Ryan's Hope goes back to the beginning tonight

[DRW50]

I know this is the wrong thread but for anyone here who has never seen Ryan's Hope or who has but it's been a while -- tonight's episodes are going back to the very start, the last time these will be seen on Soapnet (probably on TV at all). I think it starts with the second episode, which is 5:30 AM EST.

[SFK]

Okay, so have they EVER finished the entire run? It seems like whenever I hear about this show on SN, they're starting over again.

I would like to see Julia Barr's stuff as Reenie, how many years into it is that? I do have Sarah felder's first day on tape somewhere. The crutches and the Irish Wolfhound.

[DRW50]

They only go up to December 1981. They claim it's because of music rights.

You should get to see Julia's run as Reenie. She started in early 1976 and ran to summer/early fall 1976, and Soapnet should still be on by then.

[Vee]

I will be there.

I only just got SoapNet after years and have been looking fwd to watching RH from the beginning.

[DRW50]

I can't wait to hear what you have to say about it; I always look forward to what you have to say.

[EricMontreal22]

1981 is around one of the times it starts dropping in quality, right? (was that when Pat F-S started writing?)

UGH one of the few times I really wish we could get SN here in Canada, damn. So how far will they get before SN is no more?

[DRW50]

The show started dropping in quality when Labine and Mayer sold to ABC in 1979. That's when you got Kimberly and Joe Novak, both very very damaging to the show and to a whole truckload of characters. This is also when the show started doing more movie knockoffs.

The show started to go downhill further in 1981, then the ratings slide began in 1982. Mayer had already left by this time and Labine was fired. They were rehired for a while in 83 but then fired again.

Falken Smith was 1984.