Road to Avonlea

Road to Avonlea is a television series broadcast in Canada and the United States between 1990 and 1996. It was created by Kevin Sullivan and produced by Sullivan Films (later Sullivan Entertainment) in association with CBC and the Disney Channel. It was shown on the Disney Channel in the US as Avonlea, but when the first season was released on DVD by Disney, it was renamed again, this time to Tales from Avonlea.

Road to Avonlea was adapted from the following books by Lucy Maud Montgomery: The Story Girl, The Golden Road, Chronicles of Avonlea and Further Chronicles of Avonlea.

Synopsis
In the tradition of Anne of Green Gables comes another chronicle of the journey to adulthood: Road to Avonlea, set again in the Maritime province of Prince Edward Island. The adventure begins in 1903 when a sheltered city girl, Sara Stanley, is transplanted to a rural community to stay with the relatives of her late mother.

The town of Avonlea is peopled with unforgettable characters that we come to know and love as much as Sara does. The series follows her story until she comes of age. Along the way, Sara must prove herself to her cousins before she can feel a sense of belonging with the stable, loving family.

As the children become older, the plots of the episodes begin to highlight the blossoming romance between the young adults, Felicity and Gus. This affair of the heart is still of great interest to a wide audience. A multitude of heart-warming stories focuses on the other central characters in the family: the sisters Olivia and Hetty, the King parents and children and some colourful Avonlea fixtures. Of course, the world outside Avonlea encroaches in an entertaining way by providing a diverse parade of visitors to the island. These personalities provide rich opportunities for great adventures.

As the series matures and develops, award-winning guests lend their talents to portray these larger-than-life characters; Faye Dunaway, the late Christopher Reeve and Stockard Channing are just a few of the renowned actors who appear in Seasons 2 through 7. Their stories encompass situations that run the gamut from poignant to screwball.

Among the 91 episodes there are many uproarious stories that celebrate childhood and imagination and others that deal in a light-hearted way with the serious subjects of birth, childhood, love, old age and death as experienced by a small North American community during the Edwardian era. Road to Avonlea is One of the television’s more successful family shows. The long running Canadian saga is regarded as something of an institution. Its sumptuous production values and satisfying story lines continue to captivate new viewers all over the world.

Main cast

 * Zachary Bennett as Felix King
 * Lally Cadeau as Janet King
 * Mag Ruffman as Olivia King
 * Cedric Smith as Alec King
 * Jackie Burroughs as Hetty King
 * Gema Zamprogna as Felicity King
 * Sarah Polley as Sara Stanley
 * Harmony Cramp as Cecily King

Recurring cast

 * Elva Mai Hoover as Mrs. Lawson
 * Alex Floyd as Baby Daniel
 * Ryan Floyd as Baby Daniel
 * Maja Ardal as Mrs. Potts
 * Patricia Hamilton as Rachel Lynde
 * Michael Mahonen as Gus Pike
 * Heather Brown as Izzy Pettibone
 * Barbara Hamilton as Mrs. Bugle
 * Kay Tremblay as Great Aunt Eliza
 * Marilyn Lightstone as Muriel Stacy
 * Ian D. Clark as Simon Tremayne
 * Roger Dunn as Bert Potts
 * Luke as Digger
 * John Friesen as Archie Gillis
 * R.H. Thomson as Jasper Dale
 * David Fox as Clive Pettibone


 * Joel Blake as Andrew King
 * Kyle Labine as Davy Keith
 * Lindsay Murrell as Dora Keith
 * Colleen Dewhurst as Marilla Cuthbert
 * Tara Meyer as Sally Potts
 * Bradley Sewell as Baby Montgomery
 * Marc Marut as Elbert Werts
 * Molly Atkinson as Cecily King
 * Gillian Steeve as Clemmie Ray
 * Miklos Perlus as Peter Craig
 * Chick Roberts as Mr. Biggins
 * Albert Millaire as Pierre La Pierre
 * Marilyn Boyle as Mrs. Inglis
 * Kristin Fairlie as Becky Lester
 * James O'Regan as Abner Jeffries
 * Anna Ferguson as Mrs. Biggins

Episodes
There are three different episode lists. The first is the order in which the episodes first aired on CBC. The second is the order in which the Disney Channel first aired them. The Sullivan Entertainment one is the one listed on the widescreen high definition DVDs.

Disney air dates
In addition to rearranging some of the episodes, Disney also cut out scenes to reduce running time, and a number of episodes were renamed.

