Ryans Hope Memories

Maeve and Johnny were always a reassuring presence on my screen.

I remember Yasmine Bleeth was on RH.

Tichina Arnold also.

Mary Ryan was the show's sweetheart. She drew my attention in when I first started watching.

Kate Mulgrew WAS Mary. None of the replacement actors in the role compared.

Delia always annoyed me with her helplessness and neediness. But she sure could stir up trouble!

Ilene Kristen was my favorite Delia. But Randall Edwards gradually won me over too.

I never liked Robin Matson in the role. Apparently nobody else did either since she lasted less than a year as Delia.

Talk about a well-written show that just got torn to shreds over too many recasts.

Julia Barr and Walt Willey both got their starts in the show . Marg Helgenberg too .

At the 18:00 mark, Kelli Maroney (who played Kimberly Harris, and later one of the Tina Lords) says she was new in town and looking for an apartment when the real estate agent said her friend was looking for a Midwest Lolita for a soap.

TV shows and movies seem so BIG to most of us in the audience - it's funny that an offhand recommendation from a stranger would lead to something major like an actual soap opera contract.

Walt Willey was one of the Joe Novaks.

[quote] I never liked Robin Matson in the role. Apparently nobody else did either since she lasted less than a year as Delia.

Well it was only a short-term contract (9 months) as Robin Mattson was considered a huge star on Daytime, so this was considered a "coup" - Pat Falken Smith was writing the show at the time, and she wrote some of the most memorable stories for Mattson when she played Heather on GH.

Mattson only wanted to do the part short term, because she was still trying to break into Primetime. And desperately wanted to do a sitcom. So the thinking is that she could do some comedy on Ryan;s Hope, and still be available for pilot season when her 9 months were up

Frank Ryan was an asshole no matter who played him.

David Sederholm and Grant Show as hunky brothers. Bestill my heart. And let's not forget James Wlcek.

We haven't heard from the David Sederholm Troll....I mean Fan for a while.

Hey gurl!

I loved how Christmas lasted forever in the 1970s episodes.

I was sick in early 2005 and watched weeks worth on Soap Opera Network, reliving the great old memories. I just loved it!

One of my favorites was Rae. The hottest Frank Ryan was the one who played Zack's father on 'Saved By The Bell.'

Yes, James Wlcek was hotter than hot, but I much preferred Jason Adams/Ash Adams circa 1987.

Kelli Maroney during that era:

You can see why a real estate agent might say, "You know, my friend is casting a soap opera..."

John Sanderford.

Sexy devil John Sanderford.

I liked Kimberly and Pat. But he got stuck with that saccharine girl - Amanda?

Well, this is certainly a title that draws you in!

Any episode you see with Max Dubujak know those episodes were NOT written by Claire Labine

When she left, new head-writer Pat Falken Smith created the character AXING Rae Woodard

But the minute Claire Labine returned to Ryan's Hope, the first she did was kill-off the character.

I wish I could remember more of the show, I was only five when it ended. I don't know if maybe there was a children's show on at the same time, because I can remember watching a lot of soaps back then with my mother and grandmother, but the only memory I have of Ryan's Hope is the last episode and Maeve singing "Danny Boy."

I know that my mother watched it. It is still one of the soaps that she talks about being great. I'm a huge Star Trek fan, but she has never liked it. But, she actually wanted to watch a few episodes of Star Trek: Voyager, just because Kate Mulgrew was the star.

I wish I could find on YT Maeve’s monologue about a violent incident in Ireland which launched that storyline with Charlotte.

I had a nasty home life so I was drawn to the big boisterous NYC family. They squabbled but they loved each other. I was a kid and I so wanted to be a part of that Ryan family.

I loved the actress who played Jillian.

This is interesting, because you see how the sets are laid out on the sound stage.

What [italic]is[/italic] "Ryan's hope," specifically? And if it's about a family, shouldn't it be The Ryans' Hopes?

So many soap opera titles crack me up, on reflection.

R25 To me the worst soap title was The Young Marrieds. I know The Honeymooners wasn't possible, but why not The Newlyweds? They were before The Newlywed Game, so that wasn't the issue. No one has ever called people the young marrieds. The only way it might have made sense is if the main couple's last name had been Young and even then it would sound more like a sitcom than a soap.

[quote]I loved the actress who played Jillian.

Nancy Addison, sadly died in 2002. She was great.

