Ryan's Hope Discussion Thread

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Catherine Hicks (Faith #3)

Screen & TV Album/ April 1978

Edited February 29, 2012 by safe

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[DRW50]

That was an intersting article. I don't see a lot of soap stuff from that magazine so it's a nice find.

Hicks was one of the few new actors to RH who seemed to settle in immediately, which is a feat, especially since she had little experience.

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Helen Gallagher (Maeve)

Kate Mulgrew (Mary # 1)

Daily TV Serials / March 1977

Edited February 29, 2012 by safe

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Catherine Hicks (Faith Coleridge #3)

TV GUIDE/ February 25, 1989
 

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Edited January 5, 2016 by safe

[DRW50]

Thanks for sharing these. I didn't know Hicks still felt so strongly about the show years after she left. Her comments are very touching.

Love those soap group photos - I never know where to post those! I didn't know Mulgrew was still in soap circles by that time, as she was just about gone from the show.

[DRW50]

11/22/83 Digest. John Kelly Genovese reviews.

Several months ago, Claire Labine and Paul Avila Mayer returned to once again head write their reaction, "Ryan's Hope." They thrust the Ryans back into the spotlight, and moved toward a resolution of two star-crossed romances which had intertwined the Ryans with their friends, the Coleridges, for eight years: the stormy involvement of Frank and Jill, and the on-again-off-again relationship of Pat and Faith.

In many respects, the move paid off. Indeed, pivotal hero Frank Ryan was rotting away in storyline limbo (an interminable business trip in St. Louis) for want of a replacement actor. This left a tremendous void in the Ryan family, as well as a lack of storyline for his fair lady, Jill Coleridge (Nancy Addison Altman). It was worth the wait, however, for Geoffrey Pierson is a winner in the Ryan role. He is charming, but always in command. With his strength and charisma, Pierson might indeed be the definitive Frank Ryan.

The return of the definite "Ryan's Hope," however, has been a mixed blessing. In the transition, several promising characters were axed and/or compromised. The wealthy Kirkland family had given "Ryan's Hope" a "bigger than life" dimension which could have served to contrast, rather than overshadow, the homey earthiness of the Ryans. The soft young heroine of the storyline, Amanda, was recast and turned into a scheming nitwit before being finally put out of her misery. And there were limitless possibilities for RH's resident bitch Rae Woodard (Louise Shaffer), through her tainted history with the Ryans and her new involvement with the Kirklands. Also, Jack's new romance with the tempestuous Leigh Kirkland Marshall (Felicity LaFortune) came on the heels of the departure of the rest of her family - another area where these characters could have been put to use.

Most disturbing, however, was the killing off of diamond-in-the-rough cop Mitch Bronski (James Sloyan). Here was a splendidly drawn character, placed ideally as a possible future romantic interest for Siobhan (Marg Helgenberger) and interim involvement for Faith (Karen Morris-Gowdy). Bronski also provided a "nighttime crime show" element perfectly suited to the show's New York City locale.

Instead, "Ryan's Hope" has once again become a slow soap which plays by its own rules - where story at times seems secondary to long, intimate "moments" between characters. True, moments are wonderful - they set the character-oriented daytime serial apart from slam-bang, plot-induced action common to most of today's prime time shows. But there has to be a balance, a marriage between those precious, reflective scenes and the business of storytelling. And as of this writing, the "business" on "Ryan's Hope" doesn't amount to much.

The recent excuse for a Frank Ryan story came off as nothing more than manufactured plotting. The arrival of Charlotte Greer (Judith Chapman), a mystery woman claiming to be Frank's wife, initially looked exciting. But when the premise of the development was revealed to be an age-old Irish vendetta between mother Maeve Ryan (Helen Gallagher) and Charlotte's father, Rod McCurtain (Roy Poole), who cared? The audience had never heard about this conflict in the first place until it was employed for plot purposes. Even worse, it was a short term story with a closed end, having no long-range repercussions on anyone - therefore, no reason for being in the first place.

Thus far, the arrival of Jill's estranged mother Bess Shelby (Gloria DeHaven) and half-sister Maggie (Cali Timmons) appears to be a more natural, character-oriented premise. The budding love of Siobhan and the awkward but well-meaning Bill Hyde (David Sederholm), complicated by dizzy Delia (Ilene Kristen) is usually good fun. The "Chapter Two" romance of Jack and Leigh took off once Jack was able to shed the deceased Mary (Kate Mulgrew) from his system. (Those morbid, "Our Town-ish" scenes with Mary's "ghost" were unnecessary). But where are the longer overdue new involvements for the intense Seneca Beaulac (John Gabirle), romantically unlucky playboy Roger Coleridge (Ron Hale), and loyal brother and buddy Bob Reid (Earl Hindman)?

Now that the Kirklands are gone, "Ryan's Hope" has the chance to take full advantage of the half-hour form by using its entire cast in fast-moving, well enmeshed stories. Ghosts of dead wives, Irish legends and ten-minute love scenes, however, won't do it.

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Edited December 25, 2011 by CarlD2

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[Paul Raven]

From The Soap Opera Book

Ryan's Hope (now almost two years old) is said by those in the television industry to be the most ambitious of the newer soaps. It may also be the happiest soap. The show is written and produced by Claire Labine and Paul Avila Mayer, who formerly wrote forLove of Life. Like All My Children and The Young and the Restless, Ryan's Hope attracts a young audience. In fact, when the show first came out, the Nielsen's went up and down, sometimes by as much as 7 points, depending on whether the kids were in or out of school. Part of this appeal may come from the show's newcomer status; this is a soap nobody's parents watched. Equally important is the ambience and attitude conveyed.

