Article: Father Ralph Vs. Father Time; `Thorn Birds' Missing Years Were Better Off That Way

One governing rule of network television is "Never leave well enough alone." At least not when there's another nickel to be made from it.

Thus has CBS summoned forth "The Thorn Birds: The Missing Years," a sequel of sorts to the hugely successful ABC miniseries of 1983. CBS insists that the new four-hour opus, airing tonight and Tuesday at 9 on Channel 9, bridges a crucial gap in the plot of the original film. If you believe that, you might also believe that "Central Park West" failed because it was too sophisticated for the viewing audience.

In fact, the second "Thorn Birds" miniseries tells essentially the same story all over again, that of a priest who is torn between ...

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