Boon is a British television drama series featuring Michael Elphick, David Daker, and later Neil Morrissey. It was created by Jim Hill and Bill Stair, produced by Central Television for ITV, and first aired between 1986 and 1992. One episode was delayed and shown in 1995. The show follows the life of Ken Boon, an ex-fireman who is a businessman who loves motorcycles. At the same time, he works as a private investigator, bodyguard, and problem solver. Since January 16, 2017, the series has been shown again on UKTV's Drama channel. The first two seasons are now available to watch on BritBox.

The theme song, "Hi Ho Silver" by Scottish singer Jim Diamond, became a top ten hit in the UK in 1986.

Premise

Ken Boon (Elphick) and Harry Crawford (Daker) are firefighters in the West Midlands Fire Service. In the first episode, Crawford retires early and moves to Spain to open a bar, leaving Ken behind. Ken responds to a house fire where a child is trapped upstairs. He realizes he must act quickly and enters the burning building without breathing equipment to save the child. However, he is seriously injured from inhaling toxic smoke. He tries to prove he is still fit for duty, but after collapsing during a training exercise due to permanent lung damage, he is declared unfit and must leave the fire service.

The show’s main idea focuses on Ken and Harry’s business adventures, which often involve encounters with people involved in illegal activities. They frequently face challenges that require them to solve problems or avoid danger. Many storylines involve helping others who have been treated unfairly. In later seasons, the show shifts focus to Ken becoming a private investigator and bodyguard, while Harry’s business efforts take a secondary role. Humor often comes from Harry’s small mistakes or plans going wrong in unexpected ways, with Ken usually helping him fix the situation.

In the first season, Ken starts a market garden called Ponderosa near Birmingham but struggles to make it work. Harry returns from Spain after his wife leaves him for a younger woman. He owns a hotel in Birmingham and offers Ken a job and a place to live. Without Ken’s knowledge, Harry places an advertisement in a newspaper: “Ex-fireman seeks interesting work. Anything legal considered.” In the second season, both men expand their businesses. Harry invests in a larger hotel, while Ken starts a motorcycle courier company named “Texas Rangers,” where he hires Richard “Rocky” Cassidy (Morrissey), a biker known for his simple-mindedness, which adds comedic moments.

Over the third and later seasons, Ken starts two private investigation firms, BDI (Boon-Daly Investigations) and Boon Investigations, and a security company, CBS (Crawford Boon Security), which is a partnership with Harry. In this partnership, Ken handles private investigations, and Harry manages security. During seasons 1–3, Harry operates two hotels, the Grand Hotel and the Coaching Inn, and a ballroom called the Plaza Suite. In season 4, he runs a country club named Woodcote Park before joining forces with Ken in season 5.

The show moved from Birmingham to Nottingham at the start of season 4 when production shifted to Central Television’s studios in Nottingham. The first three seasons, including exterior scenes from the first season, were filmed on film. Seasons 4–7 and interior scenes from the first season were recorded on videotape. Except for the first season’s studio interiors, all filming took place on location.

Cast

The cast included Michael Elphick as Ken Boon and David Daker as Harry Crawford. Neil Morrissey appeared in the second series as Rocky, his first important role on television. Other regular characters included Rachel Davies as Doreen Evans, Julie Graham as Moira Connolly, Lesley-Anne Sharpe as Debbie Yates, Amanda Burton as Margaret Daly, Elizabeth Carling as Laura Marsh, Brigit Forsyth as Helen Yeldham, Saskia Wickham as Alex Wilton, Joan Scott as Ethel Ellard, and Gordon Warnecke as Hanif Kurtha. Jerome Flynn appeared in the series during one of his early roles, and Christopher Eccleston also played a small part, one of his first on television.

Vehicles

The main vehicle in the show is Ken Boon's red and silver 1965 BSA Lightning motorcycle, which is called "White Lightning" and has the registration number EVK 284C. Rocky Cassidy rides a black and gold 1973 Norton Commando 850 Interstate motorcycle.

