Starring:
Sarah Polley as Sara Stanley
Jackie Burroughs as Hetty King
Mag Ruffman as Olivia King Dale
Zachary Bennett as Felix King
Gema Zamprogna as Felicity King
Lally Cadeau as Janet King
Cedric Smith as Alec King
Michael Mahonen as Gus Pike
R.H. Thomson as Jasper Dale
Patricia Hamilton as Rachel Lynde
Colleen Dewhurst as Marilla Cuthbert
Maja Ardal as Clara Potts
Barbara Gordon as Mrs. Ray
Marilyn Lightstone as Muriel Stacey Pettibone
Barbara Hamilton as Eulalie Bugle
Special Features:
None
Other Info:
Fullscreen (1.33:1)
Dolby Digital Stereo Sound
Running Time: 590 Minutes
Synopsis:
This series originally aired in 1989-1990 and was entitled “Road to Avonlea”. The following is from the official description of the DVD:
“Experience all the charm of a homespun saga as Tales From Avonlea takes you on enchanting journeys of unforgettable trials and triumphs. In this soul-stirring collection, Sara Stanley comes of age in an all-new environment filled with family, friends, and foes. Amazing events follow as Sara gets acquainted with her emotionally guarded guardian, Aunt Hetty, and feuds and frolics with her prank-playing cousins, Felix and Felicity. Through the sharing of dreams, disappointments, and life’s little everyday disasters, they not only find their way — but also a very special place in one another’s hearts. Full of love, laughs, and lessons, and cherished characters of all ages, Tales From Avonlea imparts time-honored values and ventures that never go out of style.
Based On The Novels Of Lucy Maud Montgomery”
Tales From Avonlea is not rated.
The Series:
I have to admit that I had no interest whatsoever in seeing Tales From Avonlea. It’s simply not my kind of show. However, I was curious to see what my 1st grade daughter would think of it. I put it in the player, started it, and she lost interest within the first 3 minutes of the series. She eventually came back and watched more when the kids were heavily featured, but it took a lot to engage her interest. After the first episode she did want to see the second one, so that proved to me that she was more or less the target audience for the show.
I had seen Anne of Green Gables and Anne of Avonlea and I enjoyed both of them quite a bit. However, Tales from Avonlea lacks the charm, acting power, and originality of its predecessor. In fact, the TV series copies many of the same elements from the mini-series. Both have a young girl who is a fish out of water. Both have a caretaker that is initially mean then proven to be nice. Both have a quaint cast of characters for the lead actress to interact with. In the end, the mini-series was better than at least this first season. Maybe it gets better in subsequent seasons.
When I saw that Sarah Polley was the lead character in the show, I thought her name sounded familiar. I was a little surprised to realize that she was the actress I liked so much in Dawn of the Dead. She’s also been in eXistenZ, Go, and The Weight of Water. Fans of hers will probably want to check this out.
The Extras:
There are no bonus features included on this DVD.
The Bottom Line:
Tales From Avonlea is primarily for girls and women who enjoyed Little House on the Prairie or Lucy Maud Montgomery’s other Avonlea books. Everyone else will want to avoid this cute, quaint TV series.
