Abe is a former baseball player. He knew Jeff's coach, "Choker" Zelnick, in his playing days.
Gloria is a keen singer in her church choir. Abe and Gloria have an affectionate and warm relationship, and keep each other sane through many trying days at the Sloans.
Mike is an avid baseball fan. Outwardly, he is more genial and sociable that his wife Ruth, though they rival each other in the ruthlessness stakes. He has a tentative fling with beautiful barmaid Judy, with whom he shares a love of the Great American Pastime.
Ruth is rarely seen without a martini in her hand. She is greatly concerned with keeping up social appearances and accumulating wealth, though her more tender side sometimes shows through in her devotion to Mike.
Gina is sweet but stubborn, and lives in the next apartment to Charlie and Caroline Hailey. She gives birth to baby Emma in the first season. Gradually, she and Charlie fall in love, though their courtship is made difficult by religious differences.
Widowed mother, Anne Metcalf, worked at the factory during the war, and when the men come back, she works with Ginger and Brandstaetter's Pharmacy. Anne is sweet, devoutly religious, and a firmly moralistic mother, but her morality is challenged when she falls for charismatic union organiser, Al Kahn, who is not only divorced but Jewish. She becomes pregnant with his child and they marry after much religious hand-wringing.
Al Kahn was first interested in Linda Metcalf, but he quickly fell in love with her mother Anne. Al talks a mile a minute and sometimes struggles to get along with her resentful children. When his former wife is revealed as a Communist, life becomes difficult for Al. He and Anne leave River Run to seek employment in New Jersey.
Eldest son Hank was in the army during the war with best friends Charlie Hailey and Mike Sloan Jr. All he wanted to do on his return was to marry sweetheart, Sarah Brewer, who, unbeknowst to Hank, was carrying on with his younger brother Jeff. However, he and Sarah were married and lived happily until Sarah was accidentally shot dead in the union dispute. Hank's relations with his friends and family become strained when he works on the side of Sloan Industries during the dispute. Hank becomes increasingly bitter and depressed, eventually leaving River Run for Chicago.
Linda is outraged when she loses her job at the factory as the men return from the war. She eventually gains a postion as a file clerk at the factory, and later works for a newspaper. Her best friend is Ginger Szabo. Linda was engaged to Mike Sloan Jr, but he broke it off to marry Gina. She has a couple of ill-fated romantic encounters, falling for boyish conman Bill Caswell, and becomes involved with her editor at the newspaper, Phil Havel.
Jeff Metcalf is the youngest in the family. He and Sarah are romatically involved when Hank returns, but Jeff rebounds into the arms of Ginger Szabo, and their tempestuous relationship eventually ends in marriage. Jeff works in the Purl Roadhouse but quits when he is chosen for the Cleveland Indians. An injury (temporarily, as it turns out) ends his baseball career, and he returns to work at the bar. He and ex-fiancee Ginger become a popular radio pair on the Lemo Tomato Juice Hour. Jeff is also involved with Caroline Hailey.
Sarah
Caroline Hailey vies with Ruth Sloan for the title of River Run's bitchiest citizen. She is disatisfied with her life in the United States which is nothing like she imagined. She is not above using her sexuality to get what she wants, but draws the line at out and out prostitution. Her nemesis is Ginger Szabo.
Judy Owen is the wisecracking, advice-dispensing barmaid of River Run. She first meets Jeff Metcalf during spring training in Florida, where she owns a bar. When it burns down, she fetches up in River Run and takes up Jeff's old position at the Purl Roadhouse. Judy's husband, Tom, was killed in the war. She becomes romantically involved with Mike Sloan, and also writes sports stories for the newspaper under the gender-neutral moniker J. Owen.
Mr Melon- station chief at WREQ. Somewhat ruthless, he recognises a good thing when he sees it and demands that Jeff and Ginger be teamed up after their on-air spat during the barnstorming tour.
Miss Wescott- Mr Melon's assistant at WREQ. Neurotic, fussy, and can't hold her drink. Is discovered in the roomette of Arthur Schillhab wearing the Lemo Tomato Juice Girl outfit, and later nothing.
Sam- works at the Sloan Factory. Mainly exists to cause conflict in the union dispute.
Editor at the newspaper where Linda works.
The coach of the Cleveland Indians baseball team, Zelnick is full of advice for the younger players who look up to him. His nickname used to be Ladies Man Zelnick, but it was changed to Choker when he went 0 for 9 against Satchel Paige, and he knows Abe Davis from his ball-playing days. Pretends to be a millionaire named Clement in order to impress Caroline.