Trivia / The Thorn Birds

• California Doubling: Literally. While set in Australia, the miniseries was filmed in California, though the Matlock Island scenes were shot in Hawaii. Averted in The Missing Years.
• Creator's Pest: Colleen McCullough disliked the character of Meggie, despite her having several of her own characteristics.
  "Can you imagine writing a novel and hating your heroine?"
• Dawson Casting: Rachel Ward was in her mid-20's when cast as the teenaged Meggie, but this is justified in that she continued to play Meggie even as the character aged.
  • In The Missing Years:
    • A 17-year-old Olivia Burnette is cast as the 10-year-old Justine. Ironically, her petite stature initially does her make her look much younger that she is, but her, er, development gives away the fact that she's older.
    • Also occurs briefly when the then-36-year-old Amanda Donohoe plays the 17-year-old Meggie in a quick flashback.
    • Richard Chamberlain was 60 when he returned to play the 40-something Ralph.
• Disowned Adaptation: Colleen McCullough absolutely loathed the miniseries, to the extent that interviewers were warned not to bring it up, even infamously describing it as "instant vomit" in one instance. Needless to say, she didn't think highly of The Missing Years either, and thanks to the numerous and major continuity errors produced, neither do most fans of the original.
• Fake Nationality: All over the place. The only aversion is the Australian Bryan Brown as the Australian Luke. Meanwhile, other characters from Australia (Justine and Dane), New Zealand (Fee and most of the Cleary children), Ireland (Ralph, Paddy, Mary) and Germany (Rainier) are played by Americans and Brits, while Canadian Christopher Plummer plays an Italian cardinal.
• The Other Darrin: Everyone in "The Missing Years", except for Richard Chamberlain as Father Ralph. This is justified in the case of Dane and Justine, as they are younger versions of characters seen in the original.
• Romance on the Set: Rachel Ward (Meggie) and Bryan Brown (Luke) fell in love while working on the show (ironic, as they were playing people trapped in a loveless marriage). They married shortly after, are still married today, and have three children. Also, Richard Chamberlain's real-life partner made a cameo appearance, playing a priest who like Ralph, broke his vow of chastity.
• What Could Have Been:
  • Kim Basinger, Olivia Newton-John, Michelle Pfeiffer, Jane Seymour (Actress) and Sissy Spacek were among those considered for the role of Meggie.
  • The role of Mary Carson was offered to Audrey Hepburn. Bette Davis campaigned for the role.
  • Rachel Ward and Bryan Brown would have returned for The Missing Years—which was pitched very soon after the original aired—had it not gotten swallowed up in Development Hell.

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