The Thorn Birds (1983–1983)

TV ShowEndedABCDrama, Romance1 season, 4 episodes
The Thorn Birds poster

Plot

Set primarily on Drogheda, a fictional sheep station in the Australian outback named after Drogheda, Ireland, the story focuses on three generations of the Cleary family and spans the years from December 1920 to December 1962.

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Highest-rated episodes all ranked

  1. 01The Thorn Birds S01E01Part 1S01E01 · 9.0When the wealthy but now elderly owner of a large sheep farm in the outback of Australia realizes that her affections towards a banished but ambitious young priest will never be returned, she sets out to manipulate his life and career from the grave once she discovers him giving his attention to her young niece instead.
  2. 02The Thorn Birds S01E02Part 2S01E02 · 8.8Having left Australia with a significant sum of holdings in hand willed to the Catholic Church by the wealthy socialite and sheep farmer Mary Carson, Father Ralph de Bricassart finds himself courted by power brokers within the Vatican. Meanwhile, the Drogheda Ranch suffers a devastating brush fire that spawns more tragedy in the Cleary family, and eventually leads to an uneasy reunion between Meggie and Father de Bricassart. However Meggie soon meets a young suitor who captures her heart.
  3. 03The Thorn Birds S01E03Part 3S01E03 · 8.8Now married, living on a sugar cane plantation, and working as a maid in Queensland, Meggie finds her new husband is more interested in his own work and dalliances than in her. She bears him a child but is still unable to change his ways. Meanwhile, Father de Bricassart has moved up in the Church hierarchy and eventually returns to Australia as a Cardinal. And in yet another uneasy reunion between himself and Meggie, he finally succumbs to temptation by consummating forbidden love and breaking his vow of chastity.

Episodes by season

Season01Episode ratings across the season — the gold bar is its best episode4Episodes1983Aired 8.8Season avg
  1. S01E01The Thorn Birds S01E01Season's bestPart 1March 27, 1983 9.0When the wealthy but now elderly owner of a large sheep farm in the outback of Australia realizes that her affections towards a banished but
  2. S01E02The Thorn Birds S01E02Part 2March 28, 1983 8.8Having left Australia with a significant sum of holdings in hand willed to the Catholic Church by the wealthy socialite and sheep farmer Mar
  3. S01E03The Thorn Birds S01E03Part 3March 29, 1983 8.8Now married, living on a sugar cane plantation, and working as a maid in Queensland, Meggie finds her new husband is more interested in his
  4. S01E04The Thorn Birds S01E04Part 4March 30, 1983 8.8Meggie has repeated the mistakes of her past by favoring her son over her daughter. She finally admits the truth about Dane's paternity to R

Season 1 ranked & reviewed

Castfull cast & details

Richard ChamberlainRichard ChamberlainRalph de BricassartRachel WardRachel WardMeggie ClearyChristopher PlummerChristopher PlummerArchbishop Vittorio Contini-VercheseBryan BrownBryan BrownLuke O'NeillBrett CullenBrett CullenBob ClearyStephanie FaracyStephanie FaracyJudyBarry CorbinBarry CorbinPeteJohn de LancieJohn de LancieAlastair MacQueen

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The Thorn Birds

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Trailers & Videos

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TrailerRichard Chamberlain THE THORN BIRDS Trailer

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