ABC NOVEL FOR TELEVISION: THE THORN BIRDS, EPISODE 3 (TV)
Summary
The third of four episodes in this sweeping miniseries based on the novel by Colleen McCullough. This drama presents the saga of the Cleary family of New South Wales, Australia, and the forty-year relationship between the beautiful and willful Meggie Cleary and the handsome, ambitious Father Ralph de Bricassart. In this part, the following events occur in 1933-1934: while Meggie marries Luke O'Neill, Ralph is ordained a bishop in Rome; Meggie tearfully bids Drogheda farewell, as she travels with Luke to Queensland so he can earn better money cutting sugar cane, in order to save to buy his own sheep station; Luke and virginal Meggie's first attempt at lovemaking is a disaster, and a harbinger of the future; Luke reveals that he will leave Meggie with the Muellers -- a middle-aged couple who manage the cane plantation -- where she will earn her keep as a housekeeper while he works up and down the coast and lives in the barracks with his mates; the Muellers turn out to be warm, caring people, and she develops a close, mother-daughter realtionship with Anne Mueller, who is disabled and wears braces on her legs; Meggie becomes deeply distressed when Luke fails to visit her and claims to be working on the weekends; Contini-Verchese angrily tries to break through Ralph's perpetual poise and composure -- and Ralph reveals he wants to be Pope; Meggie decides that having a baby would make her life fuller and would force Luke to settle down and find them a real home; Meggie seduces a drunken Luke on New Year's Eve, 1934 -- his first visit in months; Contini-Verchese assigns Ralph -- now an archbishop -- his own former post of papal legate to Australia and a distressed Ralph finally reveals that he is in love with a woman there; Contini-Verchese tells Ralph he has sent him back purposely -- so he may choose between the woman and the Church; Ralph visits Drogheda and is devastated to learn from Fiona that Meggie has married and moved away; Fiona jabs at Ralph by reminding him that he was the one who asked her to find Meggie a husband; Luke is furious when he learns of Meggie's pregnancy, and though she suggests that Father Ralph would give them the remaining money they would need to buy the sheep station, he angrily refuses to take money from a Catholic priest; Meggie goes into labor prematurely and nearly dies, but is comforted by the sudden appearance of Ralph at her bedside; Meggie gives birth to a girl, whom she names Justine, and she bitterly tells Ralph that she married Luke to forget him, but now wishes the baby were his instead; later, Meggie angrily sends Ralph away, furious that he continues to see her only as an image; Ralph visits Luke at the cane plantation and tells him he has a baby and insists that he make a home for his family and take a loan from him; a hostile Luke refuses -- and when Ralph suggests Luke married Meggie for her money -- Luke reminds the priest who got the bulk of Meggie's birthright; during a second Christmas alone without Luke, Meg reveals to Mrs. Mueller that it is the archbishop she loves; the sympathetic Muellers give Meggie a vacation trip to an island in the Great Barrier Reef in order to regain her strength and think things through; Ralph surprises Meggie by arriving at the island in lay clothes and asking her forgiveness; the two finally consummate their relationship and live in bliss for several days; one morning Ralph tells Meggie that he can't give up God, and she surprises him with her understanding -- happy they at least had this time together; as Ralph prepares to leave the island he tells her that his punishment for breaking his vow of celibacy will be that he is no longer sure he loves God more than her. Includes commercials, promos, an "ABC News Brief" with Ted Koppel, and a "7 Eyewitness News Brief" (KABC-TV, Los Angeles) with Jerry Dunphy. Also includes footage from the previous episode at the beginning of the program and of the forthcoming episode at the end. (This program is closed-captioned.)
Details
- NETWORK: ABC
- DATE: March 29, 1983 9:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:57:45
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T85:0006
- GENRE: Drama
- SUBJECT HEADING: Drama; Literature - Adaptations; Romance; Australia; Clergy - Priests
- SERIES RUN: ABC - TV, 1983
- COMMERCIALS:
- TV - Commercials - "USA Today" newspaper
- TV - Commercials - Almaden wine
- TV - Commercials - Centrum vitamin supplements
- TV - Commercials - Correctol laxative
- TV - Commercials - Crocker bank
- TV - Commercials - Denny's restaurants
- TV - Commercials - Diet Shasta soda
- TV - Commercials - E.F. Hutton brokerage
- TV - Commercials - Fantastik household cleanser
- TV - Commercials - Finesse shampoo
- TV - Commercials - First Interstate bank
- TV - Commercials - Hertz rental cars
- TV - Commercials - Jell-o brand gelatin
- TV - Commercials - L'Oreal lipstick
- TV - Commercials - L'eggs Sheer Elegance pantyhose
- TV - Commercials - Levolor blinds
- TV - Commercials - Oil of Olay moisturizer
- TV - Commercials - Oil of Olay moisturizer
- TV - Commercials - Permalens extended-wear contact lenses
- TV - Commercials - Post Honey Nut Crunch Raisin Bran cereal
- TV - Commercials - Purina Tender Vittles cat food
- TV - Commercials - Purolator Courier delivery service
- TV - Commercials - Renault Alliance automobile
- TV - Commercials - Renault Fuego automobile
- TV - Commercials - Saran Wrap plastic wrap
- TV - Commercials - Shell gasoline
- TV - Commercials - Soave Bolla wine
- TV - Commercials - Spray 'n' Wash laundry stain remover
- TV - Commercials - U.S. Virgin Islands tourism
- TV - Commercials - Yoplait Breakfast yogurt
- TV - Promos - "ABC News Nightline"
- TV - Promos - "Benson"
- TV - Promos - "Condo"
- TV - Promos - "Good Morning America" (voice-over only)
- TV - Promos - "It Takes Two"
- TV - Promos - "Love Boat" (voice-over only)
- TV - Promos - "Ryan's Four"
- TV - Promos - "T.J. Hooker" (voice-over only)
- TV - Promos - "Too Close for Comfort"
CREDITS
- David L. Wolper … Executive Producer
- Edward Lewis … Executive Producer
- Stan Margulies … Producer
- Irving Lazar … Associate Producer
- Daryl Duke … Director
- Carmen Culver … Writer
- Colleen McCullough … Based on the novel by
- Henry Mancini … Music by
- Richard Chamberlain … Cast, Ralph de Bricassart
- Rachel Ward … Cast, Meggie Cleary
- Jean Simmons … Cast, Fiona "Fee" Cleary
- Piper Laurie … Cast, Anne Mueller
- Earl Holliman … Cast, Luddie Mueller
- Bryan Brown … Cast, Luke O'Neill
- Christopher Plummer … Cast, Archbishop Contini-Verchese
- Allyn Ann McLerie … Cast, Mrs. Smith
- Stephanie Faracy … Cast, Judy
- Barry Corbin … Cast, Pete
- Stephan Burns … Cast, Jack Cleary
- Brett Cullen … Cast, Bob Cleary
- Chard Hayward … Cast, Arne Swenson
- de Lancie, John … Cast, Alastair MacQueen
- Bill Morey … Cast, Angus MacQueen
- Holly Palance … Cast, Miss Carmichael
- Rance Howard … Cast, Doc Wilson