Roman officer and imperial spy Attius in the ABC miniseries Masada opposite Peter O'Toole. In 1986, Francis guest starred in episode five, "The Man with the Twisted Lip," of the series Sherlock Holmes, as Neville St Clair. Francis starred in the series The 10%ers; The Piglet Files (which as noted above used his caricatures in the credits), as Colonel Windham in Sharpe's Company and May to December.
Francis has guest-starred in television programmes, including Yes, Prime Minister, in which he played Luke, a private secretary for foreign affairs, who, the Prime Minister is told, is in fact a spy for the Foreign Office, a department whose policy is often in conflict with the PM's.
His television work also includes: The Rear Column, The Critic, Pierrepoint, New Tricks and Lipstick on Your Collar. In 2016, he played the part of Lord Salisbury in the Netflix series The Crown.
