'THORN BIRDS' MAKES RETURN TV FLIGHT.Byline: Jay Bobbin bobbin, implement on which thread is wound, used in sewing, spinning, weaving, and lace making. Sometimes the wooden spools of sewing thread are called bobbins. Tribune Media Services Tribune Media Services ("TMS") is a syndication company owned by the Tribune Company. The company is divided into two divisions, "News and Features" and "Entertainment Products". Thirteen years ago, the second-highest-rated miniseries kept TV audiences enthralled en·thrall tr.v. en·thralled, en·thrall·ing, en·thralls 1. To hold spellbound; captivate: The magic show enthralled the audience. 2. To enslave. over three nights. Now it has a sequel. "The Thorn Birds: The Missing Years," airing at 9 p.m. Feb. 11 and 13 on CBS (Cell Broadcast Service) See cell broadcast. , is loosely adapted from the middle section of the best-seller by Colleen McCullough Colleen McCullough AO (born 1 June, 1937) is an internationally acclaimed Australian author. Colleen was born in Wellington in central west New South Wales to James & Laurie McCullough. . Backing up in the saga allows Richard Chamberlain to reprise re·prise n. 1. Music a. A repetition of a phrase or verse. b. A return to an original theme. 2. A recurrence or resumption of an action. tr.v. the part of Father Ralph de Bricassart Father Ralph de Bricassart is a fictional priest in The Thorn Birds, a 1977 best selling novel by Colleen McCullough, an Australian author. Set primarily on Drogheda, a fictional sheep station in the Australian outback, the story focuses on the Cleary family and spans the , who returns to Drogheda, an Australian sheep station, as an archbishop in 1943, after an absence of more than 10 years. He's reunited with his beloved Meggie ("L.A. Law" alumna Amanda Donohoe in Rachel Ward's earlier role), who is battling with her estranged es·trange tr.v. es·tranged, es·trang·ing, es·trang·es 1. To make hostile, unsympathetic, or indifferent; alienate. 2. To remove from an accustomed place or set of associations. husband Luke over custody of her son Dane - who actually is Ralph's child. David L. Wolper - whose "Roots" remains the highest-rated miniseries ever, with the original "Thorn Birds" second on that list - serves again as an executive producer. Simon Westaway takes over the role of Luke from Bryan Brown; Dane, a role originally held by Philip Anglim, is being played by Zach English. Also in the cast are Olivia Burnette ("The Torkelsons") as Meggie and Luke's daughter Justine (first played by Mare Winningham); Julia Blake as Meggie's mother Fee (originally Jean Simmons); and Maximilian Schell in Christopher Plummer's past role as Cardinal Vittorio, Ralph's mentor in Rome. Currently wrapping up a European stage tour of "My Fair Lady," Chamberlain said he found revisiting one of his most enduring characters "very, very interesting, especially with an entirely new (supporting) cast. "I had to treat it like a brand new show, really," he said. "It's very hard these days to find a good, mature love story for television, so I was thrilled to be a part of it. "It was a little bit difficult in the beginning to get completely reoriented, but once I did, we just sailed along and it was a splendid experience." Donohoe who created one of American television's most unconventional characters to date with "L.A. Law's" C.J. Lamb considers Meggie a rebel, as well. "She was a woman ahead of her time with her independence, her sheer willfulness, the desire to have what she wanted when she wanted it - all those things," Donohoe said. "It brings her pain and misery, but what I love about her is that she's a woman in a world where there are no men anymore, because they've all gone off to fight a war." CAPTION(S): PHOTO Photo (Cover--Color) 'The Thorn Birds The Missing Years' Richard Chamberlain and Amanda Donohoe |
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