What started as a massive bestselling book quickly grew into a record-breaking television event. Decades later, the unforgettable family saga of The Thorn Birds still holds a special place in the hearts of millions who watched it unfold in 1983.
There, they meet Father Ralph de Bricassart, a charismatic young priest who forms a close bond with the family, especially Meggie. As Ralph and Meggie grow closer, Mary becomes consumed by jealousy.
Before her death, she changed her will to leave her fortune to the Catholic Church instead of the Clearys, and forced Ralph to decide whether or not to reveal it to the family. His choice secures his own rise within the Church while allowing the Cleary family to remain at Drogheda, setting the stage for the novel's central conflicts, including Ralph's later-in-life love affair with Meggie.
The Times wrote, "In hardcover, it spent more than a year on the New York Times best-seller list; the paperback rights were sold at auction for $1.9 million, a record at the time."
The ABC miniseries of the same name, starring Richard Chamberlain as Father Ralph and Rachel Ward as Meggie, was first broadcast in 1983. It also starred Christopher Plummer, Barbara Stanwyck, and Jean Simmons and became the most-watched television miniseries of all time.
Rachel Ward and Richard Chamberlain of 'The Thorn Birds'/ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images"In the end, an estimated 110 million-140 million viewers saw all or some of the miniseries. TV Guide, in fact, has listed The Thorn Birds as one of the top 20 programs of the 1980s," the Academy concluded.
Related: This 1967 Book That Became a Cultural Phenomenon Is Now Ranked the Greatest of All Time
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