With this being St Patrick’s Day, I wanted to remind people that there once was a soap that would be
celebrating the holiday in the most festive way possible. Even when the show, Ryan’s Hope (1975-
1989), after 13 years, went off the air. Who could forget the show’s matriarch, Maeve Ryan (Played by
Broadway legend, Helen Gallagher) singing the song, “Danny Boy” as the last frame faded to black.
When Tom Lisanti’s book, Ryan’s Hope: An Oral History of Daytime’s Groundbreaking Soap, came
out last fall, I requested a copy, as someone with Irish roots, I started watching the show with my mom in
1976, and became an avid fan in 1980. I chatted with Lisanti’s through email this past week.
I just read your book and oral history on Ryan’s Hope, what interested you on this
show?
I stumbled upon Ryan’s Hope in the spring of 1980, while I was a freshman at Nassau
Community College. One day, during a long break between classes, I was channel surfing
and a stunning blonde caught my eye because she resembled my favorite actress Carol
Lynley from The Poseidon Adventure fame. I stopped to watch and she (Randall Edwards
as Delia Reid Ryan Coleridge) was fretting to some dude (Richard Backus as Barry
Ryan) that she was afraid the mob was going to take over her fabulous restaurant because
the recently murdered mob kingpin was her secret investor. I had no idea what I was
watching until the credits rolled and it was Ryan’s Hope. I knew it was a soap opera but I
did not realize one would have a mobster plot. That intrigued me, so I watched whenever
I could during the days pre-VCR. I became an instant fan. I thought Delia was the heroine and that
Frank Ryan and sisters Jill and Faith Coleridge, who were either berating Delia or acting haughtily
towards her, were the villains. I even nicknamed Jill and Faith “the witches of Coleridge.” I still think
they were the villains even after knowing all the history. Then once Roscoe Born joined
the show in January of 1981, as sexy, charming Joe Novak, the nephew of the murdered
mob kingpin Tiso, I was hooked even more.
What sets Ryan’s Hope apart from other shows?
It was set in a real city, New York, and focused on an Irish Catholic family. Most soaps
at the time were set in fictional small towns and the main families were usually middle-
class WASPs. Maeve and Johnny Ryan were working-class immigrants who owned a bar
and lived above it with their children. Their old-fashioned values, ideas, and devout belief
in Catholicism clashed with the more modern and secular ones of their grown children
making it unique for the time.
In your interviews what story stood out for you?
A few did. Ilene Kristen speaking in detail about why and how she was fired from the
show in 1983 during her second go-around as Delia. How Ron Hale found out that new
head writer Pat Falken Smith was plotting to kill off his character, Roger Coleridge, in
1984 and what he did to fight back. And learning from ABC executive Seymour Amlen
just what Agnes Nixon threatened to get her crappy Loving moved into Ryan’s Hope’s
12:30 pm timeslot.
Malachy McCourt, was one who just passed away, what was he like?
We did a telephone interview, and he was gregarious and so proud to have been part of
Ryan’s Hope. He loved working with Bernie Barrow, Helen Gallagher, Kate Mulgrew,
and Ilene Kristen. They were all patient with him not being a trained actor and would
give him advice on doing scenes, especially Kate. He also admitted that his being loud
and vocal with his opinions got him fired by new executive producer, Joe Hardy.
What was the most memorable story?
For some, it is the love story between Mary Ryan and reporter Jack Fenelli that ended
with Mary being rubbed out by the mob. Kate Mulgrew and Michael Levin were the
show’s first super couple. However, for me, it is the tortured romance between Siobhan
Ryan and Joe Novak. He was always trying to break free from his mobster family but
would be pulled back in and she had to deal with her disapproving family and being a
police officer. Their love for each other was often not enough to overcome these
obstacles. I could have cared less about Luke and Laura back then. Joe and Siobhan were
my soap opera super couple.
What was the most Outrageous?
