Here’s Boomer (1980)

Debuting March 14, 1980. NBC, 8/7pm Central

𝑳𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒈𝒊𝒄 𝒉𝒆 𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒔
𝑨 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒐 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒂𝒚
𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒌 𝒉𝒆’𝒔 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒈𝒐𝒐𝒅
𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒕’𝒔 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒉𝒆 𝒈𝒐𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒘𝒂𝒚

45 years ago, Boomer entered our TV screens and our hearts early Friday evening on NBC-TV. It was a simple premise: the episodic adventures of a lovable stray dog named Boomer who roamed the United States, lending a paw to those in need. Produced by Paramount Television in association with A. C. Lyles Productions and Daniel Wilson Productions, 𝘏𝘦𝘳𝘦’𝘴 𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘳 was almost an anthology, presenting standalone stories and characters only connected by the fact that Boomer had briefly entered their lives.

The genesis of Here’s Boomer can be traced back to the 1979 one-hour TV special 𝘈 𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘮𝘢𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘳 that had aired three months earlier, which served as the pilot episode for the series. This initial offering introduced audiences to Boomer, who helped save a cute little pampered pup named Celeste who had been dog-napped by Larry Linville! The positive reception of this telefilm paved the way for the subsequent two-season run of the show. However, even before the Christmas telefilm, Boomer had appeared on Saturday morning’s 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘙𝘦𝘥 𝘏𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘎𝘢𝘯𝘨 in 1977, assisting five crime-solving pre-teens (one of which was Matthew Laborteaux in his first series starring role!) Here, Boomer sported more of a Westie kennel cut and not the shaggy sheepdog style he would later be known for.

The Red Hand Gang presented three serialized stories told over twelve episodes aired over the fall of 1977. Like Thunder and Search and Rescue, it was a half-hour live action drama airing on NBC Saturday mornings during the 1977-78 TV season. The action was earnestly played straight and serious, but the stories were clearly intended for children. (The episodes actually make me think of the original intended tone/format of Whiz Kids as a show featuring junior high detectives, before all the computer trappings were added.) However, NBC abandoned this programming genre. Michael Brockman, head of daytime and children’s programming for NBC, told reporter Lee Margulies at the conclusion of the TV season, “You know how many kids watched (those shows)? Not many. We often project what kids want to watch or try to shape what we would like them to watch, but they don’t necessarily watch. The point is, you’ve got to get them into the theater to see what’s on the stage. Our basic responsibility is to deliver an audience.”

Although modern sources state Here’s Boomer was a spin-off of The Red Hand Gang, I find no evidence that Boomer was ever intended to be presented as the same dog in both series. As you can see, Johnny is groomed completely differently in each show, and there is no continuity of storyline between the series. The idea of Here’s Boomer being a RHG spin-off seems to have originated in the early 2010s online, which then made it into Wikipedia and now has been cited as fact over the last 15 or so years.

The sentimental theme music for Here’s Boomer, appropriately titled “Boomer’s Theme Song” (composed by David Michael Frank with words and music by Zoey Wilson and Edward Leonetti), helped set the stage for the half-hour light-hearted adventure. (There were two versions, check them out below!) Episodes featured plenty of 70s/80s guest stars such as Scott Baio, Todd Bridges, Michael J. Fox, Dean Butler, Jonathan Frakes, Tracey Gold, Roddy McDowall, Doris Roberts, and more. The guest actors played a diverse range of people facing various challenges when Boomer entered their lives. Whether it was assisting private investigators, befriending deaf girls, cheering up down-on-their-luck entertainers, or playing matchmaker to two elderly people losing their home to a real estate development, Boomer’s adventures showcased his ability to connect with and help those he encountered. Even the Harlem Globetrotters were among those whose lives were touched by the wandering canine. One unique episode aired in December of 1980, where Boomer’s thoughts could be heard by the audience, with voiceover by either Terry Hart or Tom Moore, depending on which internet source you read. Advertised as the season premiere, this concept was seemingly the new direction the series would take. However, the series was inexplicably placed on hiatus following the episode and disappeared for ten months. When Boomer finally returned with new episodes in October 1981, the concept had been abandoned.

Of course, the star was Boomer himself, portrayed by a remarkably talented four-year-old mongrel named Johnny, a rescue dog found at the Burbank pound. Under the expert supervision of animal trainer Ray Berwick, Johnny brought Boomer to life, showcasing a range of skills and a captivating on-screen presence. “I was looking through a group of cages and there he was. At first, he was suspicious of me. But eventually, he came up to say hello. Never once did he beg me to save him even though he probably knew what his next stop was. He had lots of dignity and class.”