Nancy was on the 50 Greatest Soap Actresses list a few years back

“Seneca! SENECA!!!!!!”

Ryan's Hope was really well written and acted but there was something too realistic about it, not soap opera romantic. I think that's one of the reasons it was never a big hit. ABC had three huge smashes in AMC, OLTL and GH but RH was a critical hit but not a ratings hit.

I always felt Kate Mulgrew was so self righteous that she was totally insufferable. Ironically, they had several re-casts but only regained their balance when they essentially recreated the character as Siobhan with Marg Helgenberger. I was always distracted by Nancy Addison's nostrils.

R25 I think it was called Ryan’s Hope because Frank was supposed to be the future of the family. That’s what I recall. He was also supposed to be killed off in the first week but I believe the network said no. The first Frank was forgettable. He was recast so often.

What really blows my mind is how Kate Mulgrew was able to keep her pregnancy a secret during Ryan's Hope

Mulgrew was and still is a strict catholic (and pro-life) and found herself knocked up while on Ryan's Hope. She confided in Claire Labine, and the writer said "No problem, we will write it in the storyline)

So while they made the character or Mary Ryan pregnant, the soap press had NO IDEA that Kate Mulgrew was pregnant in real life! Because Kate planned to give the baby up for adoption (which she did)

How Kate and the show kept that under wraps, would never happen today

The first Frank was Christian Slater's father.

My understanding was the Ryan’s hope title pertained to Johnny Ryan’s immigration to New York and starting his small business pub. The American dream.

Seneca was such a hot daddy in the early days.

[quote]r26 To me the worst soap title was The Young Marrieds.

Many of them are inane.

"Search for Tomorrow"??

Here's a tip: you don't have to search for it, AT ALL. Just lie down for a little while and [italic]voilà,[/italic] it's here!

Even as a young gayling, I could tell Michael Corbett was gay. Well, I wouldn't have been able to put the word "gay" to it at that age, but I knew there was something different about him.

In both 1977 AND 1979, Ryan's Hope swept the Emmys -- Best Drama, Best Writing and Best Directing. In those years, with so many soaps in production (14), winning all three categories never happened.

That sweep didn't happen again until 2018 when there were only four soaps left.

R24 No corners were cut in those days. In the costume designer's segment (19:30) of the morning show, the wedding dresses they used on that day are all authentic 75-80 year old vintage pieces at 700/800 dollars per dress of 1977 money, which the show would buy and custom tailor for each actress.

I remember James Sloyan as Mitch Bronski in 1983.

Incredibly he was in only one episode. Mitch and a female character I now can’t remember were both on a rooftop at night stargazing and Mitch was very enthusiastic.

I can’t believe I still remember that scene. My memory must be better than I thought.

In real life, Seneca Beaulac was married to Edna Thornton.

John Gabriel worked at Ryan's Hope. Sandy Gabriel worked at AMC.

Sarah Felder was one of those performers who never would have worked on any other soap. So unique and offbeat and what a presence. She pulled audiences towards her in a very real way. I would have loved seeing her with Kate Mulgrew because she had two Marys and she mopped the floor with both of them, especially in the fight scenes.

R36 I don’t have a problem with poetic titles like Search For Tomorrow.

My grandfather hated this show. Called it Ryan Soap, called Maeve Bowel Maevement.

Ryan’s Hope was brilliant but plagued by the never-ending recasts of its lead characters — Maeve and Johnny’s kids. These roles were essential to the show and the constant revolving door definitely slowed its momentum. Rarely did the actors in these roles stick around for more than one contract cycle.

But RH had several fan favorites who stayed on contract until the bitter end — Helen Gallagher, Bernie Barrow, Nancy Addison Altman, Michael Levin, Ron Hale. All magnificent and rewarded with consistent screen time for the show’s entire run.

My favs of the revolving door: Marg Helgenberger, Daniel Hugh Kelley, and of course Kate Mulgrew

And I loved Roscoe Born…always underrated.

R45 Bernie Barrow was mentioned this week in the Locher Room YouTube session with several writers from GL.

Millee Taggart wrote for Loving and after RH was cancelled he was on Loving for a few years, and everyone seemed to have nice things to say about him.

As a gayling, I was so attracted to Roscoe Born and the guy who played Marco Dane on OLTL!

