How Did the Soap ‘Ryan’s Hope’ End?
Daytime serial Ryan’s Hope ran from 1975 to 1989 on ABC, telling the tales of the Irish-Catholic Ryan clan, overseen by matriarch Maeve Colleary Ryan (Helen Gallagher) and patriarch Johnny Ryan (Bernie Barrow) — as well as their extended family, friends and foes. Created by Claire Labine and Paul Avila Mayer, Ryan’s Hope seldom strayed from grounded, realistic tales set in the worlds of New York City medicine, politics, law, crime and the mob (though there was that one story in which a gorilla kidnapped Delia (Randall Edwards) in an homage to King Kong).
In Tom Lisanti’s book, Ryan’s Hope: The Oral History of Daytime’s Groundbreaking Soap, actor Richard Backus, who played Barry Ryan, said, “At the time, Ryan’s Hope was considered sort of the thinking man’s soap. It was considered the best written show with the deepest characters.”
The series is still beloved and greatly missed by its loyal fan base — but can you remember how the show ended when it finally called it quits after nearly 13 years?
A cast of future stars
Everett Collection
Ryan’s Hope‘s vast, sprawling plots allowed room for plenty of actors to pop in and out — several of whom would go on to become household names for TV viewers in the next few decades.
Johnny ran Ryan’s Bar, which was across the street from Riverside Hospital. He and Maeve’s children included Frank (played over the years by Michael Hawkins; Andrew Robinson; Daniel Hugh-Kelly; Geoffrey Pierson; and John Sanderford), a politician and lawyer; Kathleen (Nancy Reardon), Patrick (Malcolm Groome), and Mary (Kate Mulgrew, Mary Carney, Kathleen Tolan, and Nicolette Goulet), and Siobhan (Sarah Felder, Ann Gillespie, Marg Helgenberger, Carrell Myers, and Barbara Blackburn).
An initial storyline had Frank being killed off, but the network offered one note: “What if Frank lives?”
The unpredictable Delia Reid, Frank’s first wife, was played by Ilene Kristen, Robyn Millan, Randall Edwards, and Robin Mattson (best known as Heather on General Hospital).
The Coleridge clan also played an integral role in the series, with a group of siblings that included Roger (Ron Hale), Jillian (Nancy Addison Altman) and Faith (Jody Catlin, Nancy Barrett, Catherine Hicks, and Karen Morris-Gowdy).
One of the show’s most memorable stories was the love tale of Mary Ryan and Jack Finelli (Michael Levin). The couple visited Ireland on their honeymoon, but their life together was cut short when Mary died in a car bomb. While she wasn’t playing Mary when she perished, Mulgrew reprised the character in 1983, 1986, and in the series finale.
While never a ratings winner, the show cleaned up with awards – especially in the writing. Ryan’s Hope won the Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series in 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1983, and 1984. The show won the Daytime Serials writing category at the Writers Guild of America Awards in 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1987, 1988, 1989, and 1990. Gallagher won three Daytime Emmys for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series for her role as Maeve.
Famous alumni of the show include Marg Helgenberger (CSI), Yasmine Bleeth (Baywatch), T’China Arnold ( The Neighborhood), Kate Mulgrew (Star Trek: Voyager and Orange is the New Black) and Grant Show ( Melrose Place; Dynasty).
How did Ryan’s Hope end? A familiar face, A wedding, last Call, and “Danny Boy”
Ryan’s Hope‘s final srun of episodes featured the return of many past favorites, but it saved what was arguable the most touching one for its finale on Friday, January 13, 1989. The day began with Jack Finelli preparing to marry Leigh Kirkland (Felicity LaFortune). The groom couldn’t resist looking at a photo of his other bride – the late Mary, who was on his mind a great deal.
Mulgrew reprised Mary for the show’s finale and spoke to Jack through a photograph, either as part of his imagination or from the great beyond. The two playfully bantered with her in the afterlife as they had throughout life. Mulgrew literally telephoned her performance in, as she was not in New York where the show taped. However, she and Levin didn’t miss a beat in terms of recapturing their onscreen chemistry.
“We were so young,” Mary said of their wedding day. Jack replied: “You were.”
“I still am,” Mary cracked. “That’s one benefit of premature death.”
