Favorite Son (miniseries)
Encyclopedia
Favorite Son is a miniseries
about political intrigue that aired on NBC (in three parts) in 1988 a week before that year's presidential election
. It starred Harry Hamlin
, Linda Kozlowski
, James Whitmore
, Robert Loggia
, John Mahoney
, Ronny Cox
, and a pre-Seinfeld
Jason Alexander
. The miniseries was adapted from the 1987 novel of the same written by Steve Sohmer
, who also wrote the teleplay.
Meanwhile, about 10 days before his party's convention, President Sam Baker (Whitmore) is facing a difficult re-election campaign. His chief of staff, Lou Brenner (Mahoney), suggests that he can win by selecting the now-popular Fallon as his running mate and dropping the current Vice President Daniel Eastman (Mitchell Ryan
) from the ticket. Baker is reluctant to pick Fallon, not knowing much about him and wondering if he qualified since he may occupy the Oval Office one day. For his part, Eastman refuses to go quietly, and his top aide, E. Ben Wycoff (Frederic Lehne), begins plotting to undermine Fallon by digging into his background. In both the novel and the miniseries, political parties are not named but referred to generically as the "party." President Baker, Vice President Eastman, Senator Fallon, and Speaker of the House Charles MacDonald all belong to the same political party.
Serving Fallon are Sally Crain (Kozlowski), his top press aide (and secret lover), and Chris Van Allen (Alexander), another top aide (and a homosexual). Crain, who is ruthlessly devoted to Fallon, first met him when he was running for a seat on the Houston City Council in the late 1970s. She carefully plots the young Senator's path to the vice presidency and then possibly the presidency. However, secrets from both Fallon's and Crain's pasts may derail their ambitions.
President Baker also holds a meeting with Brenner, FBI director Henry O'Brien (Kenneth McMillan
), and CIA director Admiral William Reiker (Ronny Cox
) about the shooting. Based on eyewitness testimony, O'Brien identifies the sniper as Rolf Petersen (Brian Thompson
), an ex-Marine and former CIA agent who went rogue. Brenner openly suggests that the disclosure that a former CIA agent assassinated Martinez might damage relations with the United States' Latin American allies. Without the president's knowledge, Brenner intimidates O'Brien into running a low-key investigation that just goes through the motions.
O'Brien appoints only two agents, Nick Mancuso (Loggia), a cynical, bitter veteran who is close to retirement, and Dave Ross (Lance Guest
), an idealistic but inexperienced young agent, to investigate the Martinez assassination. Ross is delighted with the assignment, but Mancuso explains that it's a setup because if the bureau was serious about finding the sniper, "they would have assigned a whole division" of FBI agents to the case and not just "a lameduck and a green kid." Mancuso and Ross, however, pursue the case. Through a friend at the CIA, Mancuso learns about Petersen, who is still lurking in the area and thought to be plotting a second attempt on Fallon's life, and must track him down. Mancuso and Ross gradually uncover different conspiracies that may shake the U.S. government to its foundations.
Favorite Son drew excellent ratings, and the second part even beat out the highly-rated Monday Night Football
on ABC.
and Randi Brooks
also reprised their roles from the miniseries and became part of the cast.
Miniseries
A miniseries , in a serial storytelling medium, is a television show production which tells a story in a limited number of episodes. The exact number is open to interpretation; however, they are usually limited to fewer than a whole season. The term "miniseries" is generally a North American term...
about political intrigue that aired on NBC (in three parts) in 1988 a week before that year's presidential election
United States presidential election, 1988
The United States presidential election of 1988 featured no incumbent president, as President Ronald Reagan was unable to seek re-election after serving the maximum two terms allowed by the Twenty-second Amendment. Reagan's Vice President, George H. W. Bush, won the Republican nomination, while the...
. It starred Harry Hamlin
Harry Hamlin
Harry Robinson Hamlin is an American film and television actor, known for his role as Perseus in the 1981 fantasy film Clash of the Titans, and as Michael Kuzak in the legal drama series L.A...
, Linda Kozlowski
Linda Kozlowski
Linda Kozlowski is an American actress. She has been nominated for a Golden Globe Award.-Early life:Kozlowski was born in Fairfield, Connecticut to a Polish family...
