X

Join or Sign In

Sign in to customize your TV listings

Continue with Facebook Continue with email

By joining TV Guide, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy.

The Thorn Birds

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. The story centers on their daughter, Meggie, and her love for the family's priest, Father Ralph de Bricassart. Meggie tries to forget Ralph by marrying dashing stockman Luke O'Neill, but she and Ralph are soon reunited, with tragic consequences for them both.

Loading. Please wait...

Content not available in your region? ExpressVPN can help you stay connected wherever you are. Get 4 extra months FREE with TV Guide's exclusive offer.

Cast & Crew See All

Richard Chamberlain
Ralph de Bricassart
Rachel Ward
Meggie Cleary
Christopher Plummer
Archbishop Vittorio Contini-Verchese

Season 1 Episode Guide See All

Episode 1

Part 1

Sun, Mar 27, 1983147 mins

In the lonesome and arid 1920s Australian Outback, Mary Carson--an affluent landowner and the proud proprietor of the vast sheep station, Drogheda--takes in her humble farmhand brother, Paddy Cleary, and his family. As the young and ambitious Catholic priest, Ralph de Bricassart, meets for the first time Paddy's only daughter, Meggie, little by little, a beautiful friendship and a strong bond will form, against the backdrop of unrequited loves, bitter passions, and desperate inner conflicts. Undoubtedly, strong-willed Mary is the land's undisputed ruler; however, how far is she willing to go in the name of love?

Where to Watch
The Thorn Birds, Season 1 Episode 1 image

Awards

  • 1984 - Golden Globe - Best Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television - winner
  • 1984 - Golden Globe - Best Performance by an Actress in a Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television - nominated
  • 1984 - Golden Globe - Best Performance by an Actor in a Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television - winner
  • 1984 - Golden Globe - Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television - winner

You May Also Like See All

The Office
Homicide: Life on the Street
The Staircase
The Sopranos

Popular Shows See all shows

Will Trent

5 Seasons
Special Agent Will Trent of the Georgia Bureau of Investigations (GBI) is determined to use his unique point of view to make sure no one is abandoned like he was.
71   Metascore
2023 Suspense, Drama

The Rookie

9 Seasons
Six months into his career as a cop, John Nolan will be put to the test as he looks to figure out what kind of cop he ultimately wants to be.
64   Metascore
2018 Action & Adventure, Suspense, Drama

NYPD Blue

12 Seasons
Each week, viewers saw the gritty reality of life in a New York City Police unit, as the officers go about their work with a grim determination, and a willingness to break the same laws that they're supposed to be enforcing. Two partners, Detectives Andy Sipowicz (Dennis Franz) and John Kelly (David Caruso) (later replaced by Bobby Simone (Jimmy Smits)), were the central characters in this weekly Police drama, and personified very different approaches to their difficult job. Sipowicz's brash gruffness (covering an emotional vulnerability) was tempered by the precise and controlled demeanor of the two partners with whom he has worked.
83   Metascore
1993 Suspense, Drama

General Hospital

1 Season
The tradition of passion, intrigue and adventure takes place in the fictional town of Port Charles, in upstate New York.
1963 Suspense, Drama

The Good Doctor

7 Seasons
A young surgeon with autism and savant syndrome uses his extraordinary gifts to save lives and challenge skepticism.

Boston Legal

5 Seasons
Ethically-challenged attorney Alan Shore, formerly of Young, Frutt & Berluti, settles in at a wealthy and powerful firm focusing on civil cases. With some help from his friend and mentor, veteran attorney Denny Crane, Shore quickly makes his mark winning cases no one would take, often using less than honest methods. In doing so, he develops a rival in his colleague Brad Chase, who has been assigned to the office partly to keep an eye on the increasingly eccentric (and possibly senile) Denny Crane. Though his questionable conduct might make him a few enemies along the way, Alan's not one to be underestimated, nor will he let trivial things like honesty or integrity get in the way of winning a case.
69   Metascore
2004 Comedy, Suspense, Drama