Book Review of Ryan’s Hope: An Oral History of Daytime TV’s Groundbreaking Soap

There have been some excellent books written about the history of soap operas overall, as well as individual titles focusing on the storylines of All My Children, As the World Turns, The Bold and the Beautiful, Days of our Lives, General Hospital, Guiding Light, The Young and the Restless, etc. But Tom Lisanti’s Ryan’s Hope: An Oral History of Daytime TV’s Groundbreaking Soap is the best version yet, which covers not just what happened at Ryan’s Bar, Riverside Hospital, and the Crystal Palace, but also how it happened and why it happened — straight from the lips of those who made it happen.

Ryan’s Hope: Roll Call

Lisanti’s book, officially available today, Tuesday, October 24, 2023, not only features an introduction from Ilene Kristen, who played Delia on Ryan’s Hope and later brought the character to ABC sister soap, General Hospital, but also in-depth interviews with Ron Hale (Roger, RH; ex-Mike; GH), Ana Alicia (Alicia, RH; Melissa; Falcon Crest), Gordon Thompson (Ari, RH; Adam, Dynasty; Mason; Santa Barbara), Maureen Garrett (EJ, RH; Holly, Guiding Light), the late Roscoe Born (Joe, RH, and many other daytime and primetime soap roles), as well as Catherine Hicks, who went on to star in Star Trek IV, and Marg Helgenberg of China Beach and CSI, and many, many more.

Soaps Behind the Scenes

We hear from the daughters of Paul Avila Mayer, who created the show alongside Claire Labine, and from Tony Award winner Helen Galagher, who played matriarch Maeve from the show’s first day to its last (where she sang the iconic “Danny Boy,” and improvised the final line, “Have a good life”).

Lisanti also goes behind the scenes and examines the battles between ABC and Labine-Mayer, which ranged from the network wanting the little drama that could to be more like the larger-than-life General Hospital during the pop culture phenomenon of the Luke and Laura years, to the chance for it to expand to one hour — which Labine and Mayer turned down.

Ryan’s Hope: Final Word

Its scope, its attention to detail, and, in the end, the love that shows through on every page is what makes this oral history a must-have for Ryan’s Hope fans, all soap fans, television fans, and future writers of books about soaps — to show how it should be done!

Another View, Just As Good

Soap Hub critic Garren Waldo also weighed in on the new book. “Tom Lisanti has done fans of the late, lamented Ryan’s Hope a great service with his glorious tome. It is both a most appreciable time capsule and a testament to the enduring appeal of one of the most beloved soap operas of all time.

“The recollections herein are raw and patently earnest, the insights of the inner machinations of television making boggle, and the author’s abiding passion for the subject is ever evident.

“Simply put, this is a book that any self-respecting fan will have on their shelf.”