Skip to content
Still from The Thorn Birds

TV show · drama

The Thorn Birds

1983 · 1 season, 4 episodes · miniseries

Ray checks whether this show is for you and remembers where you stopped.

Start with Ray

Where to watch The Thorn Birds

See which services have this show in the US, with what audio and at what price.

Check where to watch

A free account is all it takes.I already have an account

Seasons and episodes The Thorn Birds

Season scores: TMDB, out of 10.

Season 1

1983 · 4 episodes · about 8h · 8.8/10

Still: Part 11. Part 1144 min · 9.0/10

When 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.

Still: Part 22. Part 297 min · 8.8/10

Having 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.

Still: Part 33. Part 397 min · 8.8/10

Now 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.

Still: Part 44. Part 4144 min · 8.8/10

Meggie has repeated the mistakes of her past by favoring her son over her daughter. She finally admits the truth about Dane's paternity to Ralph and reconciles with both her mother Fee and her daughter Justine.

Season summaries1 season, 4 episodes

Season 1

1983 · 4 episodes · about 8h · TMDB 8.8

Follows the Cleary family over several decades, focusing on the central, tragic romance between Meggie and Father Ralph, who is torn between his vows and his love for her.

1 season, 4 episodes, about 8h in total, from March 27, 1983 to March 30, 1983. Episodes run about 121 min.

Is it worth watching? The Thorn Birds

Ray’s take

Is this show for you? Ray answers after a short chat about what you like, and remembers what you’ve seen.

Start with RayIt’s free.

Reception

On other sites

  • TMDB7.2/10137 votes

What is it about? The Thorn Birds

Follows the Cleary family over several decades, focusing on the central, tragic romance between Meggie and Father Ralph, who is torn between his vows and his love for her.

Genre: drama. Themes: mine, forbidden love, romance, priest, love affair, roman catholic church.

Cast and crew The Thorn Birds

All

Creators

Full cast36 cast members across all seasons

Cast:

Crew:

Shows like this The Thorn Birds

Details The Thorn Birds

Poster: The Thorn Birds
First episode
March 27, 1983
Last episode
March 30, 1983
Status
miniseries
Network
ABC
Countries
Australia, United States
Original language
English
Rating
TV-PG
Studios
Warner Bros. Television, David Wolper-Stan Margulies Productions, Edward Lewis Productions

Frequently asked questions

How many seasons does The Thorn Birds have?

1 season, 4 episodes. The last episode aired March 30, 1983.

Who’s in The Thorn Birds?

Richard Chamberlain, Rachel Ward, Christopher Plummer, Bryan Brown, Brett Cullen, Stephanie Faracy, Barry Corbin, John de Lancie, Barbara Stanwyck, and Jean Simmons. Created by Lee Stanley and Carmen Culver.

Sources: TMDB (title data, images). As of November 13, 2026. This product uses the TMDB API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDB. · Ta strona po polsku