Product Description

Inspired by the works of popular Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery ('Anne of Green Gables' ), the lives of This sparkling one-hour episodic series follows the adventures of Sara Stanley who is forced to live with her deceased mother's relatives in the charming twon of Avonlea, Prince Edward Island, Canada. Sara's story is intertwined with many unforgettable L.M. Montgomery characters - From the cast of the original "Anne of Green Gables" mini-series. Sara's antics and misadventures lead her through tales of romance and fancy; tragedy, and comedy. Episode Titles The Journey Begins, The Story Girl Earns Her Name, The Quarantine, Secrets and True Love, Old Lady Lloyd, Proof of the Pudding, Aunt Abigail's Beau, Malcolm and the Baby, Conversions, Felicity's Challenge, The Blue Chest of Arabella King, The Witch of Avonlea, Nothing Endured but Change,

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #108174 in DVD
• Published on: 2003
• Rating: Unrated
• Formats: Color, NTSC, DVD, Import
• Number of discs: 4
• Running time: 600 minutes

Features

• REGION 1 DVD - NSTC

Customer Reviews

Delightful family-friendly TV series!!
This great family-friendly series brings back great memories from my childhood; I would definitely consider this my favorite TV show of all time! Each episode is full of sweet moments, family life, exciting adventures, beautiful scenery, and much more. The content of these is minimal: it's a very family-friendly series, with only a few episodes with some objectionable content (like the Witches of Avonlea episode in this season).

The storyline centers around Sarah Stanley, who comes to Prince Edward Island when her father is accused of embezzlement to live with relatives in a little town called Avonlea. As she struggles to accept her new life and get along with her strict Aunt Hettie, her stuck-up cousin Felcity King, & tormenting cousin Felix King, Sarah must accept the changes in her young life. But not everything is bad: small town life can be loads of fun, and her new Aunt Olivia is wondeful!

Check out this amazing series produced by Sullivan in Canada, the same company who brought up "Anne of Green Gables" and "Anne of Avonlea" in the 90's with Megan Follows. Aired in the U.S. under the title "Avonlea" on the Disney Channel, you will enjoy watching these fantastic episodes again and again! My favorite episodes from this season include: "The Journey Begins," "The Story Girl Earns Her Name," and "Felicity's Challenge"...

Season One contains the following episodes:

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. Conversions
8. Aunt Abigail's Beau
9. Malcolm and the Baby
10. Felicity's Challenge
11. The Witch of Avonlea
12. The Hope Chest of Arabella King
13. Nothing Endures But Change

Sara Stanley, the Story Girl, spends her first season in Avonlea
In the year 1903 after her father is charged with embezzlement, young Sara Stanley (Sarah Polley) is sent from Montreal to live with her late mother's relatives in the town of Avonlea on Prince Edward Island. Sara ends up in the care of her Aunt Hetty King (Jackie Burroughs), the matriarch of the King clan and the teacher at the Avonlea school. The transition from high society in Montreal to the simple life on P.E.I. proves difficult for Sara, who has to endure the taunts of her cousins, the vain Felicity (Gema Zamprogna) and the mischievous Felix (Zachary Bennett). Fortunately her Aunt Olivia (Mag Ruffman) is a kindly soul and Sara makes friends with Jasper Dale (R.H. Thompson), the local recluse who helps her put on the magic lantern show that earns Sara the sobriquet of "The Story Girl."

"Road to Avonlea" was based on not only the two L.M. Montgomery novels that featured Sara and her King cousins, "The Story Girl" and "The Golden Road," but two collections of short stories, "Chronicles of Avonlea" and "Further Chronicles of Avonlea." Seven of the eleven episodes were based specifically on Montgomery's writings, albeit often with significant changes in the characters to fit the show's cast: "The Quarrantine at Alexander Abraham's," "Old Lady Lloyd," and "Aunt Abigail's Beau" come from "Chronicles of Avonlea," "The Materialization of Duncan" from "Further Chronicles," and "Proof of the Pudding," "Conversions," and "The Hope Chest of Arabella King" are all from chapters in "The Story Girl." Three of those adaptations were written by Heather Conkie, who would continue to do an excellent job of turning Montgomery's story into episodes in the future. These stories also allowed the show to work in a couple of beloved characters from the Sullivan "Anne of Green Gables" productions, with Colleen Dewhurst as Marilla Cuthebert and Patricia Hamilton as Mrs. Rachel Lynde.