One of the few times RH did well with a recast was Randall Edwards. You couldn't imagine Ilene Kristen's Dee owning the Crystal Palace but Edwards did well and wow, that chemistry between her and future husband Roscoe Born was amazing. When Drunk Faith hurt Little John, she got all sanctimonious about it saying she didn't have to answer to Dee. Edwards brought a surprising dignity to the scene and you really wanted to slap Faith after it.

Agreed r48 -- Randall Edwards was fabulous as Dee. The Crystal Palace, the King Kong knockoff...she pulled it all off with a vulnerability I always enjoyed.

Ilene Kristen played Dee as a neurotic New Yorker, Randall Edwards played her as a dingbat from Delaware.

R50, they were just not the same Dee and that was to the writers' credit. Edwards was far more likable but she wasn't as multi-layered as Kristen. Nonetheless, the writers' crafted very good and appropriate storylines for her.

Claire Labine said Randall Edwards was astonishing

She was able to play the part as Delia, but be her own Delia.

I didn't see the King Kong thing. Which one did he have to lift?

Edwards. King Kong's name was Prince Albert. It was during their movie homage series and it was one of RH's low points. They even had a Jaws parody.

[quote]One of the few times RH did well with a recast was Randall Edwards. You couldn't imagine Ilene Kristen's Dee owning the Crystal Palace but Edwards did well and wow, that chemistry between her and future husband Roscoe Born was amazing. When Drunk Faith hurt Little John, she got all sanctimonious about it saying she didn't have to answer to Dee. Edwards brought a surprising dignity to the scene and you really wanted to slap Faith after it.

Very insightful post. Thanks for writing. Rancall Edwards created a very different character than what Ilene Kristen created, but both Delia's worked. Somehow, some way they both worked.

i remember boo hooing during the finale episode while Maeve sang.

It's a shame that this truly unique show was sacrificed by ABC trying to prop up the bland Loving.

R57 I said on another thread Loving was the product of two great soap writers Douglas Marland and Agnes Nixon, but somehow failed to be a Marland or Nixon show. It was just bland and generic. RH was miles better.

Loving's continuation The City, was better because it at least seemed unique. But, for some reason ABC didn't give it the chances they gave Loving.

Never understood why they didn’t call it City Loving, though.

It took a YouTube rabbit hole to discover years later that Michael Levin (aka Jack Finelli) was hot AF. His body was sick. Super handsome face. His scenes with Kate Mulgrew were fantastic. They were exceptionally well written and they have serious chemistry. This soap was special.

I thought Jack and Mary were a weird couple in that they had absolutely nothing in common except for sex. With Siobhan, he found a girl who shared interests with him and he and Sarah Felderr had incredible chemistry. This is a scene that showed how great RH could be. Set to La Traviata, Jack realizes his love for Siobhan and the reality that they can't be together.

The studio where Ryan's Hope was taped was the same studio that housed Dark Shadows. The building was torn down just a couple of years ago.

R62 that's nice to know. I was actually in that building when it was the Red Zone nightclub.

Actress Louise Shaffer was a standout as Rae Woodard. She would later go on to write for Ryan's Hope and As the World Turns. Before joining Ryan's Hope in the role of Rae, she played a homicidal lunatic on the Edge of Night which earned her great acclaim.

Yeah, Louise Shaffer was fantastic playing Serena and Josie on Edge of Night in 1974-75. In fact, Serena shooting her husband on the courthouse steps was one of several cliffhangers used in the final CBS episode before Edge moved to ABC the next week.

Shaffer's Serena and Josie was the first time I'd seen an actor on a soap play a dual role like that. Consequently, I was delighted when Shaffer showed up on Ryan's Hope.

R61

Can you put that scene into context? It's obvious both feel something for the other

R61 Jack was married to Siobhan's sister Mary and they were growing further apart and he and Siobhan had immediate empathy. He tells Siobhan to repeat Violetta's words: If you love me, go away because I can only offer you friendship. He can't be with Siobhan, much as he loves her.

The show was too Catholic for me.

I had forgotten that Justin Deas got his start on soaps playing Bucky Carter.

As amazing as he was on ATWT as Tom and later on Santa Barbara as Keith, his Bucky never left much of an impression on me.

I've always wondered who was the titular Ryan and what exactly was his/her hope??? Tell me!

I think the answers you seek, r70, are in this photo.

I live around the block from where they filmed, (West 53rd Street between 9th-10th Aves) or at least it was where I auditioned for a contract role on the show in '82 or '83. I think the character was a bit more rough around the edges than I was and maybe was played by an Italian or Latin kid. I am Irish and look it. I wish I could recall the name of the character, or I would look it up.

