Road to Avonlea
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Image:RoadToAvonleaMATB.jpg Road to Avonlea is a television series which was first broadcast in Canada and the United States between 1989 and 1996. It was a Canada-United States co-production (between Kevin Sullivan Entertainment and the Disney Channel), and was based loosely upon a series of books by Lucy Maud Montgomery, author of Anne of Green Gables, which Sullivan had previously adapted as Anne of Green Gables in 1985 and Anne of Avonlea in 1987.
Although Road to Avonlea was set on Prince Edward Island, the series was filmed principally in Uxbridge, Ontario, with interiors shot on sets in Toronto. The show was one of the most popular Canadian television programs and received numerous awards.
In the United States, its title was shortened to simply Avonlea, and a number of episodes were re-titled and re-ordered. When the series was released on DVD in the United States, the title changed from Road to Avonlea to Tales from Avonlea.
The series is set in the fictional small town of Avonlea, Prince Edward Island, in the early 20th century (1898-1910). There, 10-year-old Montréal heiress Sara Stanley (Sarah Polley) is sent by her wealthy father to live with her two maiden aunts, Hetty and Olivia King, to be near her late mother's side of the family. The show's focus shifted over the years from Sara's interactions with her new-found relatives, to stories about the King family. Later seasons of the show focused more on residents of Avonlea who were connected to the King family, and Sarah Polley eventually left the show, although she returned for several guest appearances.
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Characters
Major characters
- Hetty King (played by Jackie Burroughs) - Hetty is the staid, humorless, middle-aged schoolteacher of Avonlea. She resides at Rose Cottage with her sister, Olivia, and her niece, Sara.
- Sara Stanley (played by Sarah Polley) - Sara is an adventurous ten year old girl used to fine living in Montreal who learns to adjust to the simpler life in Avonlea. When she arrives in Avonlea, she lives with her single aunts Hetty and Olivia at Rose Cottage. (Seasons 1-5)
- Olivia King (played by Mag Ruffman) - Olivia is Sara's more affectionate, younger aunt. She later marries Jasper Dale and leaves Rose Cottage.
- Alec King (played by Cedric Smith) - Alec is Hetty and Olivia's brother and Sara's uncle. He is a farmer and lives with his family next door to Rose Cottage at King Farm.
- Janet King (played by Lally Cadeau) - Janet is Alec's loving but independent-minded wife.
- Felicity King (played by Gema Zamprogna) - Felicity is the thirteen year old daughter of Alec and Janet. She often insists on taking on adult responsibilities and feels superior to her siblings and her cousin Sara.
- Felix King (played by Zachary Bennett) - Felix is the ten year old son of Alec and Janet. He is mischievous and often gets into trouble.
- Cecily King (played by Harmony Cramp and later by Molly Atkinson) - Cecily is the quiet, youngest daughter of Alec and Janet.
- Gus Pike (played by Michael Mahonen) - Gus is a young vagabond who grows to earn the respect of the townsfolk. (Seasons 2-5)
- Jasper Dale (played by R.H. Thomson) - Jasper is a shy, stammering photographer and inventor who eventually marries Olivia.
Minor characters
- Rachel Lynde (played by Patricia Hamilton) - Rachel is the local busybody and self-appointed moral guardian of Avonlea. Her character originally appeared in Anne of Green Gables
- Marilla Cuthbert (played by Colleen Dewhurst) - Marilla is Rachel's more tolerant best friend. She is also a character brought back from Anne of Green Gables. (Seasons 1-3: character passes away after the actual death of the actress in 1991)
- Muriel Stacey (played by Marilyn Lightstone) - Muriel is a schoolteacher and a rival of Hetty. The two women are true polar opposites.
Notable guest stars on the show included Faye Dunaway, Madeline Kahn, Christopher Lloyd, Christopher Reeve, Stockard Channing, and Michael York.