Anne of Green Gables: The Sequel (also known as Anne of Avonlea) is a 1987 Canadian television miniseries film. A sequel to the 1985 miniseries Anne of Green Gables, it is based on Lucy Maud Montgomery's novels Anne of Avonlea, Anne of the Island, and Anne of Windy Poplars. The story follows Anne Shirley as she leaves Green Gables in Avonlea, Prince Edward Island, to teach at a prestigious ladies' college in New Brunswick. The main cast from the original film reprised their roles, including Megan Follows, Jonathan Crombie, Colleen Dewhurst, Patricia Hamilton, and Schuyler Grant.

The miniseries aired on the Disney Channel as Anne of Avonlea: The Continuing Story of Anne of Green Gables and on CBC as Anne of Green Gables: The Sequel, and was released theatrically in Israel, Japan, and Europe.

In 2017, the miniseries was officially retitled Anne of Avonlea for all subsequent Blu-Ray releases and online streaming.

The film was followed by two sequels, Anne of Green Gables: The Continuing Story in 2000 and Anne of Green Gables: A New Beginning in 2008.

Plot

After two years of teaching at the Avonlea school, Anne Shirley dreams of being a writer, but her story "Averil's Atonement" is rejected by a magazine. Her best friend Diana Barry has become engaged. Marilla's eyesight has also improved, opening an opportunity for Anne to follow her ambitions, which have been on hold since giving up the Avery Scholarship.

Broadcast and Homevideo

The Disney Channel was the first television station to broadcast the miniseries in four hour-long installments, giving the world premiere of the series in May and June 1987, using the title Anne of Avonlea: The Continuing Story of Anne of Green Gables. This was the same title used in March 1988 when the series was broadcast on the PBS anthology series WonderWorks. Disney later shortened the title in television syndication and for VHS and DVD sales to simply Anne of Avonlea. The airing rights and video rights to the program in the United States were initially purchased by PBS under the title Anne of Avonlea, and the rights to broadcast the series and sell the series for home video under that title were purchased by the Walt Disney Company from PBS in 1987.

The series debuted in Canada using the title Anne of Green Gables: The Sequel in two 150-minute installments, in December 1987, on CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation). The miniseries has used various names in international markets, depending on the distribution rights in that given market with Disney using the title Anne of Avonlea and Sullivan Films of Toronto using the title Anne of Green Gables: The Sequel in European and Asian markets.

  • 2 Cable Ace Awards: Best Costume, Best Supporting Actress (Colleen Dewhurst), 1987
  • 6 Gemini Awards: Best Dramatic Miniseries, Best Photography (Marc Champion), Best Art Direction, Best Costume Design, Best Performance by Lead Actress (Megan Follows), Best Performance by a Supporting Actress (Colleen Dewhurst), 1988
  • Silver Award - International Film and Television Festival, New York, 1987
  • Best Family Series - TV Guide, 1987
  • CFTA Award - Best New TV Production, 1987
  • Chris Award - Columbus International Film Festival, 1987
  • Honourable Mention - International San Francisco Film Festival, 1988
  • Crystal Apple Award - National Education Film and Video Festival, 1988
  • ACT Award - Achievement in Children's TV, 1988
  • Golden Hugo Award - Chicago International Film Festival, 1987
  • Gold Award - Houston International Film Festival, 1987

Sequels and spinoffs

Road to Avonlea is a television series which was first broadcast in Canada and the United States between 1990 and 1996. It was inspired by a series of short stories and two novels by Lucy Maud Montgomery. Many of the actors in the Anne of Green Gables movies also appear in storylines crossing over into the long-running Emmy award-winning series, including Patricia Hamilton as Rachel Lynde, Colleen Dewhurst as Marilla Cuthbert until her death in 1991, and Marilyn Lightstone as Muriel Stacy. Jonathan Crombie returned as Gilbert Blythe in a one-time guest appearance in the finale episode of season three, which dealt with Marilla's death. Other actors from the first two Anne films portrayed different characters in Road to Avonlea, including Rosemary Dunsmore, who played Katherine Brooke in this film but returned as "Abigail MacEwan" in the television series.

Anne of Green Gables: The Continuing Story was released in 2000. Many cast members from the first two movies returned, including Megan Follows, Jonathan Crombie, and Schuyler Grant. Taking place in the midst of World War I, the movie follows Anne (now in her twenties) as she embarks on a new journey, taking her from her home in Prince Edward Island to New York City, London, and into war-ravaged Europe. This film is an original story not based on any of Montgomery's novels, nor does it align with the chronology of the books. Montgomery's Rilla of Ingleside, which also takes place during the first World War, focuses on Anne's teenage daughter and depicts Anne and Gilbert as a middle-aged couple who witness the effects of the war from the home front while their adult sons fight in Europe.

Anne of Green Gables: A New Beginning was released in fall 2008 (the 100th anniversary of the original novel) as both a sequel and prequel to the previous films. Set near the end of World War II in 1945, the story follows a middle-aged Anne (Barbara Hershey) looking back on her life before Green Gables. Hannah Endicott-Douglas played the role of young Anne.

References

  • The Official Anne of Green Gables Movie Website - The official website of Sullivan series of Anne of Green Gables movies
  • Sullivan Entertainment Website - The Official website of Sullivan Entertainment. Includes information on the Anne movies and its spinoffs
  • Road to Avonlea Website - The official website for Road to Avonlea, the spinoff to the Green Gables series of movies
  • L.M. Montgomery Online Formerly the L.M. Montgomery Research Group, this site includes a blog, extensive lists of primary and secondary materials, detailed information about Montgomery's publishing history, and a filmography of screen adaptations of Montgomery texts. See, in particular, the page for Anne of Green Gables: The Sequel.