Ryan's Hope Discussion Thread

[safe]

The Charlotte Greer storyline penned to bring back viewers. Judith Chapman auditioned and was offered the role before she even left the building---to begin shooting the next day.  Roy Poole was in a wheelchair most of the time when he was off-camera. Judith and Geoff had filmed a fully clothed love scene that was very erotic---ABC was refusing to air it. Joe Hardy fought for it and ABC ran it. She was disappointed how the story wrapped up.

They gave Christine Ebersole ---who was in only 11 episodes-- a farewell party.

Christopher Durham said the Tiffany gift boxes ended when Capital Cities bought ABC.

Paul Mayer was the one who told people they were fired because Claire Labine wanted to be liked.

Joe Hardy had not wanted Pat Falken Smith as head writer.

Karen Morris-Gowdy thought that ---while viewers may have liked Faith Catlin and Nancy Barrett---they weren't embedded with them because they weren't on the show that long. Unlike Randall Edwards having to take over after Ilene left the show.

Edited October 31, 2023 by safe

[safe]

I haven't talked about Dakota ---leave that to DeliaIrisFan or anyone else.

The cast and crew's relationship with Joe Hardy was much improved as time went on. The newer actors seem to love him instantly.  Even Ilene Kristen admitted that Joe wound up being  qualified to be a producer. 

Claire Labine was brought back because they knew the show's days were numbered.

There was shock, sadness, and devastation when told the show was cancelled.

While Ilene loved her final and favorite stint on the show, we knew that Nancy Addison and Malcolm Groome felt frustrated in their roles and they left. But Ron Hale had also been very unhappy those last 3-4 years. The reason he stayed was he had step-children he needed to help support. He said if the show had still been on once the last kid left home ---he would have left in a shot.

Maria Patillo was leaving before the cancellation. James Wlcek said there was outside interest in her.

The return of Seneca, Kevin, Bob, Mendenhall, Faith, Jill, Pat, Concetta, Maggie and Rae.

There are lots of wonderful memories of that final emotional day. 

Cali Timmins didn't like how Maggie was written mean and bitter for the wrap up.

 

 

 

Edited November 2, 2023 by safe

[Chris 2]

After RH was cancelled, Joe Hardy went west and produced General Hospital, taking over for Wes Kenney, who disastrously produced after Gloria Monty’s first exit (Kenney thought GH was some sort of psychological drama lol). I thought Hardy “got” GH and the show improved almost immediately after he took over. 

[DRW50]

I don't think that was the problem with Catlin or Barrett. Catlin was an interesting actress but not a soap ingenue as Faith was intended to be. Barrett, frankly, came across as too old for the part to me and also very mannered (I say that as someone who was a huge fan of her work on Dark Shadows). The main problem is that Faith was just a lousy part. It's interesting to see that even Catherine Hicks, far and away the best Faith, did not enjoy a lot of her work. 

Thanks for all you've shared with us.

As for Mary, I think killing her was 100% the right decision. I don't believe this hurt Jack's airtime - I think Michael Levin getting older as the show was getting younger made that shift inevitable. Mary's death and Jack struggling to let her go was an incredibly powerful storyline.

[safe]

After Ryan's Hope---

Helen Gallagher hated her roles on All My Children as Nurse Harris and One Life to Live as Dr. Maud Boylan. She doesn't like soap operas--- Ryan's Hope was more a play than a soap.

Ilene Kristen described her time on Loving as Norman Gilpin as lovely, creative, and fun---she loved what Millee Taggart and Tom King had her do. She turned down a contract but was on the show one year.

Louise Shaffer wrote for Loving. She called it a bad show ---it never had anything good. Was told to write less dialogue for actors who couldn't speak English very well. Described it as a nightmare but she needed the money. 

Cali Timmins received an offer she couldn't refuse from Another World. She thought the character Paulina was going to be different from Maggie (Ryan's Hope) but in some ways she felt she was playing the same character--- only with less guts. Although great people like Victoria Wyndham ---there was a lot of backstabbing and competiveness. She didn't enjoy playing the role.