When I watched "The Complete First Season" of "Road to Avonlea" again, I was struck by how much I do not like Hetty King. I swear, that when we get to the final episode, "Nothing Endures But Change," and Hetty is upset that Sara's father wants to take her home (which is not a radical thing for a father to want to do), I have no idea why either she or Sara want to continue to put up with each other. I think it is clear that Hetty hates Sara's father, blaming him for the death of her sister Ruth, more than she likes Sara. In fact, this episode is really the first sign of any affection from Hetty towards Sara in the series. In previous episodes Hetty terrorizes Felix at school, treats Olivia like a child, and refuses to listen to anything her brother Alex (Cedric Smith) has to say, and he is the most level headed person on the show (with the possible exception of Peg Bowen). Hetty King is certainly opinionated and if she was right more often it might not be such a burden to put up with her domineering ways.

During the first season Sara Stanley is pretty much at the center of everything, and if Sarah Polley was not the Dakota Fanning of her day she certainly holds her own in comparison to Jodi Foster. The continuing clashes between Sara and Felicity are part of the fun, coming to a head the following season with "A Mother's Love," and it is impossible to watch these early episodes again and not be aware that hired boy Peter Craig, who was destined to be the haughty Felicity's husband according to Montgomery's novels, will be replaced by Gus Pike and that their romance will become a mainstay of the series. For that matter, you can also watch the initial sparks between Olivia and Jasper that will also become a major plotline in the future.

This Canadian series aired south of the border as "Avonlea" on the Disney Channel, to which I subscribed simply to watch these episodes (I honeymooned on PEI at the "White Sands Hotel," so obvious I am a big fan of Montgomery and "Anne of Green Gables). There are some slight problems with the video transfer to DVD that becomes a bit bothersome at times (my totally inexact and unscientific description would be that it is as if the pixels were squares instead of octagons or whatever they are). Hopefully there will be some digital remastering of these episodes in the future so that this complaint can be put aside and our enjoyment of "Road to Avonlea" can be complete.

A heartwarming family series!
I have been a fan of Anne of Green Gables for a long time, and only recently discovered another series that is set on Prince Edward Island Canada, Road to Avonlea. This series is equally entertaining, and each episode has something different to offer. The series itself is based around the exploits of young Sara Stanley who is sent to live with her two unmarried aunts, Hetty King the schoolteacher, and Olivia, the aspiring writer. Sara initially finds it difficult adjusting to a more modest living environment, but eventually finds herself very much at home, and involved in the most amazing adventures.
The stories in the first season are:
The Journey Begins - this is when Sara Stanley first finds herself being sent to Avonlea to live with her two aunts, and how she adapts.The actress who plays Ms Stanley, Sarah Polley is young but very talented, and expressive. She is a joy to watch, especially in the delivery of her lines, makes her seem much older than her years.
The Story Girl - this episode deals with how Sara Stanley gets the nickname of the story girl, and also introduces a soon to be recurring character, Jasper Dale, an aspiring photographer.
The Quarantine -in this episode, we have the beloved town gossip Rachel Lynde [from Anne of Green Gables] finding herself cooped up in a house with Sara Stanley, a boy, and an irritable old man. Hilarious episode.
The Materialising of Duncan McTavish - the much-loved Marilla Cuthbert [Colleen Dewhurst] in a heartwarming storyline, focusing on Marilla's 'lost love'.
Old Lady Lloyd -a sad episode of a woman who is embittered by her past, and how Sara Stanley tries to help her. The actress that plays the singer is truly amazing.
Proof of the Pudding - Felicity King takes charge of her siblings, Felix & Cecily, & her cousins Edward, and Sara when her parents go out of town, only to find herself being overwhelmed...very hilarious episode!
Conversions - dealing with young Peter, who is the hired help for Hetty King, and how he 'finds' religion.
Aunt Abigail's Beau - those of you who watched Anne of Green Gables:The Sequel will remember the surly headmistress of Kingsport Ladies College...well, here she is transformed into a still attractive single lady, Abigail, who is also Janet King's sister, and how her old beau comes back to woo her...a romantic episode.
Malcolm & the Baby - let's just say that Sara Stanley tries to find the perfect parents for an orphaned baby boy, with unexpected results.
Felicity's Challenge - Felicity King tries to win a bet, but forgets the meaning of true friendship in the process.
The Blue Chest of Arabella King -Sara Stanley finds hidden letters of a long lost love, and the possibility of treasure in this beguiling episode.
The Witch of Avonlea - Felix King tries a witch's spell to gain confidence for a spelling bee, only to find that true magic lies in believing in one's self. Peg Bowen is the resident witch of Avonlea, and does well in her role.
Nothing Endures but change - the last episode for the season.

All in all, this is a wonderful series, provides wholesome family entertainment, and the acting is amazing, both the kids & adults bring a level of realism to their roles, and the performances are truly from the heart. A series that is worth repeat viewing!