The King Kong storyline rip-off. To this day, most fans hate it and some say it ruined the
show for them. I personally like it. A lonely Delia (who was thrown out by husband #3
Roger Coleridge and on the outs with the Ryan family) befriends a gorilla named Prince
Albert during her walks through Central Park to get to her soon-to-open restaurant
Delia’s Crystal Palace. This story almost broke up the writing partnership between Claire
Labine (who pushed for it) and Paul Avila Mayer (who did not want to do it). Claire felt
it was about isolation and how Delia was only able to find solace in her friendship with
the ape. It was touching and a bit sad at first, but admittedly then went off the rails when
Prince Albert escapes, make his way to the restaurant, and carries Delia off to Belvedere
Castle in Central Park. On a Friday afternoon, he climbs to the top and after being hit
with a sedative, via dart gun, drops Delia. The show ends with a freeze-frame of Delia’s
screaming face.
They had some popular stars with Kate Mulgrew (Voyager), Kelli Mahoney (Fast Times/Night of
the Comet), Michael Corbett (Young and Restless), Gordon Thomson (Dynasty), etc . Why would
they let them go?
Kate Mulgrew was let out of her contract early because she was beloved by Claire and
Paul and they did not want to hold her back on the offers she was getting. Gordon
Thomson’s Raiders of the Lost Ark type storyline ended with him being killed off. I am
sure he was glad of it because he landed Dynasty shortly after. Letting Kelli Maroney and
Michael Corbett go, for me, was the show’s biggest blunder. They were arguably the
most popular actors on the show, based on the mainstream media coverage they received.
College kids were tuning in in droves to watch their scheming antics. The fact that their
characters were outside of the Ryan and Coleridge family circle, I think that had a lot to
do with them getting fired because they were taking screen time away from some of those
other actors who were allegedly not happy. Unfortunately, Michael was murdered but
Claire and Paul at least had the good sense to realize they made a mistake in canning Kelli and brough her back to reprise the role about six months later—before firing her yet again! I cannot fathom why they couldn’t see what a gem they had in Kelli as Kimberly.
I read that Agnes Nixon was blamed for the timeslot change that started the show’s
downward spiral, but lots of these stars, Ilene (OLTL/Loving), Roscoe (OLTL/City),
Helen (OLTL), Michael (AMC), Bernie (Loving) and even Clare (OLTL) all ended
up on her shows. Even Bernie and Ilene ended up on Loving? Was all forgiven?
By the actors but not me. I refused to watch Loving knowing it was the reason Ryan’s
Hope was cancelled. But an actor has to eat and pay the bills. You just take the job and
grin and bear it. Bernie and Ilene excelled on Loving. Ilene was a hoot as wacky Norma
(which I saw only a handful of times) and Bernie won Loving’s only acting Emmy Award
for playing Louie.
Loved it when Ilene was able to cross over to GH as her RH character. Her singing
Danny Boy to her granddaughter really brought back some memories. Do you think
Ryan’s Hope will come back someday?
No, not a chance. I would be happy if some cable channel or streaming service just reran
the entire run of the show (and other soaps too). The best we can hope for, I think, is for
some more Ryan’s Hope characters to pop up on General Hospital.
If RH continued, and introduced a gay character, what would it be about?
I think by 1989, Ryan’s Hope was long overdue in introducing a gay character. Hell, it
was set in New York City for goodness sakes! I would have brought in another relative
from the Chicago branch of the family. He is the younger, early twentysomething brother
of Barry and Elisabeth Jane Ryan (let’s call him Tommy Ryan, ha ha) who comes to New
York and moves in with Maeve and Johnny. They sense there is something different
about him. Tommy is quite handsome but a bit shy and socially awkward. Delia picks up
on this too and befriends him. He eventually comes out to her. She loves the idea of
having a gay best friend and offers him a job at her boutique/art gallery, Deja vu, in the
heart of Greenwich Village. With her help, Tommy experiences a whole new world in the
gay mecca. When the Ryans learn their nephew is homosexual, they have a hard time
accepting him due to their strict Catholic beliefs. Frank and Johnno too act differently
towards him. With the horrible AIDS crisis in full swing. I think there would have been a
lot of storyline possibilities.
What did the traditional Ryan’s St. Patricks Day look like?
Lots of green, beer, family drama, Delia acting ditsier than usual, and ending with Maeve
singing “Danny Boy.”
To get a copy of Ryan’s Hope: An Oral History of Daytime’s Groundbreaking Soap is available
everywhere books are sold.
Tom Lisanti’s Next book will be on ill-fainted soap, Texas (1980-82)