"Road to Avonlea" (1989) TV series 1989-1996

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

Genre:

Drama | Adventure | Family | Mystery | Romance

Plot:

A young rich girl is sent to live with relatives in Prince Edward Island in early 1900s.

Plot Keywords:

Prince Edward Island | Sibling | Canada | Family Relationships | Period Piece

Awards:

Won 4 Primetime Emmys. Another 24 wins & 75 nominations

Cast

Lally Cadeau	...	Janet King (87 episodes, 1990-1996)
Zachary Bennett	...	Felix King (86 episodes, 1990-1996)
Mag Ruffman	...	Olivia Dale / ... (84 episodes, 1990-1996)
Jackie Burroughs	...	Hetty King (83 episodes, 1990-1996)
Cedric Smith	...	Alec King / ... (79 episodes, 1990-1996)
Gema Zamprogna	...	Felicity King (73 episodes, 1990-1996)
Sarah Polley	...	Sara Stanley / ... (64 episodes, 1990-1996)
Harmony Cramp	...	Cecily King (50 episodes, 1990-1994)
Elva Mai Hoover	...	Mrs. Lawson / ... (39 episodes, 1990-1994)
Alex Floyd	...	Baby Daniel / ... (36 episodes, 1992-1996)
Ryan Floyd	...	Baby Daniel / ... (36 episodes, 1992-1996)

Also Known As:

Avonlea (USA)
Tales from Avonlea (USA) (video title)

Runtime:

USA:60 min (91 episodes)

Country:

Canada

Language:

English | French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Australia:PG | USA:PG | Canada:PG

Filming Locations:

Cavendish, Prince Edward Island, Canada

Company:

Sullivan Entertainment

Trivia:

Several characters from the film Anne of Green Gables (1985) (TV) were brought back as recurring characters in this series, most notably 'Patricia Hamilton' as Rachel Lynde and, in early years, Colleen Dewhurst as Marilla Cuthbert.

Quotes:

Felix King: Don't you what to hear about the murder?
Felicity King: Not unless it's your own!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Mr. Dressup's 25th Anniversary (1994) (TV)

A wonderful show

Road to Avonlea (also known as Avonlea) was a well written family series that combined a perfect mix of drama and comedy and featured a talented cast. Jackie Burroughs was brilliant in her role as prim and proper Hetty King and was often hilarious. Lally Cadeau and Cedric Smith had perfect chemistry as Janet and Alec King and so did Mag Ruffman and R. H. Thomson as Olivia and Jasper. The young actors on the show were also excellent. Gema Zamprogna and Zachary Bennett were perfect as Felicity and Felix. As sister and brother, they were hilarious whenever they fought. Sarah Polley did a wonderful job as Sara Stanley.

Some of the highlights of the show included the romance of Jasper and Olivia(who wed in season 3), the romance of Felicity King and Gus Pike and the birth of Daniel King. Over the years the children grew up, Felicity attended medical school, Felix worked at the White Sands Hotel and Sara went to school.

The show was fantastic throughout its seven year run. I enjoyed seasons 6 and 7, and both contained great episodes (and strong performances from Patricia Hamilton, Gema Zamprogna and Zachary Bennett), but I felt the first five seasons were the strongest. The last season contained a few mediocre episodes ("From Away" and "Davey and the Mermaid")and one of the most important storylines, the romance of Felix and Izzy, did not get resolved.

The best episode of Avonlea was probably "Memento Mori," which focused on Hetty's 50th birthday. The episode featured what many great Avonlea episodes did. It had a great storyline, a wonderful script and focused on the show's ensemble. Some of my other favorite episodes include "The Ties that Bind," "Friends and Relations," "A Mother's Love," "The Dinner," "How Kissing Was Discovered," "Aunt Hetty's Ordeal," "Quarantine at Alexander Abraham's" "But When She Was Bad, She Was Horrid" "The Minister's Wife" "Vows of Silence" and "Misfits and Miracles"

I think Road to Avonlea was an outstanding show and I think people of all ages would enjoy it.