Anne of Avonlea (1975)

On January 26, 1975, the British Broadcasting Company (BBC) began airing the miniseries Anne of Avonlea. This production was a sequel to their 1972 adaptation of Anne of Green Gables. Kim Braden returned to star as Anne Shirley, Barbara Hamilton returned to play Marilla Cuthbert, and Jan Francis returned as Diana Barry. Gilbert Blythe was portrayed by Christopher Blake, a different actor from the earlier miniseries. The production also featured Madge Ryan as Rachel Lynde, David Garfield as Mr. Harrison, and Anthony Forrest as Roy Gardiner.

Anne of Avonlea was based on L.M. Montgomery's novels Anne of Avonlea and Anne of the Island, and the story was dramatized for the screen by Elaine Morgan. Joan Craft returned to direct the sequel, and the miniseries was again produced by John McRae. The Anne of Avonlea miniseries aired in six parts and had a running time of 5 hours and 50 minutes.

Anne of Green Gables is one of the few BBC 1 Sunday Serials that is lost and no longer exists in the BBC archives. Luckily for us, Anne of Avonlea survived intact. The Anne of Avonlea miniseries was purchased by Strawberry Entertainment, and it was subsequently purchased by KOCH Vision. The long-awaited DVD was released on September 5, 2006.

Acknowledgements:
Thanks Paul for the information that the miniseries was purchased by Strawberry Entertainment.

External Links (will open in new windows):
Internet Movie Database - cast list for the series
Anne of Green Gables topic at www.missing-episodes.com (archived topic by Internet Archive)

Image credit:
Photograph of Kim Braden as Anne Shirley in Anne of Green Gables © BBC from the 1975 book cover by Penguin Books.

Purchase and watch Anne of Avonlea:


Created May 12, 2002. Last updated April 16, 2024.
© worldofanneshirley.com

Anne of Green Gables (1972)

On February 20, 1972, the British Broadcasting Company (BBC) began airing an Anne of Green Gables miniseries as a BBC 1 Sunday Serial. The series starred Kim Braden as Anne Shirley, Barbara Hamilton as Marilla Cuthbert, and Elliott Sullivan as Matthew Cuthbert. Jan Francis played Diana Barry and Robin Halstead played Gilbert Blythe.

The Anne of Green Gables miniseries was based upon L.M. Montgomery's novel, and the story was adapted for the screen by Julia Jones. The series was directed by Joan Craft and produced by John McRae. The series was broadcast in five parts and was 4 hours and 40 minutes in length.

Unfortunately, Anne of Green Gables is one of the few BBC 1 Sunday Serials that is missing, and it no longer exists in the BBC archives. However, the BBC’s 1975 sequel Anne of Avonlea survived, and it was released by Koch Vision on September 5, 2006.

External Links (will open in new windows):
Internet Movie Database - cast list for the series
Anne of Green Gables topic at www.missing-episodes.com (archived topic by Internet Archive)

Personal Comments:
Unfortunately, I never saw this miniseries, and with its current "lost" status in the BBC archives, I am unlikely to see it in the future. If you have any knowledge about the miniseries, scans or images from the production, or if you have seen it and can tell me more about it, then please send me an e-mail, and I'll add the info to this site.

Image credit:
Photograph of Kim Braden as Anne Shirley in Anne of Green Gables © BBC

Purchase and watch Anne of Avonlea:


Created May 11, 2002. Last updated April 16, 2024.
© worldofanneshirley.com