I had recently been thrown out of drama school, so I did the next best thing, I got an agent and started auditioning! I'm sure I was awful!

For fifty years, actors in NYC did soaps, often many of them, earned a decent middle-class salary, raised kids and earned a nice pension. Some actors worked their entire careers on daytime dramas. It was a huge cultural shift when they all shuttered.

r72

Not to mention, the NYC soaps gave starts to many many actors who went on to primetime and films. Ryan's Hope alone gave us Kate Mulgrew, Marg Helgenberger, Christian Slater, Corbin Bernsen, Grant Show, Yasmine Bleeth, Nell Carter, Christine Ebersole...and even Regis had a short arc before Live.

Kate and Allie's landlady was on Ryan's Hope. Does some RH superfan know the actress' name?

The casting department did solid work w/ discoveries on RH. Marg Helgenberger and Roscoe Born were perfectly. I loved Cali Timmons, Yasmine Bleeth and Grant Show. As the next generation they really shined. And I'm surprised Gerit Quealy and Jason Adams didn't get snapped up by another soap after RH.

R74 I believe K&A's landlady was Gloria Cromwell, who also played Frank Ryan's secretary.

Its weird- in the northeast everyone watched ABC soaps, but I do not remember anyone watching Ryan's Hope. Even my grandparents who got me watching every summer.

A few people I knew watched Loving, but not many- and no one watched Ryan's Hope... which is odd considering they were both on around lunchtime!

R77 Ryan's Hope was actually very popular. Never as popular as All My Children or General Hospital, but it had a good solid following and was very well respected (especially the writing) for a good number of years.

Then ABC took over creative control from the Head Writers/Creators and drove it into the ground.

My grandparents lived in Philadelphia. They would eat lunch while watching the noon news, then RH.

The paneling in Ryan's Bar was left over Collinwood's drawing room. Nancy Barrett briefly played Faith, who was supposed to be 24ish and Nancy was 35 at the time. Nancy has the rare distinction of being in 3 soaps - DS, The Drs. and RH were all eps were preserved. Only her time on OLTL is not.

I agree about Sarah Felder being brilliant and none of the Shioban recasts worked for me.

Oscar Winner Fisher Stevens on Ryan's Hope

RH was never very popular. Ironic because ABC had the blockbuster trio of AMC, OLTL and GH but RH just could never catch that lighting. In fact, it was often the lowest rated ABC soap.

Wanted to add that a primary reason ABC kept RH around was because it was considered a "prestige soap", sort of like "Family" on ABC primetime. Lots of awards but not overly popular.

I never watched RH as a kid because my local market never carried it.

I saw it at the end of its run because I was in college by then. That town's ABC affiliate did carry it, so I'd watch while I had lunch or chilled out in my dorm.

They did several of those opening scenes and all of them had a shot of Maeve and Johnny with their mouths wide open.

Permanently affixed in my memory; a scene in which David Sederholm and a young Grant Show played brothers, sharing a room, both shirtless...one was in small white boxers and the other in a white towel. It was a scene of visual perfection.

How old were you at the time R86? 😃

I loved this show, especially as it was a bit grittier than other soaps at the time and NYC-based.

SHIRTLESS David Sederholm scene at 44:26

and his muscles are bulging!

What happened to David? Alive or dead?

I did summer stock with David Sederholm in in 1973. He was nice. Gorgeous and nice. I worked with and/or knew a bunch of other RYAN'S HOPE cast members over the years.

Every clip looks so BORING. The show clearly had great actors though! And I believe every word about the quality of the show/writing as Labine had an A-Plus reputation from this show and her GH tenure.

Never knew a soul who watched this fucking show. However, I am remembering Rosie O'Donnell was a huge fan.

r91 Can you share any memories of the ones you knew ? Eager for personal anecdotes...

For a soap that supposedly no one watched, there sure are a lot of posts today. RH was not as high profile as the rest of ABC Daytime, but its fans were devoted.

It was well written and relatable until 1979 when the stunt shit with the ape, the shark and mob noise starting overwhelming it.

1979??? Okay, I'm out. Fuck Ryan's Hope AND Loving. I have yet to see one clip that resonates. But I can tell that the old lady was a good actress. Maeve?

I'm out. Continue with your memories.

