Ryan (TV series)

Last updated

Ryan
Ryan opening title.jpeg
Created by Crawford Productions
Starring
Music byGarry Hardman
Country of originAustralia
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes39
Production
Executive producerTerry Stapleton
Camera setup Single-camera
Running time60 minutes
Production companyCrawford Productions
Original release
Network Seven Network
Release25 May 1973 (1973-05-25) 
13 April 1974 (1974-04-13)
Related
Homicide

Ryan is an Australian adventure television series screened by the Seven Network from 27 May 1973. The series was produced by Crawford Productions and had a run of 39 one-hour episodes. [1]

Contents

Synopsis

The series title relates to the character of Michael Ryan, a dashing private investigator played by Rod Mullinar. A few years prior Mullinar had briefly taken the lead role in similar Crawford's series Hunter (1967) in its closing episodes after the original lead actor Tony Ward left the show.

Ryan's secretary Julie King was played by New Zealand-born actor Pamela Stephenson, soon to leave for England and a successful television career.Some storylines were built around the character of Julie. [2] Tony Angelini (Luigi Villani), a taxi driver and Ryan's regular informant and assistant was the third key player in every episode while Detective Cullen (Colin McEwan) was Ryan's main liaison with the police force. [3] When McEwan appeared in an episode, he would be credited as one of the four main cast members.

Production

Ryan was shot entirely on film and in colour with an eye to potential international sales. Hector Crawford told the Sydney Morning Herald that the show was 'probably the most significant breakthrough for us, and for the Australian television industry, since we first produced Homicide eight years ago.' [4] An initial sale of 39 episodes to the Seven Network recouped only 55% of the series' relatively high production costs. An international sale was therefore crucial to the show's continued feasibility. [3]

Australian television was still in the process of transitioning to colour broadcasting in 1973, while key international markets were already in colour and would more readily purchase a colour series. Though many Australian series shot their interior scenes on videotape in the studio using a multiple-camera setup with only outdoor scenes shot on film, many television studios were not yet equipped with colour equipment. This meant Ryan had to be shot entirely on film. In another concession to international marketability Mullinar was instructed to play the role using a Mid-Atlantic American accent. [3]

One of Crawfords' directors, David Lee, designed a gun, in collaboration with Melbourne CIB ballistics, specifically for Mullinar to use in the show: 'a Colt with a 4-inch barrel.' [5]

Broadcast

The series premiered in May 1973, rating well in Brisbane and Adelaide, but failing in the crucial Melbourne and Sydney markets. A key reason for low ratings was the fact that the Nine Network had moved the highly popular police drama Division 4 to a new night to compete with the much-hyped new series. Ryan was moved around the schedules in order to find an audience, but ratings remained mediocre. After the initial 39 episodes were in the can the Ryan crew were, in expectation of a second series, retained by Crawfords and put to work on Homicide - whose output was increased to two episodes a week - on that show's second weekly episode. This resulted in one cross-over episode, with the Ryan regular characters appearing in an episode of Homicide with the exception of Pamela Stephenson, who had opted to leave the series during the recess. [3] Ultimately Ryan was not renewed by the Seven Network due to insufficient ratings. [3] The Homicide production reverted to one episode a week. While some of the Ryan crew were rolled into the new Crawfords serial The Box . However, that show featured little outdoors filming so inevitably some of the Ryan crew were retrenched - the first time Crawfords had ever retrenched staff. [3]

Ryan debuted in Canada in September 1975, [6] in the US eleven days later on 27 September 1975 [7] and in the UK on the 6 July 1976. [8]

Cast

Main

Guests

[ citation needed ]