Season 1

 * 1) "The Journey Begins"
 * 2) "The Story Girl Earns Her Name"
 * 3) "The Quarantine at Alexander Abraham's"
 * 4) "The Materializing of Duncan McTavish"
 * 5) "Old Lady Lloyd"
 * 6) "Proof of the Pudding"
 * 7) "Aunt Abigail's Beau"
 * 8) "Malcolm and the Baby"
 * 9) "Conversions"
 * 10) "Felicity's Challenge"
 * 11) "The Witch of Avonlea'"
 * 12) "The Hope Chest of Arabella King"
 * 13) "Nothing Endures But Change"

Season 2

 * 1) "Sara's Homecoming"
 * 2) "How Kissing Was Discovered"
 * 3) "Aunt Hetty's Ordeal"
 * 4) "Of Corsets and Secrets and True, True Love"
 * 5) "Old Quarrels, Old Love"
 * 6) "May the Best Man Win"
 * 7) "Family Rivalry"
 * 8) "Sea Ghost"
 * 9) "All That Glitters"
 * 10) "Dreamer of Dreams"
 * 11) "It's Just a Stage"
 * 12) "A Mother's Love"
 * 13) "Misfits and Miracles"

Season 3

 * 1) "The Ties That Bind"
 * 2) "When She Was Bad, She Was Horrid: Part 1"
 * 3) "When She Was Bad, She Was Horrid: Part 2"
 * 4) "Felix and Blackie"
 * 5) "Another Point of View"
 * 6) "Aunt Janet Rebels"
 * 7) "A Dark and Stormy Night"
 * 8) "Friends and Relations"
 * 9) "Vows of Silence"
 * 10) "After the Honeymoon"
 * 11) "The Calamitous Courting of Hetty King"
 * 12) "High Society"
 * 13) "Old Friends, Old Wounds"

Season 4

 * 1) "Tug of War"
 * 2) "The Lady and the Blade"
 * 3) "Incident at Vernon River"
 * 4) "Evelyn"
 * 5) "Moving On"
 * 6) "Boys Will Be Boys"
 * 7) "The Dinner"
 * 8) "Heirs and Graces"
 * 9) "Hearts and Flowers"
 * 10) "Felicity's Perfect Beau"
 * 11) "The Disappearance"
 * 12) "Home Movie"
 * 13) "Hearth and Home"

Season 5

 * 1) "Fathers and Sons"
 * 2) "Memento Mori"
 * 3) "Modern Times"
 * 4) "A Friend in Need"
 * 5) "Strictly Melodrama"
 * 6) "The Great Race"
 * 7) "Stranger in the Night"
 * 8) "Someone to Believe In"
 * 9) "Thursday's Child"
 * 10) "Best Laid Plans"
 * 11) "Otherwise Engaged"
 * 12) "Enter Prince Charming"
 * 13) "The Minister's Wife"

Season 6

 * 1) "The Return of Gus Pike"
 * 2) "Lonely Hearts"
 * 3) "Christmas in June"
 * 4) "Comings and Goings"
 * 5) "The Trouble with Davey"
 * 6) "Great Expectations"
 * 7) "A Fox Tale"
 * 8) "Fools and Kings"
 * 9) "The More Things Change"
 * 10) "Home is Where the Heart Is"
 * 11) "What a Tangled Web We Weave"
 * 12) "A Time to Every Purpose"
 * 13) "Homecoming"

Season 7

 * 1) "Out of the Ashes"
 * 2) "Love May Be Blind... But the Neighbours Ain't"
 * 3) "Davey and the Mermaid"
 * 4) "Woman of Importance"
 * 5) "Secrets and Sacrifices"
 * 6) "King of the Great White Way"
 * 7) "Total Eclipse"
 * 8) "Ah... Sweet Mystery of Life"
 * 9) "From Away"
 * 10) "After the Ball is Over"
 * 11) "Return to Me"
 * 12) "The Last Hurrah"
 * 13) "So Dear to My Heart"

Films

 * Road to Avonlea: The Movie (1990), an introductory movie with clips from episodes 1 and 6 of Season 1
 * Happy Christmas, Miss King (1998), also known as An Avonlea Christmas

Spinoffs
There have been 29 official novelizations of Road to Avonlea published.