Helen FUCKING Gallagher!

YES, her! She was wonderful. Clearly. The rest of the show- OVERRATED. BYE!!!!!!

Wow, I used to watch this show in its last years. I was about 10 years old and I would come for lunch from school to watch the tail end of Ryan's Hope and then the first 15 minutes of Loving before returning to school. What a time to be a soap fan.

Ryan's Hope was definitely the better show but Loving was probably the more soapy show.

When I watched it, it had Grant Show, Yasmine Bleeth, Tichina Arnold, etc. You could tell they would go onto other things.

It really seems like a lifetime ago. It's bittersweet to think about those days - definitely enjoyed watching them but it was such a different time. A time when soaps were still beloved and there was still quality left in them.

R98 They were still allowing students to go home for lunch in the mid/late 1980s?

Yes, r99. Well, I live in Canada so maybe that's why...

Such different times.

Rural schools in Saskatchewan still send town students home for lunch.

I went off campus for lunch in the early nineties in suburban Virginia/dc

We were never allowed to leave campus from during my school years, 1989-2002.

What Ryan's Hope lacked in budget, especially in the show's early years, they more than made up for with unique and enticing characters.

R104, but the characters were never truly lovable. Significant that the character who was probably the most notable was villainous Deliah. The Ryans were just so sanctimonious. There was a lot of satisfaction when we learned what a cad Johnny Ryan really was.

R105 Not true. Many were quite lovable, particularly the Maeve character, who was religious and morally upright, but also warm and loving both in the writing and in Helen Gallagher's performance. Delia was also very lovable -- an often villainous nutcase, but lovable nonetheless. Again thanks to the writing and both Ilene Kristen and then Randall Edwards.

Why does no one mention my run as Dee? I worked for Claire on WTHI.

And I dated David Cassidy

R107 Because you lasted maybe about a week and were quickly dispatched.

My mother (Doctorate in education) LOVED Ryan's Hope to the degree she would buy all the "collectible" magazines at the grocery store (in as covert a manner as she possibly could,) so I grew up with "Soap Opera Digest Presents the Ryan's Hope Year in Pictures" and whatnot as steady reading material. It seriously took me years to figure out when the magazine was talking about "Siobhan" they meant who I thought was "Shavonne." Give me a break, I was 7.

Years ago, when my job required me to wake up at 3 or 4 in the morning, I found out that SOAPNet was showing reruns of Ryan's Hope in the morning, so I tried to watch like I did when I was a kid. One night, I called my mother to tell her her old standby was being rerun...

Me: Hey Mom, they are showing Ryan's Hope on SOAPNet at 4am every day Mom: Amazing. What's going on now? Me: Well, Seneca came to the bar to talk to Maeve. Mom: Well, this will take weeks. Good luck!

I watched all the ABC soaps growing up but RH the least and I lived in NYC. My mother always watched OLTL on and off with Vicky and then on Wednesdays we had a half day off from school and would go to our Aunt's house till parents got off of work and she watched all the ABC soaps starting with Ryans hope. Started watching General Hospital after school and AMC and OLTL in the summer and holidays. Not sure why I wasn't a big fan of RH. Then the VCR came out and taped all my shows.

I kind of gave them up in college and then started to watch again occasionally.

I watched it. Garth turned into some creepy dad to Lily?

I think the changed out the Roger for the soap.

There was a Ryan's Hope Reunion on The Locher Room and Catherine Larson (Lizzie) couldn't make it, but she sent a video which Locher posted on his Instagram account

Anyways long story short, Catherine Larson is now a female Chaplain - she found god

Highlight of Locher's reunion was a surprise appearance by Cali Timmons -- just as beautiful today as she was 30+ years ago. She was teary eyed reminiscing about RH. She met her husband on the show, co-star Geoff Pierson (Frank Ryan), also on the reunion.

Delia cheating on Frank with Roger who I thought was very sexy.

There was no super couple on this show except for Mary and Jack.

This is the only soap opera I watched, except one summer when I watched the gay Billy story line on one life to live

Oh, and EastEnders of course

Biggest surprise of the RH reunion in the Locher Room came at the very end when Ilene Kristen said that ABC was leaning toward cancelling Loving, but Agnes Nixon intervened and RH got cancelled instead.

I loved Randall Edwards as Delia. When the gorilla Prince Albert kidnapped her I was hooked as a kid ! Really wish she had done more after she left RH...