ActorRoleEps.
Alfred Sandor Miklos / Knight2
Alister Smart Colin Brown
Anne Scott-Pendlebury Katrina
Anthony Hawkins Adler1
Brian Moll Warburton / Topley
Bruce Spence Wally Scott1
Carmen Duncan Anne1
Carole Skinner Jane Moore1
Cecily Polson Gail Scott / Vicki2
Christine Amor Jennifer1
Danny Adcock Harry Fisher1
Diane Craig Lacey Glen1
Dina Mann Nikki1
Elspeth Ballantyne Rhoda Bitov1
Graeme Blundell Flip Mitchell / Slade2
Jack Thompson John Mitchell / Brian Duncan2
John Clayton Hunt / Harry2
John Stanton Johnson1
Kate Sheil Ellen Cornell1
Kevin Golsby Trevor Armstrong1
Kevin Miles John Hiller
Maurie Fields Bob Clark1
Michael Aitkens Bernie Wood1
Norman Yemm Carl Hoffman / Max Miller2
Pat Bishop Elaine Duncan1
Penne Hackforth-Jones Jana / Helen2
Peter Gwynne Raymond Fitch1
Roger Ward Don1
Rowena Wallace Kate / Sue Ogilvie / Zita / Holly Beckett4
Serge Lazareff Patrick
Sheila Florance Lorna Russell1
Simon Chilvers Joe / Fat man / Henderson3
Terry McDermott Matt

Episodes

No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
11"Liz" Simon Wincer Morton S. Fine
Terry Stapleton
25 May 1973 (1973-05-25)
22"This Little Piggy Went to Pieces"Andrew Swanson Peter Schreck 1 June 1973 (1973-06-01)
33"Firing Squad"Gary Conway Colin Eggleston 8 June 1973 (1973-06-08)
44"Nut File"Gary ConwayNeil Atkinson
Terry Stapleton
15 June 1973 (1973-06-15)
55"King's Bishop to Queen Three"Gary ConwayPeter Schreck22 June 1973 (1973-06-22)
66"Catalyst"Gary Conway Ron McLean 29 June 1973 (1973-06-29)
77"Death Watch"Ian BennettPhil Freedman6 July 1973 (1973-07-06)
88"Come the Liberation"Simon Wincer William Froug 13 July 1973 (1973-07-13)
99"Messenger Birds"Ian Crawford
Andrew Swanson
James Wulf Simmonds20 July 1973 (1973-07-20)
1010"Tribe"Simon WincerDennis Paul
Peter Schreck
27 July 1973 (1973-07-27)
1111"The Girl with the Golden Slippers"Simon WincerDavid Boutland3 August 1973 (1973-08-03)
1212"Miss Ogilvie Repents"Andrew SwansonDennis Paul10 August 1973 (1973-08-10)
1313"Man with a Mission"Simon WincerJames Wulf Simmonds17 August 1973 (1973-08-17)
1414"But When She Was Bad"Gary ConwayDavid Boutland24 August 1973 (1973-08-24)
1515"Moon Monkey"Gary Conway Everett De Roche 31 August 1973 (1973-08-31)
1616"Nobody's Perfect"Ian BennettJosé Luis Bayonas8 September 1973 (1973-09-08)
1717"Person or Persons Unknown"David JohnstoneDavid Boutland15 September 1973 (1973-09-15)
1818"Fibber the Dancing Galah"Simon WincerEverett De Roche22 September 1973 (1973-09-22)
1919"Hamlet's Horse"Simon WincerDennis Paul29 September 1973 (1973-09-29)
2020"Where Thunder Sleeps"Simon Wincer Ian Jones 6 October 1973 (1973-10-06)
2121"The Far Away Girl"Simon WincerJohn Blair13 October 1973 (1973-10-13)
2222"Hickory Dickory Dock"Ian BennettJosé Luis Bayonas20 October 1973 (1973-10-20)
2323"Pipeline"Gary ConwayMichael Harvey27 October 1973 (1973-10-27)
2424"Three-Legged Duck"Gary ConwayEverett De Roche3 November 1973 (1973-11-03)
2525"A Bag Full of Miracles"Ian BennettJosé Luis Bayonas10 November 1973 (1973-11-10)
2626"Giant, Giant Had a Great Fall"Simon WincerNeil Atkinson17 November 1973 (1973-11-17)
2727"Way Back"Simon WincerTerry Stapleton24 November 1973 (1973-11-24)
2828"Negative Proof"Gary Conway John Edwards 1 December 1973 (1973-12-01)
2929"A Little Something Special"George MillerWilliam Froug8 December 1973 (1973-12-08)
3030"Red Alert"Ian BennettJohn Blair15 December 1973 (1973-12-15)
3131"A Deep Dark Place"Gary ConwayDavid Boutland25 January 1974 (1974-01-25)
3232"A Song for Julie"Ian BennettEverett De Roche1 February 1974 (1974-02-01)
3333"The Man in Room 16"Andrew SwansonIan Jones18 February 1974 (1974-02-18)
3434"Give Them the World"Simon WincerDavid Boutland2 March 1974 (1974-03-02)
3535"Wild About Harry"Simon WincerIan Jones9 March 1974 (1974-03-09)
3636"King Hit"Gary ConwayJosé Luis Bayonas16 March 1974 (1974-03-16)
3737"Goodbye Holly Beckett"Ian BennettJohn Blair
Terry Stapleton
23 March 1974 (1974-03-23)
3838"There's Going to Be a War"Gary ConwayDavid Boutland30 March 1974 (1974-03-30)
3939"A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Altar"Gary ConwayNeil Atkinson
Terry Stapleton
13 April 1974 (1974-04-13)