, James Whitmore
James Whitmore
James Allen Whitmore, Jr. was an American film and stage actor.-Early life:Born in White Plains, New York, to Florence Belle and James Allen Whitmore, Sr., a park commission official, Whitmore attended Amherst Central High School in Snyder, New York, before graduating from The Choate School in...
, Robert Loggia
Robert Loggia
Robert Loggia is an American film and television actor and director.- Early life :Loggia, an Italian American, was born on Staten Island, the son of Elena Blandino, a homemaker, and Benjamin Loggia, a shoemaker, both of whom were born in Sicily, Italy...
, John Mahoney
John Mahoney
John Mahoney is a British born American actor, known for playing Martin "Marty" Crane, the retired police officer, father of Kelsey Grammer's Dr...
, Ronny Cox
Ronny Cox
Daniel Ronald "Ronny" Cox is an American character actor, singer-songwriter and guitarist.-Personal life:Cox, the third of five children, was born in Cloudcroft, New Mexico, the son of Lounette and Bob P. Cox, a carpenter who also worked at a dairy. He grew up in Portales, New Mexico...
, and a pre-Seinfeld
Seinfeld
Seinfeld is an American television sitcom that originally aired on NBC from July 5, 1989, to May 14, 1998, lasting nine seasons, and is now in syndication. It was created by Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld, the latter starring as a fictionalized version of himself...
Jason Alexander
Jason Alexander
Jay Scott Greenspan , better known by his professional name of Jason Alexander, is an American actor, writer, comedian, television director, producer, and singer. He is best known for his role as George Costanza on the television series Seinfeld, appearing in the sitcom from 1989 to 1998...
. The miniseries was adapted from the 1987 novel of the same written by Steve Sohmer
Steve Sohmer
Steve Sohmer is a Shakespearean scholar, author of scholarly books and fiction, television screenwriter, and former network television and motion picture studio senior executive....
, who also wrote the teleplay.
Plot
Favorite Son follows the apparent rise of Terrence "Terry" Fallon (Hamlin), a young and charismatic U.S. Senator from Texas. Fallon is idealistic and a vocal anti-Communist. One morning, during an outdoor press conference in Washington, D.C., Fallon is delivering a speech welcoming Col. Octavio Martinez, the leader of the Nicaraguan contras. A sniper from a nearby rooftop fires on them, instantly killing Martinez and wounding Fallon. The television and cable networks that are covering the press conference as routine news then begin broadcasting the unfolding events live. Fallon, who is bleeding from his side, manages to crawl to Martinez's dead body and then stagger to the podium. With tens of millions of people watching him live on television, Fallon delivers a passionate speech, condemning Martinez's murder and asking how Americans can their backs on people who are fighting for their freedom against oppression. Fallon soon collapses and is rushed to a hospital. Fallon's words and his courage stun the nation, and overnight, he becomes a household name and the hottest political property in Washington, D.C.Meanwhile, about 10 days before his party's convention, President Sam Baker (Whitmore) is facing a difficult re-election campaign. His chief of staff, Lou Brenner (Mahoney), suggests that he can win by selecting the now-popular Fallon as his running mate and dropping the current Vice President Daniel Eastman (Mitchell Ryan
Mitchell Ryan
Mitchell Ryan is an American actor most recently known for playing Edward Montgomery on the sitcom Dharma & Greg. He also worked with his on-screen wife from Dharma & Greg, Susan Sullivan, in the short-lived series Julie Farr, M.D..Ryan was born in Cincinnati, Ohio and raised in Louisville,...
) from the ticket. Baker is reluctant to pick Fallon, not knowing much about him and wondering if he qualified since he may occupy the Oval Office one day. For his part, Eastman refuses to go quietly, and his top aide, E. Ben Wycoff (Frederic Lehne), begins plotting to undermine Fallon by digging into his background. In both the novel and the miniseries, political parties are not named but referred to generically as the "party." President Baker, Vice President Eastman, Senator Fallon, and Speaker of the House Charles MacDonald all belong to the same political party.