Roscoe Born called Mitch Laurence on One Life to Live his favorite character. The two summer of 1985 & 1986 was the most fun he ever had a soap. They also treated him well and paid him well. More people watched OLTL than RH.

His Santa Barbara character, Robert Barr, was the most prototypical soap character he ever played and it was  most prototypical soap triangle he was in. He said he did excellent work and earned an Emmy nomination. He also thought he was nominated because it was high profile--- he did more soap press than he ever did before. A the soap may have pushed for the nomination to get him to resign.

Ash Adams was offered a contract to go to any ABC soap he wanted after RH. He turned down the offer to move home to California to pursue work there. He didn't want soaps to be his career.

Michael Levin said he missed the money the most.

Edited November 1, 2023 by safe

[Sallyinlondon]

I've just read the book and enjoyed it.  I do wish more time had been spent on the earlier episodes as the 1981-1989 years are not available online so that part of the book is only relevant to the people who watched it in the 80s, but obviously that's only possible if people from that period are willing to speak.

Interesting that it was the first US soap to air in the UK and Ireland, it definitely fits in with Corrie/Emmerdale more than the glitzy American soaps

I was fascinated that they tried to do the whole episode in one take and only had 45 mins of film roll, remarkable that it came off so well.

I enjoyed FC as Faith, she was a bit odd and not your usual heroine which made her  character more interesting.  Catherine Hicks was polished but felt superflous next to Mary and Jill.

[althea-davis]

I liked Faith Catlin as Faith. I thought she fit the part well. Faith, the character, was originally written as an oddball: a prudish, uptight person uncomfortable in her own skin. Faith played that well. I think she just fit.

[Khan]

I don't think Joseph Hardy was untalented as a producer - and I don't think he was wrong in wanting to "open up" RH either.  (As I've said in the past, I think my biggest issue with RH is that its canvas was just so dang claustrophobic.) But I do think he was an EP who needed a real HW with real vision to be effective.

[safe]

 

I often wondered if Faith's odd behavior and body language was meant to be seen as endearing ---which I did find it at times---but most other times not.

She certainly received plenty of male attention ----Bucky and Kenneth fell for her at first sight, and Pat. When she was missing, they said there was a hospital delivery guy who had a crush on her. This was  was different instead of having her be ignored or treated like an outcast because of her peculiarities.

She wasn't shy but quite vocal about loathing Roger and also her dislike of Nell and Delia. She stood up for herself.

Edited November 2, 2023 by safe

[althea-davis]

For example, I just can't picture Catherine Hicks or Karen Morris-Gowdy (talented as they are) playing the scenes on Bucky's boat where you can almost see Faith's skin crawling as Bucky is trying to "get Faith in the mood". Catlin really sold the awkward uniqueness of the character that was sort of lost in translation by the others. 

[John]

When the show let Faith Catlin go as Faith in 1976 they offered the part to. Kathryn Breech. Breech was also offered a new role on OLTL, Karen Wolek. Breech signed with OLTL because she didn’t want to be a recast.

Ryan’s cast Nancy Barrett as Faith

OLTL replaced Breech as Karen a year later with Julia Duffy and then Judith Light

 

[Soaplovers]

Barrett could have have played the awkward fragile quality of Faith.. but like others said, she was too old to play the part.. and I imagine she would have grown bored playing the  role like Catherine Hicks did.

[Paul Raven]

By 1980 there had been I think 3 Franks, 2 Delias, 3 Pats, 3 Marys and 3 Faiths. In just 5 years. They were stretching viewers' patience by that stage.

Maybe it would have been better to write some of those characters out for a while than just keep recasting. 

 

[althea-davis]

I do think the endless recasting absolutely hurt the show. Without a doubt. 

[John]

The fact that they didnt give mary Carney more time

 

Also why replace John Blazo after a year only to dump his recast 3 months later