AustLit

Ryan focused on the titular Michael Ryan, a private detective with a stringent code of ethics and a background as a soldier, police officer, and social worker. Ryan's work doesn't focus on divorce and domestic problems, but on serious crimes that, for some reason, the victims are unwilling to take to the police. He is supported by his secretary Julie King (who often becomes involved in fieldwork), cab driver and later assistant Tony Angelini, and police liaison Detective Sergeant Dan Cullen.

According to Don Storey in Classic Australian Television,

'The production standards of Ryan are very high -- good writing, solid acting performances, smooth direction and excellent camera and editing work combined to form a polished and professional product. And Ryan was very successful overseas -- proportional to the number of episodes made, Ryan has probably done better overseas than most other Crawford shows. Yet it was the first Crawford show not to do well locally'.

'Sue Ogilvie is a high-class call girl with more charm than brains. She stumbles onto an industrial espionage incident without even knowing it.

'Ryan becomes involved with one of the lesser criminals, who fearing for the girls' safety - hires him to trace Sue Ogilvie. Soon Ryan is acting for the girl herself. She has become the victim of a terror campaign and is bashed while in Ryan's care.

'Ryan uncovers the industrial espionage and finds himself in violent conflict with a large and supposedly reputable company.'

Source: Synopsis held in the Crawford Collection in the AFI Research Collection (RMIT).

The script held in the Crawford Collection in the AFI Research Collection contains the following character notes (excluding regular characters):

'SUE OGILVIE Early 20's. A charming dumb-blonde. Nature too friendly and trusting for her own safety. Has worked as a call girl but now regrets it.

'STEVE ROBERTS Thirtyish, heavy hornrimmed glasses, scholarly. A rather nervous man, who possesses a genuine concern for Sue's welfare.

'SHEILA A year or two older than Sue with similar physical attractions. An intelligent woman, but without Sue's attractively screwball personality.

'TONY MOSS 30. Julie's actor friend. A likeable but unreliable extrovert who doesn't hide his interest in Sue.

'FITCH 40. The brains behind the industrial espionage. An extremely ruthless and impatient man. Physically impressive with a sense of polished ruthlessness.

'TOPLEY 50. Slightly balding, too youthfully dressed. A servile man who understands well the requirements of his business (an escort service).

'IAN HAGERTY 30. Stockbroker. Good looking, conservative gentleman. Values his money and position.

'DETECTIVE CULLEN Late thirties. A tough policeman (Senior Sergeant) who doesn't hide his dislike for Private Detectives.

'DOCTOR THOMAS 40ish. Tends to over-dramatise his position and the patient's condition. But a good doctor.

'PHOTOGRAPHER Late 20's. Works in Fitch's office. A few lines.

'ALBERT 25. Almost completely bald with fringes of longish hair. An intelligent thug. Drives well, loses fights.

'GUARD Any age. A few lines.

'TERRY 20's. Thug. Must drive well. (Could be a stunt man)

'NURSE Young. No lines.

'BARTENDER 30's. A few lines.

'TWO MEN IN BAR Extras.

'KIOSK ATTENDANT Any age, few lines.'

'A beautiful young girl believes she has murdered her lover. Ryan is hired - and fired; but in between he has followed a mystifying and violent trail which ends in his discovery of Liz's chilling secret.'

Source: Synopsis held in the Crawford Collection in the AFI Research Collection (RMIT).

The script held in the Crawford Collection in the AFI Research Collection contains the following character notes (excluding regular characters):

'LIZ MASON: 20. Attractive, sensitive, impulsive. A highly strung, appealing girl, who has something of the Mia Farrow image about her. Her delicate, nervous personality is often punctuated with moments of anger, fire and insight.

'ERIC STAHL: 50's. Liz's father. Of European origin, has built a large and profitable empire in Australia, only half of which is legitimate. A large and powerful man, used to possessing power and using it. A veneer of manners, and a genuine concern for Liz.

'JOAN MASON: 40's. Liz's mother, Stahl's ex-wife. An attractive, brittle, unstable woman. A carefully acquired sophistication and fiercely protective attitude towards Liz which is born out of guilt.

'BETTY SIMPSON: 25. An attractive nurse. One scene.

'LORNA RUSSELL: 60's. An ex-matron. Assured, human. One scene.

'GEOFFREY BAXTER: About 50. Very Australian. An aggressive, chip-on-the-shoulder, talkative person, who would always been full complaints, at great length.

'SENIOR SERGEANT KEN WADE: 45. A tough, experienced detective who used to be Ryan's boss. One scene, could recur.

'CHRIS: 20's. A ravishing American girl with few morals or scruples, but managing nevertheless to be quite an appealing character. She is on Stahl's payroll.

'JOE: 40-ish. Tough crim on Stahl's payroll.

'BILLY: 30-ish. Tough crim on Stahl's payroll.

'DR. PAUL MITCHELL: About forty. Smooth, attractive. No lines. We see him as a dead body and in a couple of subliminal flashbacks having an argument.

'POLICEWOMAN CARTER: 25. Attractive, couple of lines.

'SENIOR DETECTIVE CULLEN: 45. Tough detective. One scene.

'DETECTIVE GREEN: 30. Detective. One scene.

'BILL: 40-50. An inebriated party guest.

'WOMAN: 40-ish. Bill's wife. Few lines.

'HENCHMAN NO. 1: About 30. Tough-looking. Few lines. Must be able to run and fight.

'TWO OTHER HENCHMEN: Also in the employ of Stahl.

'PARTY GUESTS'.