Production

The show's writers included Geoff McQueen, Kevin McNally, Bernard Strother, Anthony Minghella, Tony McHale, Kieran Prendiville, and Veronica Henry. Ted Childs was the first executive producer. The original producer, Kenny McBain, left after the first series to produce the first two series of Inspector Morse for Central Independent Television.

Title sequences

Each season of the TV series used a different title sequence. These sequences were not used to explain the show’s overall story but instead helped set the scene and introduce the themes for each season. They showed how Ken’s life progressed as he moved to new places and started new businesses. A key theme in all the title sequences was Ken imagining himself as a Lone Ranger-like hero on his motorbike, White Lightning. This theme connected to the lyrics of the show’s theme song, "Hi Ho Silver," by Jim Diamond, which highlighted Ken’s desire to help others. In earlier seasons, Ken was shown riding his motorbike while imagining he was on horseback in a Western setting. Starting from season 4, the title sequences focused more on Ken’s soul riding his motorbike through town, though this theme became less prominent in the final season.

The first title sequence showed Ken reading a Western comic called "White Lightning." The camera revealed a collection of Western books, and Ken imagined himself as the hero from the comic. This was shown alongside scenes of him riding his motorbike, White Lightning, toward Birmingham.

The title sequence for the second season was similar to the first. It began with Ken in his flat above a stable at the Coaching Inn, flipping through TV channels until he found a Western movie. He then imagined himself as the hero riding a horse through town, which gradually changed into his motorbike, White Lightning.

The third season’s title sequence started with Ken entering a building in Birmingham. Inside, he found a vintage camera and imagined himself as a Lone Ranger-like character in a Wild West setting. He entered a saloon and met Margaret and Harry. Ken tried to draw his pistol but was stopped by Margaret. The sequence ended with his horse transforming into his motorbike.

For the fourth season, the title sequence opened with a nighttime view of Nottingham. Ken was in his office, where he fell asleep and dreamed that his soul left his body. His soul then rode his motorbike through town. Harry saw this apparition outside a TV shop and was surprised. Ken woke up and saw his soul riding past him.

The fifth season’s title sequence continued the theme of Ken’s soul and motorbike. It showed Ken leaving his home, a canal boat near the CBS office. He entered a warehouse, threw his keys into the air, and his soul caught them. His motorbike, White Lightning, raced through the warehouse, transforming into a horse’s legs. When Ken found his motorbike parked in a building, normalcy returned.

The sixth season’s title sequence was similar to the fourth. It began with Ken asleep in his cottage in Upper Ridley. Outside, his soul rode his motorbike through Nottingham. When it reached his home, Ken woke up and saw his motorbike outside his window. He then rode it to the CBS offices, where Harry and Rocky greeted him.

The final title sequence reflected on earlier seasons. It showed Ken entering a cinema, where Harry gave him a ticket and Rocky guided him to his seat. In the theater, Ken saw copies of himself in the audience. The film played clips from previous title sequences and key moments from the series. As the film ended, Ken’s soul rode past him on White Lightning, flying through the audience. The sequence ended with Ken waking up at home, realizing it had all been a dream.

History of the show

Although the show's creators did not say this directly, the character Boon had many similarities with the ITV drama series Minder. Both shows were set in rough, working-class cities (Birmingham or London) and focused on the relationship between a "heavy" (Ken Boon or Terry McCann) and a businessman (Harry Crawford or Arthur Daley). A key difference was that neither Ken nor Harry did illegal things, unlike the characters in Minder. Both shows explored the criminal world and moral issues in their stories, while also including some humor.

According to Jim Hill, one of the show's co-creators, the name "Boon" came from an American TV series from the 1950s called Have Gun – Will Travel. The main character in that show was named Paladin and was played by actor Richard Boone. Jim Hill and Bill Stair changed the name to "Boon" by removing the letter "E." This became the name of a modern-day problem-solver who rode a motorbike instead of a horse.

Elphick and Morrissey later worked together again on a horror comedy show called I Bought a Vampire Motorcycle, which continued the motorbike theme.