 * 1) The Journey Begins (1992), by Dennis Adair and Janet Rosenstock and based on "The Journey Begins" (Season 1, Episode 1)
 * 2) The Story Girl Earns Her Name (1992), by Gail Hamilton and based on "The Story Girl Earns Her Name" (Season 1, Episode 2)
 * 3) Quarantine at Alexander Abraham's (1992), by Fiona McHugh and based on "The Quarantine at Alexander Abraham's" (Season 1, Episode 3)
 * 4) The Materializing of Duncan McTavish (1992), by Heather Conkie and based on "The Materializing of Duncan McTavish" (Season 1, Episode 4)
 * 5) Song of the Night (1992), by Fiona McHugh and based on "Old Lady Lloyd" (Season 1, Episode 5)
 * 6) Conversions (1992), by Gail Hamilton and based on "Conversions" (Season 1, Episode 7)
 * 7) Aunt Abigail's Beau (1992), by Amy Jo Cooper and based on "Aunt Abigail's Beau" (Season 1, Episode 8)
 * 8) Malcolm and the Baby (1992), by Heather Conkie and based on "Malcolm and the Baby" (Season 1, Episode 9)
 * 9) Felicity's Challenge (1992), by Gail Hamilton and based on "Felicity's Challenge" (Season 1, Episode 11)
 * 10) The Hope Chest of Arabella King (1992), by Linda Zwicker and based on "The Hope Chest of Arabella King" (Season 1, Episode 12)
 * 11) Nothing Endures But Change (1993), by Gail Hamilton and based on "Nothing Endures But Change" (Season 1, Episode 13)
 * 12) Sara's Homecoming (1993), by Heather Conkie and based on "Sara's Homecoming" (Season 2, Episode 1)
 * 13) Aunt Hetty's Ordeal (1993), by Gail Hamilton and based on "Aunt Hetty's Ordeal' (Season 2, Episode 3)
 * 14) Of Corsets and Secrets and True, True Love (1993), by Fiona McHugh and based on "Of Corsets and Secrets and True, True Love" (Season 2, Episode 4)
 * 15) Old Quarrels, Old Love (1993), by Heather Conkie and based on "Old Quarrels, Old Love" (Season 2, Episode 5)
 * 16) May the Best Man Win (1993), by Gail Hamilton and based on "May the Best Man Win" (Season 2, Episode 6)
 * 17) Family Rivalry (1993), by Gail Hamilton and based on "Family Rivalry" (Season 2, Episode 7)
 * 18) Dreamer of Dreams (1993), by Heather Conkie and based on "Dreamer of Dreams" (Season 2, Episode 10)
 * 19) It's Just a Stage (1993), by Amy Jo Cooper and based on "It's Just a Stage" (Season 2, Episode 11)
 * 20) Misfits and Miracles (1993), by Linda Zwicker and based on "'Misfits and Miracles" (Season 2, Episode 13)
 * 21) The Ties that Bind (1994), by Heather Conkie and based on "The Ties that Bind" (Season 3, Episode 1)
 * 22) Felix and Blackie (1994), by Heather Conkie and based on "Felix and Blackie" (Season 3, Episode 2)
 * 23) But When She Was Bad ... (1994), by Marlene Matthews and based on "When She Was Bad, She Was Horrid: Part 1" (Season 3, Episode 4)
 * 24) Double Trouble (1994), by Marlene Matthews and based on "When She Was Bad, She Was Horrid: Part 2" (Season 3, Episode 5)
 * 25) A Dark and Stormy Night (1994), by Gail Hamilton and based on "A Dark and Stormy Night" (Season 3, Episode 7)
 * 26) Friends and Relations (1994), by Heather Conkie and based on "Friends and Relations" (Season 3, Episode 8)
 * 27) Vows of Silence (1995), by Gail Hamilton and based on "Vows of Silence" (Season 3, Episode 9)
 * 28) The Calamitous Courting of Hetty King (1995), by Fiona McHugh and based on "The Calamitous Courting of Hetty King" (Season 3, Episode 12)
 * 29) Old Friends, Old Wounds (1995), by Heather Conkie and based on "Old Friends, Old Wounds" (Season 3, Episode 13)

Emmy Awards

 * Outstanding Children’s Program (1993)
 * Outstanding Individual Achievement in Costume Design for a Series (1995)
 * Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series (1997)

Gemini Awards

 * Best Original Music Score for a Series (1992)
 * Best Performance by an Actress in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role (1992)
 * Most Popular Program Award (1992)
 * Best Young Actor Co-starring in a Cable Series (1992)
 * Best Direction in a Dramatic or Comedy Series (1993)
 * Best Guest Performance in a Series by an Actor or Actress (1993)
 * Best Performance by an Actor in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role (1993)
 * Most Popular Program Award (1993)
 * Best Costume Design (1994)
 * Best Direction in a Dramatic or Comedy Series (1994)
 * Best Original Music Score for a Series (1994)
 * Best Performance by a Lead Actress in a Continuing Dramatic Role (1994)
 * Best Guest Performance in a Series by an Actor (1995)
 * Best Original Music Score for a Series (1995)
 * Best Performance by an Actress in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role (1995)
 * Best Original Music Score for a Dramatic Series (1996)
 * Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Dramatic Series (1996)
 * Best Original Music Score for a Dramatic Series (1997)
 * Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Supporting Role in a Dramatic Series (1997)
 * Best Performance by an Actress in a Guest Role in a Dramatic Series (1997)

VHS, DVD and Novel covers
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