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.Moran, Albert. Moran's Guide to Australian TV Series, Allen & Unwin, 1993. p 398

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.Moran, Albert 1993. p 398 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.Storey, Don. TV Eye - Classic Australian Television, TV Eye - Classic Australian Television 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.' 'Ryan, newest private eye here on Sunday' Sydney Sunday Sun-Herald 10 June 1973 p. 82 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.

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.

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.''Jamie on TV Show' Sydney "Sun-Herald" 17 September 1972 p. 128

Broadcast Locally Ryan 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 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. Ultimately Ryan was not renewed by the Seven Network due to insufficient ratings. The Homicide production reverted to one episode a week. While some of the 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.

Internationally Ryan debuted in Canada in September 1975,'TV Timetable' Calgary Albertan 16 September 1975 p. 21 in the US eleven days later on 27 September 1975'Monday Evening Television' Buffalo Evening News, 27 September 1975 p. 54 and in the UK on the 6 July 1976.'Radio and Television', London Daily Telegraph 6 July 1976 p. 27

Cast

Main Rod Mullinar as Michael Ryan Pamela Stephenson as Julie King Luigi Villani as Tony Angelini Colin McEwan as Detective Sergeant Dan Cullen

Episodes

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".

Title Format Ep # Discs Region 2 (UK) Region 4 (Australia) Special features Distributors Ryan (Complete Collection) DVD 39 10 June 2018 June 2018 HOMICIDE - Episode 408 featuring Ryan Crawford Productions

References

External links Ryan at Crawford Productions

Ryan at AustLit episode "Catalyst" at AustLit

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