"The Thorn Birds" (1983) TV mini-series

Writer:

Lee Stanley (writer)

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

27 March 1983 (USA)

Genre:

Romance | Drama

Tagline:

Desire. Passion. Scandal.

Plot:

This mini series covers 60 years in the lives of the Cleary family, brought from New Zealand to Australia to run their aunt Mary Carson's ranch...

Plot Keywords:

Ranch | Australia | Priest | Catholic Church | Cardinal

Awards:

Won 4 Golden Globes. Another 10 wins & 17 nominations

Cast

Richard Chamberlain	...	Ralph de Bricassart (4 episodes, 1983)
Rachel Ward	...	Meggie Cleary (4 episodes, 1983)
Christopher Plummer	...	Archbishop Vittorio Contini-Verchese (4 episodes, 1983)
Stephanie Faracy	...	Judy (4 episodes, 1983)
Barry Corbin	...	Pete (4 episodes, 1983)
John de Lancie	...	Alastair MacQueen (4 episodes, 1983)
Barbara Stanwyck	...	Mary Carson (4 episodes, 1983)
Jean Simmons	...	Fiona 'Fee' Cleary (3 episodes, 1983)
Bryan Brown	...	Luke O'Neill (3 episodes, 1983)
Brett Cullen	...	Bob Cleary (3 episodes, 1983)
Bill Morey	...	Angus MacQueen (3 episodes, 1983)
Holly Palance	...	Miss Carmichael (3 episodes, 1983)
Richard Kiley	...	Paddy Cleary (2 episodes, 1983)
Piper Laurie	...	Anne Mueller (2 episodes, 1983)
Earl Holliman	...	Luddie Mueller (2 episodes, 1983)
Philip Anglim	...	Dane O'Neill (2 episodes, 1983)
John Friedrich	...	Frank Cleary (2 episodes, 1983)
Stephen W. Burns	...	Jack Cleary (2 episodes, 1983)
Richard Venture	...	Harry Gough (2 episodes, 1983)
Chard Hayward	...	Arne Swenson (2 episodes, 1983)
Dwier Brown	...	Stuart Cleary (2 episodes, 1983)
Allyn Ann McLerie	...	Mrs. Smith (2 episodes, 1983)
Antoinette Bower	...	Sarah MacQueen (2 episodes, 1983)

Runtime:

Israel:460 min | USA:477 min

Country:

USA | Australia

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Big Sky Ranch - 4927 Bennett Road, Simi Valley, California, USA

Company:

David Wolper-Stan Margulies Productions

Trivia:

According to Rachel Ward, the water that Ralph and Meggie were swimming in on Matlock Island was ice cold.

Goofs:

Factual errors: The name of the farm is mispronounced. It is named after the Irish town Drogheda. The American cast did not know that 'gh' in Irish is pronounced like an 'h' in English. The cast said Drow-Geeda whereas the proper pronunciation is Dro-huh-duh, where Dro is pronounced like in "drop".

Quotes:

Ralph de Bricassart: How will we live without him?
Meggie Cleary: We will. Your God gathers in the good ones... and leaves the living to those of us whom fail. Your greedy God! There *is* no peace with him!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in O videoklabas (1987) (V)

Wow... i loved it!

My mother was given the box set DVD for Christmas, we sat down to watch it on Christmas day at about 8 o'clock, and didn't move until the early hours of the next morning. I simply couldn't drag my eyes away from the screen for one second. I became such an instant fan that as soon as I could I rushed off and bought the book, and before I knew it, I'd finished that as well! Towards the end of the film I felt myself identifying more with Justine, than I had done with Meggie the younger and elder throughout the film. Fate is always so cruel, how could Dane leave Meggie, and how could Justine desert her mother, and just how long did Fee live? That women seemed everlasting! Overall, I loved every second of it, and felt, as every women does, a very strong attraction to Richard Chamberline THROUGHOUT! I probably would've starved and gone without sleep if the book hadn't been prised away from my hands.