Serving Fallon are Sally Crain (Kozlowski), his top press aide (and secret lover), and Chris Van Allen (Alexander), another top aide (and a homosexual). Crain, who is ruthlessly devoted to Fallon, first met him when he was running for a seat on the Houston City Council in the late 1970s. She carefully plots the young Senator's path to the vice presidency and then possibly the presidency. However, secrets from both Fallon's and Crain's pasts may derail their ambitions.
President Baker also holds a meeting with Brenner, FBI director Henry O'Brien (Kenneth McMillan
Kenneth McMillan (actor)
Kenneth McMillan was an American actor. McMillan was usually cast as gruff, hostile and unfriendly characters due to his rough image...
), and CIA director Admiral William Reiker (Ronny Cox
Ronny Cox
Daniel Ronald "Ronny" Cox is an American character actor, singer-songwriter and guitarist.-Personal life:Cox, the third of five children, was born in Cloudcroft, New Mexico, the son of Lounette and Bob P. Cox, a carpenter who also worked at a dairy. He grew up in Portales, New Mexico...
) about the shooting. Based on eyewitness testimony, O'Brien identifies the sniper as Rolf Petersen (Brian Thompson
Brian Thompson (actor)
Brian Thompson is an American actor. His distinctive square-jaw profile, powerful voice, and imposing stature has led him to be typecast as a villain in many action films and TV series, and a some comedies: Joe Dirt, The Three Amigos, Weird Science, Key West, and Life Stinks.-Career:Thompson has...
), an ex-Marine and former CIA agent who went rogue. Brenner openly suggests that the disclosure that a former CIA agent assassinated Martinez might damage relations with the United States' Latin American allies. Without the president's knowledge, Brenner intimidates O'Brien into running a low-key investigation that just goes through the motions.
O'Brien appoints only two agents, Nick Mancuso (Loggia), a cynical, bitter veteran who is close to retirement, and Dave Ross (Lance Guest
Lance Guest
Lance R. Guest is an American film and television actor.-Biography:Guest developed a serious interest in acting in the ninth grade, and he majored in theater while attending UCLA. He has starred in many theatrical films including his role as Jimmy alongside actress Jamie Lee Curtis in Halloween...
), an idealistic but inexperienced young agent, to investigate the Martinez assassination. Ross is delighted with the assignment, but Mancuso explains that it's a setup because if the bureau was serious about finding the sniper, "they would have assigned a whole division" of FBI agents to the case and not just "a lameduck and a green kid." Mancuso and Ross, however, pursue the case. Through a friend at the CIA, Mancuso learns about Petersen, who is still lurking in the area and thought to be plotting a second attempt on Fallon's life, and must track him down. Mancuso and Ross gradually uncover different conspiracies that may shake the U.S. government to its foundations.
Main cast
- Harry HamlinHarry HamlinHarry Robinson Hamlin is an American film and television actor, known for his role as Perseus in the 1981 fantasy film Clash of the Titans, and as Michael Kuzak in the legal drama series L.A...
, U.S. Senator Terrence of Fallon Texas and vice presidential aspirant. - Linda KozlowskiLinda KozlowskiLinda Kozlowski is an American actress. She has been nominated for a Golden Globe Award.-Early life:Kozlowski was born in Fairfield, Connecticut to a Polish family...
, Sally Crain, Senator Fallon's longtime press aide. - James WhitmoreJames WhitmoreJames Allen Whitmore, Jr. was an American film and stage actor.-Early life:Born in White Plains, New York, to Florence Belle and James Allen Whitmore, Sr., a park commission official, Whitmore attended Amherst Central High School in Snyder, New York, before graduating from The Choate School in...
, President Sam Baker, serving his first term - Robert LoggiaRobert LoggiaRobert Loggia is an American film and television actor and director.- Early life :Loggia, an Italian American, was born on Staten Island, the son of Elena Blandino, a homemaker, and Benjamin Loggia, a shoemaker, both of whom were born in Sicily, Italy...
