If you’ve already binged Harlan Coben's I Will Find You (it's so good) in its entirety and have considered starting it all over again just to relive the stomach-clenching ride - you don’t have to. We’ve found an equally enthralling series, which has all the emotional drama and more - and it's called The Boy That Never Was.
The 5-star series follows the story of an Irish couple whose three-year-old son disappears during an earthquake in Morocco. While he's assumed dead, three years later, his dad Harry (Colin Morgan) spots a boy who he believes is his son. Think the psychological anguish of The Missing combined with the twist-filled rollercoaster of I Will Find You.
With the series now available to watch on U, here’s everything you need to know about The Boy That Never Was, including the plot, cast and how to watch it.
What is The Boy That Never Was about?
The four-part series, which first aired on RTÉ Television in 2024, is based on Karen Perry’s novel of the same name and tells the chilling story of a family holiday gone wrong. We're transported to the Moroccan city of Essaouira, where parents Harry (Colin Morgan) and Robin (Toni O’Rourke) are enjoying a trip with their three-year-old son, Dillon. Harry momentarily steps out, leaving Dillon asleep inside – then an earthquake strikes. What happens next is every parent’s worst nightmare transpires: the apartment is reduced to rubble and with no sign of their son inside, he’s later assumed dead.
That is until three years later, when Harry spots a six-year-old in a crowd in Dublin and becomes convinced it’s his son. Desperate to find his son, obsession quickly takes over and Harry refuses to let go of the belief that Dillon is still alive. As his hunt intensifies, it becomes apparent that Robin might be harbouring a secret, but will Harry find out what's really going on with his wife? And how far will he go to get to the truth?
![from sony pictures televisionthe killing kind: sr1: ep6 on itvxpictured: john webster [colin morgan] and ingrid lewis [emma appleton].this photograph is (c) eleventh hour films and can only be reproduced for editorial purposes directly in connection with the programme or event mentioned above, or itv plc. this photograph must not be manipulated [excluding basic cropping] in a manner which alters the visual appearance of the person photographed deemed detrimental or inappropriate by itv plc picture desk. this photograph must not be syndicated to any other company, publication or website, or permanently archived, without the express written permission of itv picture desk. full terms and conditions are available on the website www.itv.com/presscentre/itvpictures/terms](https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod/images/83765da0-63a0-4a9b-9ec6-82a7dbc70019.jpg?crop=0.668xw:1.00xh;0.100xw,0&resize=980:* "© Eleventh Hour Films")
Colin Morgan (pictured above in The Killing Kind), who plays Harry, told Yahoo: "[The series] traverses timelines between the past, when things were good, and the present when things aren't so good. It explores mental health and grief and what it means to love and to be a mum and a dad and the visceral imperative that a mother or a father has to protect their children.
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"If that was taken away from you, what lengths would you go to, to get it back again? The show encompasses all of that complicated material."
Who’s in the cast of The Boy That Never Was?
The cast of The Boy That Never Was includes:
• Colin Morgan (Merlin) as Harry Lonergan
• Toni O’Rourke (Bainne) as Robin Lonergan
• Kerr Logan (London Irish) as Ollie
• Mansour Badri (Close) as Fadoul Kadiri
• Simon Callow (Four Weddings And A Funeral) as Cozimo
• Kelly Campbell (An Encounter) as Eva Doyle
• Cillian O'Sullivan (The Lost Princess) as Dave Garrick
Is The Boy That Never Was any good?
Yes — if you’re a fan of the innumerable twists and turns of a Harlan Coben thriller, you’ll enjoy The Boy That Never Was. It’s a riveting (albeit tense) watch as you’re jolted between the past and present, and between Ireland and Morocco. While There are unmissable parallels with Harlan Coben’s latest thriller, I Will Find You, we'd say The Boy That Never Was has the emotional edge.
Is there a trailer for The Boy That Never Was?
Yes, you can watch the official trailer for The Boy That Never Was below.
How can I watch The Boy That Never Was?
You can watch The Boy That Never Was now on U. You can also stream the series on Channel 4.
What other crime thrillers can I watch now?
If you’re in the mood for something even darker, we’d point you towards Channel 4’s The Marnow Murders. Set in the German city of Schwerin, the atmospheric drama sees detectives Lona Mendt (Petra Schmidt-Schaller) and Frank Elling (Sascha Alexander Geršak) team up to solve murder cases. You can watch The Marnow Murders now on Channel 4. For another brilliant series set closer to home, we’d recommend Irvine Welsh’s Crime, which takes us to Edinburgh and follows Detective Inspector Ray Lennox (Dougray Scott) who solves gritty and complex cases while battling demons of his own. Irvine Welsh’s Crime is available to stream now on ITVX.
