"Road to Avonlea"
The Journey Begins (1990)

Director:

Paul Shapiro

Writers:

Heather Conkie (written by)
Lucy Maud Montgomery (novels)

TV Series:

"Road to Avonlea" (1989)

Original Air Date:

7 January 1990 (Season 1, Episode 1)

Genre:

Drama | Adventure | Family | Mystery | Romance

Plot:

When Montreal industrialist Blair Stanley is indicted for embezzlement, he sends his 10-year-old daughter Sara to the small town of Avonlea on Prince Edward Island, where she lives with her two aunts, Hetty and Olivia King. |

Plot Keywords:

Girl | Child | Young Girl | Sibling | Prince Edward Island

Cast

Sarah Polley	...	Sara Stanley
Frances Hyland	...	Nanny Banks
Robert Collins	...	Blair Stanley
Jackie Burroughs	...	Hetty King
Mag Ruffman	...	Olivia King
Cedric Smith	...	Alec King
Lally Cadeau	...	Janet King
Gema Zamprogna	...	Felicity King
Zachary Bennett	...	Felix King
Joel Blake	...	Andrew King
Harmony Cramp	...	Cecily King
Miklos Perlus	...	Peter Craig
Gillian Steeve	...	Clemmie Ray
Susan E. Cox	...	Peg Bowen
James O'Regan	...	Constable Jeffries

Quotes:

Felicity King: Look who's coming, Felix, Miss La-de-da!
Felix King: And Little Lord Andrew, the know-it-all!

The move to Avonlea from Montreal.

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

This episode is the first one on the 3-disk DVD set "Tales from Avonlea". Sarah was supposed to be 10, but young actress Sarah Polley looks more like 8. It is remarkable that a series would be built around such a young actress, but it works because she is so good and so believable.

As it starts we see young Sarah with her businessman dad Blair Stanley in Montreal, her mother dead for some time. But her father gets accused of business crimes and, to keep young Sarah insulated from the legal workings, she is sent to Avonlea on Prince Edward Island, a rural community, to live with her spinster aunt Hetty, who is her deceased mother's sister. Aunt Hetty also happens to be the school teacher in this small, one-room school. That is what this episode is all about.

The first crisis comes when Sarah's governess assumes that she will also live there with young Sarah. After some wrangling, and some help from the constable, Hettie sends the governess back to Montreal.

Sarah also has several cousins living nearby, the sons and daughters of her mother's brother. Sarah is a bit behind in formal education, and that creates some of the initial story line, the need to catch up with the students her age. For example, no only can she no recite the "times tables", she doesn't even know what they are.

Jackie Burroughs is just so good as he strict, unforgiving Aunt Hetty King. Even though she quickly takes a liking to Sarah, she gives her no slack at all. Plus, she has never forgiven Sarah's father for taking her sister Ruth away, because she contracted TB and died at a young age. Hetty has always blamed Blair for her sister's death. You have to see the series to understand how good Burroughs is.