Then, Jack got down to what was really going through his mind. “Loving you, and losing you, trying to make sense out of love and loss has been the most important part of my life,” he said. “Until now.”
“Now, you love Leigh,” Mary conceded.
“I couldn’t without everything that’s gone before,” Jack shared.
Jack examined why he couldn’t let go of Mary, even though he was moving on to a new life with Leigh. “The question is, why aren’t I willing to let go, and the answer is, I am still and will be to my dying day as defended against loss and goodbye as a human being can be.”
Fortunately, Jack realized that he doesn’t ever have to fully say goodbye to Mary – nor her to him. “Because,” he said, “we have been and we are one, and always will be.”
Maeve showed up and shared some sentimental words of her own with Jack, knowing that while they’d always be family, it wouldn’t be quite the same after he married Leigh. “The love won’t change,” Jack let Maeve know.
Next, Maeve had more emotional words to say – this time to Siobhan (Barbara Blackburn). The red-haired beauty said she was scared of Fenno (Casey Biggs), and going into business with him. Well, not so much that, but she feared falling in love with him. As Jack still loved Mary, Siobhan still loved the late Joe Novak (Roscoe Born). “I miss Joe until I ache,” she said.
Maeve had three simple words of advice: “Live. Go. Do.” The matriarch added she wasn’t denying her daughter’s pain, but she urged her to feel it and to use it. “It’s the only way to make any sense out of it at all,” Maeve added.
Matthew (Steve Fletcher) reluctantly agreed to give Leigh’s hand in marriage to Jack. The couple’s ceremony was fast-tracked into a montage so there’d be more time for dynamics to play out at the reception, which was held, of course, at Ryan’s bar.
There was a lot to get in as this was the last time we’d see everyone together. Ryan (Yasmine Bleeth) and Chaz Saybrook (Brian McGovern) made a commitment to their future together.
Johnny proposed a toast to the newlyweds, wishing them joy and peace as well as good friends and good work. “Most of all,” he added, “good love and may your happiness together be full of happiness and hope.”
Dressed in red, Rae Woodard (Daytime Emmy-winner Louise Shaffer) made a grand entrance. She was on her way to the Netherlands and had to wish Jack and Leigh well. She marveled that John Reid Ryan (Ash Adams) was all grown up.
Ben (James Wlcek) appeared, sporting a black leather jacket, gave Lizzie (Kathy Larson) a farewell smooch in the kitchen. Nancy Don (Maria Pitillo) announced that she was following Ben back to Australia. On her way out of the bar, she suggested to Ryan that she “chill out.”
A terrified (in a good way) Siobhan shared with Fenno that she was ready to not only go into business with Fenno but share a future with him.
Bobby Reid (Earl Hindman) asked his sister Delia to check his lottery ticket against the winning numbers in the newspaper. They matched!
Before leaving for his and Leigh’s honeymoon, Jack had one request from Maeve — that she sing “Danny Boy,” which she had performed in the past.
“Would I deny you?” Maeve said to Jack.
Before she began, Pat (Malcolm Groome) had one question for Faith Coleridge (Karen Morris-Gowdy) who had returned with her daughter, Grace (Caroline Wilde), 5. “Is Grace mine?” Pat asked his former lover.
“Wait,” Faith stalled. “Maeve’s about to sing.” While viewers never got an official answer to Grace’s paternity, the look on Faith’s face indicated that yep, Pat was indeed the dad.
“Oh, Danny Boy,” Maeve began singing, “the pipes, the pipes are calling…”
Gallagher continued the song and then, in character, she encouraged wedding guests to join her. The only problem was this was an unrehearsed moment and many of the actors didn’t know the lyrics!
At the conclusion of the song, Gallagher had an ad lib of her own to deliver. “Have a good life!” she urged both wedding guests and the viewers at home as the image of her face went to freeze-frame.
Ryan’s Hope went on to find a new audience with SOAPnet viewers, as episodes of the show’s earlier years were broadcast on the now defunct cable channel. In 2000, SOAPnet aired a special retrospect on the show.
Also, General Hospital revealed that Ava Jerome’s (Maura West) mother was none other than Delia Reid! Ilene Kristen reprised her role as the irrepressible Delia for episodes on GH starting in 2013.
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