The Thorn Birds: The Missing Years

The Thorn Birds The Missing Years is a CBS miniseries that aired in 1996. It tells the story of theyears that are unaccounted for between the birth of Dane and Ralphs return to Australia in the original 1983 ABC miniseries, The Thorn Birds.

Father Ralph arrives in Australia unannounced and Luke is not pleased to see him. Luke demands Meggie move with him immediately to a ramshackle cabin on the farm he purchased, just to get Meggie away from Ralph. When Meggie resists, Luke strikes her, causing her to miscarry.Meggie decides she can never return to Luke, but Luke declares he only returned for Dane, whom he thinks is his son. Meggie takes Luke to court for custody of Dane. The judge, a Protestant biased against Danes desire to be a priest, awards custody to Luke, with Meggie refusing to ruin Ralph by announcing Dane is his and not Lukes son. She decides to avoid scandal, confronting Ralph with the fact that he loves God more than her, that he will always be devoted to a greater good. She has raised her son without the knowledge of who his father is. ........

Source: Wikipedia