Ryan's Hope 

The trials and tribulations of The Ryans, an Irish-American family in New York City.

Creators:

Paul Avila Mayer, Claire Labine

Stars:

Nancy Addison, Michael Levin, Helen Gallagher

29 wins & 47 nominations.

Cast

Series cast summary:
Nancy Addison	...	Jillian Coleridge / ... 1,095 episodes, 1975-1989
Michael Levin	...	Jack Fenelli / ... 1,075 episodes, 1975-1989
Helen Gallagher	...	Maeve Ryan / ... 957 episodes, 1975-1989
Ron Hale	...	Dr. Roger Coleridge 886 episodes, 1975-1989
Bernard Barrow	...	Johnny Ryan 845 episodes, 1975-1989
John Gabriel	...	Dr. Seneca Beaulac / ... 757 episodes, 1975-1989
Ilene Kristen	...	Delia Reid Ryan / ... 678 episodes, 1975-1989
Louise Shaffer	...	Rae Woodard 571 episodes, 1977-1989
Malcolm Groome	...	Dr. Patrick Ryan / ... 566 episodes, 1975-1989
Earl Hindman	...	Bob Reid / ... 494 episodes, 1975-1989
Daniel Hugh Kelly	...	Frank Ryan 491 episodes, 1978-1981
Karen Morris Gowdy	...	Dr. Faith Coleridge 443 episodes, 1978-1989

Storyline

Set in Riverside on the upper West Side of Manhattan, Ryan's Hope centered mostly on the working class Ryans, an Irish-American family headed by Maeve and Johnny Ryan. They owned Ryan's Bar, a pivotal location for character interaction. The Ryans' dreams and ambitions made up most of the stories.

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Plot Keywords:

new york city new york | irish american | manhattan new york city | sergeant | soap opera | 

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

TV-PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

Elizabeth Perkins auditioned for a role.

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Crazy Credits

Medical Instrumentation courtesy of Hewlett-Packard

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Connections

Referenced in Mystery Science Theater 3000: Gorgo (1998)

User Reviews

A Classic Soap Opera

Ryan's Hope is a true classic. There are many fine men on the show like Jack, Pat, Frank and Bucky but I love the women on this show.

Helen Gallagher plays loving matriarch, Maeve Ryan. She is sometimes blind to the faults of her grown children but is always there to support them and offers her profound wisdom.

Mary Ryan Fennelli, first played by Kate Mulgrew, is a self-righteous know-it-all but she is also a fiercely loyal wife, daughter and sister.

Jill Coleridge (Nancy Addison) is a brilliant lawyer who was a true liberated woman of the 1970's. Jill is sometimes a little too independent for her own good.

Dr. Faith Coleridge started out as a clingy daddy's girls when played by Faith Catlin but when Catherine Hicks took over the role Faith blossomed into a stronger, smarter yet still sensitive woman.

Delia Reid Ryan Ryan is the shows villain. Delia is highly manipulative and selfish. She simply refuses to deal with reality and has never shown the slightest remorse for what she does. Ilene Kristen plays the Delia you love to hate.

Rae Woodard (Louise Shaffer) is a woman who will use her power and money to get what she wants.

All the characters on Ryan's Hope are very well drawn and much more interesting than what you will find on today's soaps.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

7 July 1975 (USA)

Also Known As:

Ryan's Hope

Filming Locations:

Studio 16, ABC Studios, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Labine-Meyer Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

30 min (1975-1989)

Sound Mix:

Mono (1975-1984) Stereo (1984-1989)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1