Much of Johnny’s training was handed over to Berwick’s nephew Bryan Renfro. After a few years of training, Boomer could talk, lie down, roll over, climb a ladder, go right and left, act sick, put his feet up, put his eyes down, lower his head, scratch himself, or even sneeze on cue. This landed him on shows like 𝘉𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘢, 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘴𝘬𝘺 & 𝘏𝘶𝘵𝘤𝘩, and 𝘊𝘏𝘪𝘗𝘴. (Berwick also trained Baretta’s white cockatoo Fred.) Johnny also became the backup for Jeff, who played Jack on 𝘓𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘏𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘗𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘦. Ray Berwick then conceived of a series featuring Johnny, after presidential candidate Reagan had expressed a desire for more family-friendly TV shows.¹ The initial working title of 𝘏𝘦𝘳𝘦’𝘴 𝘑𝘰𝘩𝘯𝘯𝘺 was nixed due to the obvious conflict with Ed McMahon’s iconic introduction of NBC’s late-night star. After being promoted from a stand-in on Little House to his own series, Johnny himself had a stand-in/stunt dog in the form of Boomer J, who handled some of the more difficult action scenes.

However, the premise of 𝘏𝘦𝘳𝘦’𝘴 𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘳, which centered on a helpful stray dog, was hardly original. Even the most casual viewer could draw comparisons to the popular Benji films and TV specials from Joe Camp that had come before. Benji (1974) was the original story told from a dog’s point of view. Shot in McKinney and Denton, Texas over the summer of 1973, Joe Camp had fought an uphill battle to bring the tale of the little mixed breed dog to the screen, with all the major studios passing on the film, thinking the concept could only be done with animation. So, he assembled his own independent financing via an array of investors to back the film, $25,000 at a time. Ironically, Camp had encountered Ray Berwick and Johnny during his search for the dog that would become Benji, but Johnny was far too young and inexperienced at the time to fill the role.² However, Berwick put Camp in touch with Frank Inn and his dog Higgins, an experienced TV pet that had spent seven years on Petticoat Junction. Higgins became Camp’s Benji.

Even after having a completed film, Camp again faced issues getting a studio to distribute it. Again, all the majors said no. It turned out Camp would also have to distribute the film without the aid of a studio. Benji was released in May 1974, debuting at the Northpark Cinema in Dallas, a venue specifically chosen by Camp. He then booked the film himself in one theatrical market after another across the country, carefully tweaking the TV ad campaign along the way. When it finally played in Los Angeles, it resulted in the song “I Feel Love” that played over the credits receiving an Academy Award nomination. However, it won the Golden Globe for Best Original Song. The award talk raised the profile of the film, which played more widely the following year. On a budget of $350,000 (and an additional $5 million in advertising and promotion), Benji returned $31.5 million domestically, even giving that original blockbuster Jaws a run for its money over the summer of 1975.

The connection between Boomer and Benji extended beyond just the storylines, as both Johnny and Higgins were mixed-breed dogs rescued from California shelters by animal trainers. Some critics even referred to the series as “TV’s answer to Benji”. Thematic similarities were also shared with Canadian series 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘏𝘰𝘣𝘰, which had originally run in the mid-1960s, but now revived in a second series then airing concurrently on Canada’s CTV and in U.S. syndication. Both shows revolved around a vagabond dog who selflessly assisted people in need before moving on at the end of each episode.

It looks like licensees tried to dip their toes into Here’s Boomer merchandise, but the uncertain status of the series for nearly a year likely quelled further products from being developed. What was released included a plastic lunchbox and insulated tumbler by Thermos, and a Knickerbocker plush doll. In 1986, reruns of 𝘏𝘦𝘳𝘦’𝘴 𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘳 started being shown on The Disney Channel, where it ran through 1990, the same year trainer Ray Berwick died. I’ve not been able to find information on the fate of Johnny the dog. Although the series is not streaming, those that wish to revisit the heartwarming adventures of Boomer can do so on DVD.

Here’s Boomer, Season 1 DVD 
Here’s Boomer, Season 2 DVD 
The Benji Collection Bluray

Some background information sourced from the books Encyclopedia of T V Pets: A Complete History of Television’s Greatest Animal Stars, God Only Knows: Can You Trust Him With The Secret? by Joe Camp, and the Here’s Boomer website.

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1. This narrative is given by Berwick’s apprentice Karl Mitchell for the 2002 book The Encyclopedia of TV Pets. However, Reagan wasn’t elected until the November 1980 election, and the Boomer pilot TV movie was produced a full year earlier. Giving him benefit of the doubt, I mention candidate Reagan; but it’s possible this is one of those tidbits that evolved as a narrative over the years, or the result of faulty recollections. ↩︎
2. I am aware the timelines do not add up here, but I am presenting the dates and narratives told by Ray Berwick and Joe Camp. Camp states he was auditioning dogs in early 1973, while Berwick gives the date of Johnny’s birth as likely spring 1976. Since we have a firm timeline for the filming of Benji, if we are to trust Camp’s account, Berwick must have gotten his years wrong. This would have made Johnny more like seven years old when Here’s Boomer began production. Recollections given in interviews and put down on paper decades later often contain these types of inaccuracies. People I have interviewed have sometimes adamantly given dates for events that cannot possibly be correct. ↩︎