, Nick Mancuso, veteran FBI agent whose career with the bureau dates back to the early 1950s - Mitchell RyanMitchell RyanMitchell Ryan is an American actor most recently known for playing Edward Montgomery on the sitcom Dharma & Greg. He also worked with his on-screen wife from Dharma & Greg, Susan Sullivan, in the short-lived series Julie Farr, M.D..Ryan was born in Cincinnati, Ohio and raised in Louisville,...
, Vice President Daniel Eastman - John MahoneyJohn MahoneyJohn Mahoney is a British born American actor, known for playing Martin "Marty" Crane, the retired police officer, father of Kelsey Grammer's Dr...
, Lou Brenner, White House Chief of Staff - Ronny CoxRonny CoxDaniel Ronald "Ronny" Cox is an American character actor, singer-songwriter and guitarist.-Personal life:Cox, the third of five children, was born in Cloudcroft, New Mexico, the son of Lounette and Bob P. Cox, a carpenter who also worked at a dairy. He grew up in Portales, New Mexico...
, Admiral William Reiker, the CIA director - Stephanie Kramer, Stephanie "Stevie" Chandler, news director for a top, unnamed television network
- Jason AlexanderJason AlexanderJay Scott Greenspan , better known by his professional name of Jason Alexander, is an American actor, writer, comedian, television director, producer, and singer. He is best known for his role as George Costanza on the television series Seinfeld, appearing in the sitcom from 1989 to 1998...
, Chris Van Allen, a top aide to Fallon - Richard BradfordRichard Bradford (actor)Richard Bradford is an American actor, known for his lead role as former CIA agent turned private eye McGill in the British TV adventure series Man in a Suitcase, made by ITC in 1967....
, Speaker of the House Charlie MacDonald - Kenneth McMillanKenneth McMillan (actor)Kenneth McMillan was an American actor. McMillan was usually cast as gruff, hostile and unfriendly characters due to his rough image...
, FBI director Henry O'Brien - Jon CypherJon Cypher-Biography:Born in New York City, Cypher graduated from Erasmus Hall High School in 1949 and Brooklyn College in 1953. He made his television debut as the Prince in the original 1957 production of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella opposite Julie Andrews in the title role...
, FBI supervisor Barney Scott - Brian ThompsonBrian ThompsonBrian Thompson is an American actor.Brian Thompson may also refer to:*Brian Thompson , reporter and anchorman for WNBC-TV*Brian Thomson , senior correspondent for SBS World News *Brian B. Thompson, British writer...
, Rolf Petersen, an ex-Marine, former CIA agent and cold-blooded assassin - Lance GuestLance GuestLance R. Guest is an American film and television actor.-Biography:Guest developed a serious interest in acting in the ninth grade, and he majored in theater while attending UCLA. He has starred in many theatrical films including his role as Jimmy alongside actress Jamie Lee Curtis in Halloween...
, David Ross, FBI agent and Mancuso's rookie partner
Reception
In his review in the New York Times, John J. O'Connor wrote that "'Favorite Son'...offers a portrait of contemporary values and governmental machinations that sets new high-water marks for cynicism. Making the exercise all the more startling, most of the scenario, cleverly echoing headlines of recent years, is thoroughly believable and, as American mini-series go, entertaining."Favorite Son drew excellent ratings, and the second part even beat out the highly-rated Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football is a live broadcast of the National Football League on ESPN. From to it aired on ABC. Monday Night Football was, along with Hallmark Hall of Fame, and the Walt Disney anthology television series, one of the longest running prime time commercial network television series...
on ABC.
Sequel
Robert Loggia reprised the role of Nick Mancuso for the NBC series, Mancuso, FBI, which lasted one season in 1989-1990. Charles SiebertCharles Siebert
Charles Siebert is an American actor and television director. As an actor he is best known for his role as Dr. Stanley Riverside II on Trapper John, M.D. which he portrayed from 1979-1986...
and Randi Brooks
Randi Brooks
Randi Brooks is an American actress. In 1982, Brooks was in the Dr. Hook music video for the song "Baby Makes Her Blue Jeans Talk". Brooks played the role of the aspiring, beautiful enchantress Bethel, who by using any and all means, wanted to become Queen in the television series Wizards and...
also reprised their roles from the miniseries and became part of the cast.