Road to Avonlea
Road to Avonlea is a Canadian television series first broadcast in Canada between January 7, 1990, and March 31, 1996, and in the United States starting on March 5, 1990. It was created by Kevin Sullivan and produced by Sullivan Films (later Sullivan Entertainment) in association with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) and the Disney Channel, with additional funding from Telefilm Canada. It follows the adventures of Sara Stanley, a young girl sent to live with her relatives in early 20th-century eastern Canada. It was loosely adapted from novels by Lucy Maud Montgomery, with many characters  and episodes inspired by her stories. Some episodes were turned into independent books by various authors; around 30 titles have been released. In the United States, its title was shortened to "Avonlea", and a number of episodes were retitled and reordered. The series was released on VHS and DVD there as "Tales from Avonlea". Background and development. The series was initially loosely inspired from a number of books by Lucy Maud Montgomery, primarily "The Story Girl" and "The Golden Road", both of which feature the character of Sara Stanley, as well as Felicity, Felix, and Cecily. These books, while set  in Prince Edward Island, did not take place in the village of Avonlea. Many of the series' episodes and situations were adapted from stories recounted in Montgomery's "Chronicles of Avonlea" and "Further Chronicles of Avonlea". Many supporting characters were sourced from Montgomery's "Anne of Green Gables" series. The show is set within the same continuity as Sullivan's 1985 film and its based on the "Anne" novels. Rachel Lynde, Marilla Cuthbert, and Muriel Stacy all originally appeared in Montgomery's debut novel "Anne of Green Gables", with Rachel and Marilla being briefly mentioned in passing in "Chronicles of  Avonlea". Patricia Hamilton, Colleen Dewhurst, and Marilyn Lightstone, who had played the characters in the films, returned for "Road to Avonlea". The characters of Davy and Dora Keith were originally from "Anne of Avonlea", the first sequel to "Anne Of Green Gables". Anne Shirley herself never appeared, although she was referred to on rare occasions. Some episodes of the show were turned into independent books by different authors. Around 30 titles have been released. In the United States, its title was shortened to simply "Avonlea", and a number of episodes were retitled and reordered. When the series was released on  VHS and 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 (1903–1912). Ten-year-old Montreal 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 after an embezzlement scandal results in him being placed under house arrest. The show's focus shifted over the years from Sara's interactions with  locals to stories about the King family. Later seasons of the show focused more on residents of Avonlea who were connected to the King family. Sarah Polley left the show in 1994, returning for a guest appearance in the sixth season as well as the series finale episode. Following the series proper, a reunion TV movie called "An Avonlea Christmas" was produced in 1998. Guest stars. Many famous actors made guest appearances on the show, including Locations. The "Road to Avonlea" set was constructed in Uxbridge, Ontario—the town where Lucy Maud Montgomery lived and wrote for a decade after  moving from Prince Edward Island. The town of Avonlea was adapted from existing buildings. Its roads were painted red in an attempt to match the distinctive color of the island's iron-rich soil. Filming also took place regularly at Westfield Heritage Centre in Flamborough, Ontario. Photography and enhanced digital matter work married second-unit scenes of Prince Edward Island with the Leaskdale location where necessary. Home media. Sullivan Entertainment released all seven seasons on DVD in Region 1 for the first time between 2005 and 2006. In 2009, they began re-releasing the series in wide screen format. As  of December 2012, all seven seasons and the Christmas special had been released in widescreen format. In 2016, Sullivan Entertainment announced it would launch their own streaming service called "Gazebo TV" that would feature the "Road to Avonlea" series among other titles produced by the company. The service launched in early 2017. Ratings. The series debut garnered 2.527 million (2+) viewers. Awards and nominations. During "Road to Avonlea"s seven-year run, it won and was nominated for numerous awards worldwide: