Ryan's Hope

"Ryan's Hope" premiered on ABC in 1975. Created by Claire Labine and Paul Avila Mayer, this wonderfully brilliant daytime drama centered on the lives and loves of the Ryans, an Irish Catholic family who owned a bar in New York City and their friends and enemies. The show also helped launch the careers of Marg Helgenberger, Corbin Bernsen, Christian Slater, Grant Show, and Yasmine Bleeth. But in 1989, after almost 14 years, "Ryan's Hope" was abruptly canceled. And even though the show has been off the air for nearly two decades, "Ryan's Hope" will never be forgotten in the hearts of fans.moreless

What I loved most about RH was it's down-to-earth realisitic approach in it's story telling. This to me, was when this soap was at it's best. Unfortunately, such stories don't always pull in high ratings, and whenever ABC pressured the writers to come up with outlandish storylines to compete with other faster paced soaps, the show became something it simply wasn't, and it lost credibility and viewers. When it was good it was very good and when it was bad it was very bad. Kidnapped by a gorilla?!! A great soap when not also plagued by multiple recasts and a revolving door of headwriters. The acting and talent infront and behind the camera was always obvious though and I tend to try to focus on the good times/storylines more than the bad. Who could ever forget the final episode, when Helen Gallagher (Maeve Ryan) sang her heartwrenching rendition of "Danny Boy"? I get tears in my eyes just thinking about that final scene...moreless

I used to watch this soap opera all the time w/ my Mother, although my earliest memories are of when Ryan Finnelli was a teenager & that was in the 80's I think. This soap had some really good characters & storylines. I am so glad that SoapNet is re-airing it because now I get to watch the episodes that I don't remember as well as the ones I do. Now if only they would have a Ryan's Hope reunion......LOLmoreless

I used to watch this soap w/ my Mom growing up. I was sorry when they took it off the air. When cable came out w/ SoapNet & I heard Ryan's Hope was to be aired on it, I immediately upgraded by cable LOL This soap took me back a few years. It was as good as I remembered it to be & well worth watching all over again.

The label ahead of it's time is putting it mildy.Ryan's Hope was a soap opera that was different in so many ways. It took place in a real place. It focused in on a Irish Catholic family.They had friends who were black,hispanic and jewish.... Even in todays world the soaps arent that diverse....
Frank Ryan was the oldest son and very Kennedyesqe.... He married his younger brother's girlfriend when he got her pregnant.... He then cheated on her with Jillian Coleridge,(their romance went back and forth throughout the 15 yr run of the show.... Soap favorites like Ilene Kristen,Julia Barr,Walt Willey,and Roscoe Borne all began at Ryans Hope.moreless