DVD release

The complete series was released on DVD in June 2018. It and other Crawford Productions series are available to international viewers from Eaton Films in the UK and Australia and New Zealand based buyers from Crawfords DVD. As well as the full run of 39 episodes, the DVD set includes the Homicide crossover episode "As Simple As ABZ".

TitleFormatEp #DiscsRegion 2 (UK)Region 4 (Australia)Special FeaturesDistributors
Ryan (Complete Collection)DVD3910June 2018June 2018HOMICIDE - Episode 408 featuring Ryan Crawford Productions

Related Research Articles

<i>Young Talent Time</i> Television series

Young Talent Time is an Australian television variety program produced by Lewis-Young Productions and screened on Network Ten. The original series ran from 1971 until 1988 and was hosted by singer-songwriter and record producer Johnny Young for its entire run. The show was briefly revived by Network Ten in 2012 and was hosted by singer and actor Rob Mills.

The Box is an Australian soap opera that ran on ATV-0 from 11 February 1974 until 11 October 1977 and on 0–10 Network affiliates around Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pamela Stephenson</span> New Zealand psychologist and actress (born 1949)

Pamela Stephenson, Lady Connolly is a New Zealand-born psychologist, writer, actress and comedian. She moved with her family to Australia in 1953 and studied at the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA). After playing several stage and television roles, Stephenson emigrated to the United Kingdom in 1976.

Cop Shop is a long-running Australian police drama television series produced by Crawford Productions that ran for seven seasons between 28 November 1977 and 23 July 1984. It comprised 582 one-hour episodes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crawford Productions</span> Australian TV production company

Crawford Productions is an Australian media production company, focused on radio and television production. Founded in Melbourne by Hector Crawford and his sister, actress and voice artist Dorothy Crawford, the company, also known as Crawfords Australia, is now a subsidiary of the WIN Corporation.

Carson's Law is an Australian television series made by Crawford Productions for the Ten Network between 1982-1984. The series was a period piece set in the 1920s and starred Lorraine Bayly as progressive solicitor Jennifer Carson. The episodes revolved around the cases taken on by Jennifer, and the various personal intrigues of her family.

Homicide was a landmark Australian television police procedural drama series broadcast on the Seven Network and produced by Crawford Productions. It was the television successor to Crawfords' radio series D24. The "Consummate Homicide cast" includes the four characters that are the best known: Det. Snr. Sgt. David "Mac" MacKay, Det. Sgt. Peter Barnes, Inspector Colin Fox and Sen. Det. Jim Patterson.