As the title suggests, this is supposed to be an optimistic show. Claire Labine likes to say that it is "the opposite of defeatism." There is a belief that characters can cope; that the human condition should be celebrated rather than merely endured. The mood is established by the theme music and logo; we see a young version of Mother and "Da" Ryan dance joyfully with an infant son, holding him to heaven at the end.

Ryan's Hope is a home-and-family show and to some extent a doctor-lawyer show. But it differs from others in that it is set in an identifiable place. It's New York City—the place referred to with such horror on the other shows. Since this is New York, and not Oakdale or Rosehill, people of different ethnic backgrounds can be realistically portrayed. The Ryans are not Unspecified Protestants, as are their many counterparts. They are Irish Catholics who frequently refer to their Church, their beliefs, and their traditions. They operate an Irish pub (called "Ryans") in which one has to make excuses for ordering English mustard. Characters from outside the family are also drawn and developed with attention to ethnic background. There are Italian-Americans who call each other "paisano" and attend the Gennaro Social Club. And when an Assistant District Attorney appears, he is identifiably Jewish. Other shows will occasionally throw in an ethnic-sounding name (usually Italian), but Ryan's Hope is unique in its use of ethnicity to explain character and behavior.

This is a show in which there is much happy romanticizing about family life. Maeve Ryan is the archetypical mother: warm, supportive, wise, and humorous. "There are some women who can't have too many children," says one character in recognition of her motherly interest in virtually all who set foot in "Ryans." Other members of the family partake of her strength. The Ryans believe in themselves and say so often. Characteristic of the show are two-person scenes in which family trust is exchanged. Upon important occasions, characters say things like, "I want to thank you for a lifetime of love and understanding," or "You're a Ryan and the Ryans are proud of you and are behind you always." Particularly strong are the mother-daughter scenes between Maeve and Mary. (Most of these are written by Claire Labine, who volunteers that she has a very good relationship with her mother.) Characters who do not have families, or are missing a parent, tend to be confused or evil. Everyone understands this. For example, whenever Jack Fenelli so much as frowns, characters begin harping on his lack of family.

In order to put across this romantic sense of family, Labine and Mayer have created a whole mythology of the old Ryans in Ireland, and younger Ryans in childhood. Hardly a day goes by without Mary or Frank relating some long and charming anecdote from childhood—or without Maeve and Johnny describing the wedding party, the potato stews, and the first hard, happy years. Babies and children—mothering and fathering—are shown to be the greatest source of joy. Whole situations (and even arguments) are constructed to reveal the need for family continuity. Some viewers find this soap "preachy," or at least heavy-handed in its family values; others find the Ryans and their familial intensity deeply satisfying.

Storylines are smart, strong, and rather less predictable than those on other soaps. Lost parent fantasies and amnesia are avoided—but divorce, accidents, unplanned pregnancies and unresolvable romantic triangles are always going around. The difference is that here, amidst all the problems, is humor. The Ryans have their troubles, but they also have their fun—rowdy, noisy fun, full of good- natured and bad-natured kidding. Family holiday scenes are staged with a skill that any dramatist would admire; they manage to show a large family enjoying itself, while one or two characters in its midst reach the height of a personal crisis. Love scenes manage to be intimate and playful (something often achieved in life, but seldom, it seems, on the soaps).

How successful Ryan's Hope will be is not yet clear. Stars like Nancy Addison (Jill Coleridge), Kate Mulgrew (Mary Ryan), John Gabriel (Seneca Beaulac), and Ilene Kristen (Delia Ryan) have already attracted large fan followings. Nielsen ratings are only a point or two below those of All My Children, which now follows Ryan's Hope on most line-ups. As Labine and Mayer like to point out, that's higher than the first year ratings for The Young and the Restless.

Edited January 2, 2012 by Paul Raven

[DRW50]

Thanks for sharing this.

[DRW50]

John mentioned this in the main thread, but I wanted to post it here for those who may just look at this thread. Totally Kate has done an interview with Claire Labine, and Kate Mulgrew was also there, talking and asking questions. It's audio, but has some photos. Great to hear a few stories of the old days. I love hearing about how Helen Gallagher can still high kick. I wish she'd had another soap role after OLTL.

http://www.totallykate.com/labine/interview.html

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I was reading a Digest from April 1984 and they talk about casting Ben Shelby. I wonder what happened there, as I don't believe he showed up for about three years. Was this before Labine was fired?

[DRW50]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcKvrbD48pY

[ellkay]

Hi!

I am fairly new to this board, and new to posting, so please be gentle! I remember watching this show with my grandmother when I was little. I also remember crying when it went off the air. There has not been anything quite like it since. I was wondering if anyone on the board had episodes of Ryan's Hope from the years of 1985-1987 that they would be willing to trade or send copies of? I, along with several friends and family members have been searching for these for my sister, who is going through a life-threatening illness that has caused her to become disabled. After 20+ years at the same job, she is no longer able to work and has to spend the majority of her time at home or in the hospital. She was a huge fan of the show and these years were her very favorite. She was particularly fond of the pairing of Rick and Ryan. We have located one source who has very kindly sent us some episodes and who is working on sending us several more. We wanted to see if there were other sources out there as well, that way we could get as complete a collection as possible. I have been an investigator/researcher for over 20 years and this search is by far the hardest one I have ever conducted. Lol! Please feel free to email me privately at

[email protected] if you know of any sources that we could research, or if you have any of these episodes. We have discovered the You Tube channel for Ryan’s Hope and it is great, but the episodes are so few and far between.

Thanks!