Here's Boomer
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| Here's Boomer | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Adventure Drama |
| Written by | Lowell Ganz Edward Pomerantz Arthur Silver Sandy Veith |
| Directed by | Claudio Guzmán Herbert Kenwith Paul Leaf Victor Lobl Sigmund Neufeld, Jr. |
| Theme music composer | Edward Leonetti Zoey Wilson |
| Composer | David Michael Frank |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers | A.C. Lyles Daniel Wilson |
| Producer | Fran Sears |
| Running time | 22–24 minutes |
| Production companies | Daniel Wilson Productions Inc. Paramount Television |
| Original release | |
| Network | NBC |
| Release | March 14, 1980 – August 14, 1982 |
Here's Boomer is an American adventure/drama series produced by Paramount that aired on the NBC beginning in March 1980. A television movie called A Christmas for Boomer aired on December 6, 1979 and served as the pilot. The show features the titular stray dog, "Boomer". It ran for two seasons, ending its run in August 1982, with the final original episode, "Flatfoots," airing on July 3 of that year.
Synopsis
The series followed the adventures of Boomer, a stray dog that traveled around helping people in trouble. The part of Boomer in all of the shows was played by a mixed-breed dog named Johnny, whose appearance was primarily that of a terrier. One early title considered for the series was Here's Johnny, after the dog who played the part, which was rejected owing to the use of that catch-phrase on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. Johnny had a stunt dog, named Boomer J, who stood in for him on some of his more difficult tricks. As with human stunt actors and the stars for whom they double, the scenes featuring Boomer J were filmed at a distance to minimize the visual differences between him and Boomer.
When the series was set to return in the fall of 1980, viewers were to hear Boomer's thoughts the same way viewers had heard Jackie Coopers' dogs' thoughts on The People's Choice in the 1950s. However Boomer's thoughts were only heard in one episode aired as a special on December 7, 1980. When the series returned with new episodes in 1981 the gimmick was dropped and viewers could no longer hear Boomer.[1]
Here's Boomer owed a great deal to the popularity of the Benji films and television specials of the 1970s and 1980s. In real life, both Johnny and Higgins, the dog who first played Benji, were abandoned or lost mixed-breed dogs who were adopted from animal shelters by animal trainers in California. On screen, both played the parts of stray dogs who were smart, friendly, and loving of their human and animal friends.
The show bore a striking similarity to the Canadian TV series The Littlest Hobo, which was running at the same time on CTV Television Network and in syndication in the U.S. Both series are about a vagabond dog who helps people in trouble only to go on his way at the end of the episode, and both series even used similar title sequences involving split screens. The only significant difference between the shows was the breed of the dog in each show (London, the star of The Littlest Hobo, was a specially bred German Shepherd).[citation needed]
Cast
The series featured a different cast each week. Guest stars include:
Accolades
| Year | Award | Category | Recipient | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | Young Artist Award | Best Young Actress in a Television Series | Natasha Ryan | Nominated | [2] |
| Best TV Series for Family Entertainment | Here's Boomer | Nominated |
Influence
In 2010, a 44-year old Pittsburgh man and self-identified furry attempted to get his name legally changed to "Boomer the Dog", in a reference to the show's title character, but his request was denied by the judge.[3][4]
References
- ^ The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946-Present. Ballantine Books. 2003. p. 526. ISBN 978-0-34-549773-4.
- ^ "2nd Youth In Film Awards". YoungArtistAwards.org. Retrieved May 28, 2013.
- ^ McNulty, Timothy (August 11, 2010). "Man tries to get his name legally changed to Boomer the Dog". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved August 17, 2010.
- ^ "Man's bid to change name to 'Boomer the Dog' nixed". Associated Press. August 12, 2010. Retrieved August 17, 2010.
External links
