Ryan's Hope Discussion Thread

[DRW50]

I don't remember Robinson having a ton of chemistry with Nancy Addison either.

The thing with Frank is that, IMO, he was not a sympathetic character. I think DHK offset that with his own all-American looks and humor. Robinson was a more than decent actor, a better actor than DHK, but I still didn't feel any particular connection to Frank when he was in the role.

[amybrickwallace]

From all the YT clips I've seen, I don't think Jill and Frank clicked as an "endgame" couple - no matter who played Frank. Even though he could be domineering and exasperating, I think she had more chemistry with Seneca Beaulac.

[DRW50]

For me DHK and Nancy made it work well (I haven't seen enough of the later Franks), as they had both playfulness and passion. I did prefer her with Seneca, but the show really did heavy damage to him starting with his attempted rape of Jill and then with the Kimbo saga.

I think the show just kept recycling stories too many times for some of their central characters. This began to take a toll once it got to 1979, 1980, 1981, as character-based drama gave way to stunts. Some of the characters were no longer strong enough to withstand the increasingly weak writing. I was more supportive of a lot of Jill's stories than many fans seem to be (I liked the Ken George Jones story enough to where it's even my Youtube name), but once it got the Night at the Museum...eh.

Edited January 26, 2015 by DRW50

[amybrickwallace]

I'm kind of surprised they got away with using that name seeing as that George Jones was and is huge in the country music world.

[safe]

Thanks for sharing that.

This is a 2013 message from a former Ryan's Hope intern that was posted on SON poster Danfling's board.

I never knew this about Kathleen.

http://disc.yourwebapps.com/discussion.cgi?disc=154531;article=38680;title=danfling's%20Cancelled%20Soap%20Opera%20Messagboard%20(includes%20The%20Edge%20of%20Night)%20%20

Edited February 3, 2015 by safe

[safe]

While pursuing Andrew Robinson for the role, they told him Frank was someone the audience rooted for - which really appealed to Andrew.

One of the things that surprised me on the old Soapnet forum, while there were those who didn't like him as Frank because of his Dirty Harry role, there were others that it was their first time seeing the episodes and said they didn't like Andrew because when they saw him on screen they were reminded too much of his (post-RH) performance as Liberace.

Nancy Addison's husband had also posted on SN forum (back when he writing a book about Nancy) and said Andrew was one of the people she enjoyed working with most on the show.

What I did like about Andrew Robinson was that, out of all the Frank actors, he came across the most like the son of working class parents.

[DRW50]

Thanks for finding those.

Tolan being terrified makes a lot of sense with what we saw onscreen. It was a mess.

[antmunoz]

Have we ever discussed the foolishness that was the casting of Susan Scannell as both Gabrielle Dubujak and Chessy Blake? Scannell was all of 4 years older than onscreen daughter Gerit Quely (Jacqueline) and certainly didn't look it.

[DRW50]

I haven't seen those episodes but I think a few people have.

[amybrickwallace]

In every role I've seen him in, Andrew Robinson always gives off a working-class vibe - even when his characters are not so nice. According to a book I read about Dukes of Hazzard, Mr. Robinson was a guest star and in rehearsal was running lines with Sorrell Booke (Boss Hogg). In real life, both men were fluent in Japanese and spoke their lines in Japanese in the rehearsal to throw off James Best (Rosco P. Coltrane).

[applcin]

Except when he was playing a former Cardassian spy forced into exile as a tailor. Garak was a very murky character but with some likeable qualities.

I remember reading a bit about that book on the forum at that time. Did he ever finish it, I wonder?

And, yes, how Andrew's Frank fit into the Ryan family was the thing I liked the best about his portrayal. Well, that, and his acting was good and seemed unrehearsed. Funny, considering he said he wasn't that good when he started. But, at that point on the show, I think they had a pretty good group of actors. The majority of them came across pretty natural in their roles.

Edited February 1, 2015 by applcin

[amybrickwallace]

Agreed. He also seemed to be the only Frank who was the right age. Not knocking the later Franks, but they all came across as too young. Mr. Robinson's take on the role obviously won over the Academy as he was the only Frank to get an Emmy nomination (in 1978).

[safe]

Yes, it really does - - and not surprising to read that Claire liked her.

[safe]

Yeah, Ryan's Hope had many actors who valued education and learning --beyond just having a background in only drama/the arts.

[safe]

That had to be about 8 years about – I have no idea whatever became of the book. It sounded like it was pretty much completed when he posted back then.