Matlock Police is an Australian television police drama series made by Crawford Productions for The 0-10 Network between 1971 and 1976. The series focused on the police station and crime in the Victorian town of Matlock and the surrounding district, and the backgrounds and personal lives of the main policemen.

<i>Bluey</i> (1976 TV series) 1976 crime drama television series

Bluey is an Australian television series made by Crawford Productions for the Seven Network in 1976.

The Long Arm was an Australian television police series shown from April 1970, which ran for 19 episodes.

Gerard Kennedy is an Australian double Gold Logie award-winning former actor, best known for his roles in early television series, in particular the espionage series including Hunter and the police procedural Division 4. Kennedy also appeared in film roles during a career that spanned 50 years in the industry.

Shock Jock was an Australian television comedy series on TV1. The series lasted for two series between 2001 and 2002 and was created by comedian Tim Ferguson.

Against the Wind is a 1978 Australian television miniseries. It is a historical drama portraying both the British rule of Ireland, and the development of New South Wales and Australia.

Josephine Knur is a former Australian actress recognised for her eight-month stint as Lorelei Wilkinson in television soap opera Number 96 in 1974.

Rodney Mullinar is a British Australian actor, noted for his roles on Australian television.

Hunter was an Australian espionage adventure television series screened by the Nine Network from Tuesday 4 July 1967 to March 1969. The series was created by Ian Jones and produced by Crawford Productions.

<i>Homicide: Life on the Street</i> season 2 1994 American television series season

The second season of Homicide: Life on the Street, an American police procedural drama television series, originally aired in the United States between January 6 and January 27, 1994. Due to low Nielsen ratings during the first season, NBC executives decided to order only a four-episode season, after which they would evaluate the ratings and decide whether to renew the show. Homicide was moved to a new timeslot of Thursdays at 10 p.m. EST, temporarily replacing the legal drama L.A. Law. NBC requested several changes from the series, including fewer episode subplots and less camera movements and jump cuts.

Cash and Company is an Australian television period adventure series, set during the Victorian gold rush of the 1850s. It screened on the Seven Network in Australia in 1976 and on ITV in the UK.

<i>Cluedo</i> (Australian game show) Australian television game show

Cluedo is an Australian whodunnit game show based on the British series of the same name and inspired by the 1949 board game Cluedo. It was produced by Crawford Action Time in conjunction with Nine Network. The show saw a studio audience view a dramatised scenario, then complete rounds of interrogating the six suspects on stage in character and viewing further evidence through a pre-recorded criminal investigation. Players then deduced the solution to the murder case using a trio of computer-linked electronic dials, and after the solution was revealed the first person who had locked-in this combination won a prize.

Dorothy Muriel Turner Crawford, also known as Dorothy Balderson, Dorothy Strong, and Dorothy Smith, was an Australian actress and announcer, as well as a producer in radio and television, who, with her brother Hector Crawford, co-founded the important Australian broadcasting production company Crawford Productions.

References

  1. Moran, Albert. Moran's Guide to Australian TV Series, Allen & Unwin, 1993. ISBN   0-642-18462-3 p 398
  2. Moran, Albert 1993. p 398
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Storey, Don. TV Eye - Classic Australian Television, TV Eye - Classic Australian Television
  4. 'Ryan, newest private eye here on Sunday' Sydney Sunday Sun-Herald 10 June 1973 p. 82
  5. 'Jamie on TV Show' Sydney "Sun-Herald" 17 September 1972 p. 128
  6. 'TV Timetable' Calgary Albertan 16 September 1975 p. 21
  7. 'Monday Evening Television' Buffalo Evening News, 27 September 1975 p. 54
  8. 'Radio and Television', London Daily Telegraph 6 July 1976 p. 27