Political Bedfellows

“Do you think a man should become vice president of the United States just because he looks good on television?”

It could be an anti-Quayle line from a Dukakis-Bentsen spot. Instead, it’s dialogue from “Favorite Son,” NBC’s six-hour miniseries (airing 9-11 p.m., Oct. 30-Nov. 1), based on the novel by former NBC veep Steve Sohmer.

The plot revolves around the instant celebrity status of Sen. Terry Fallon (Harry Hamlin) after he survives an assassination attempt. Media manipulation--and its influence on the governmental process--is at the heart of the story.

But NBC would just as soon you not draw parallels with the current political campaign--or think politics at all.

Early promos calling “Favorite Son” “the political story of the decade” were quickly vetoed by network president Brandon Tartikoff for a more conventional approach.

“You show the action and the sex to get people’s attention,” Tartikoff said. “ ‘Favorite Son’ is a yarn, not a political thriller.” He cited the low TV ratings for the political conventions as proof of “the little interest the American audience has in politics.”

Exec producer-writer Sohmer described the miniseries as “a story about power and people’s obsession to dominate other people emotionally, politically and sexually.”

He agreed with NBC that “Favorite Son” should air before the presidential election--fearing national “political burnout” after Nov. 8.