Recently my family started watching a TV show called
Road to Avonlea. It's done by Sullivan Entertainment (which put out the
Anne of Green Gables movie trilogy), and it's based on stories from the Anne of Green Gables books and from other works of L.M. Montgomery such as
The Story Girl.
If you took
Anne of Green Gables and crossed it with the
Little House on the Prairie TV show
, this show would be the result. The story centers around the King family, a family of farmers in Avonlea, and Sara Stanley, a cousin who comes from Montreal to stay with them. As the series goes on, the cast of characters grows as more and more of the Avonlea townspeople take on important roles. Marilla Cuthbert and Mrs. Lynde appear multiple times, played by the same actresses that played those roles in
Anne of Green Gables.
The stories themselves are light-hearted. Unlike
Little House on the Prairie, in which a major tragedy strikes about every other episode,
Road to Avonlea seldom features tragic events. Instead, it focuses on ordinary life and the relationships of the people in the village. (By the way, I don't mean to bash
Little House on the Prairie...I do love that series...but I advise reading episode synopses first if you don't want to be traumatized while watching it!)
Without further ado, I'm going to introduce the main characters of
Road to Avonlea.
Sara Stanley
Sara comes to the Island for the summer because her father has been framed for embezzlement and is on trial. She's a town girl and isn't used to the way things are done in Avonlea. She struggles to fit into the community and to get along with various members of the King family (her cousins, aunts, and uncle). Sara has a tender heart and will stand up for anyone who is being treated badly. She's also a dreamer, a player of practical jokes, and a storyteller.
Hetty King
Hetty King is Sara's aunt (her mother's sister). Hetty is the oldest of the Kings since her parents died, and she never lets her siblings forget it! She is the Avonlea schoolteacher. She is crabby, strict, rule-bound, and in many ways unsympathetic to the feelings of others...but occasionally those around her can glimpse the deep-seated love she has for her family. Hetty takes in Sara when she comes to the King farm, even though she's reluctant to take care of her at first. (You may recognize the actress, Jackie Burroughs, as the woman who recited that "Ho! Ho! the breakers roared" poem in Anne of Green Gables.)
Olivia King
Olivia King is Hetty's younger sister who lives with her in Rose Cottage. She is sweet and optimistic and is delighted to have Sara stay with her and Hetty. Olivia has a passion for poetry and journalism and really wants a job with the Avonlea newspaper. (You may recognize the actress, Mag Ruffman, as Alice Lawson, the storekeeper's daughter, in Anne of Green Gables.)
Alec King
Alec King is Hetty and Olivia's brother. He runs the farm that his house and his sisters' house are on. Alec is married and has three children. He's a good father with a sense of humor (and a little bit of mischief)! He tends to play peacemaker within his family, although he and Hetty butt heads sometimes. (The actor, Cedric Smith, was in Anne of Green Gables as Reverend Allan.)
Janet King
Janet King is Alec's wife. She's a kind mother to their three children and a capable homemaker. Sometimes she doesn't realize how much mischief her children are getting into, though! Janet always seems to have her hands full with a million different projects around the busy farm.
Felicity King
Felicity is Alec and Janet's oldest daughter. When Sara Stanley arrives in Avonlea, Felicity sees her as a threat with her expensive town clothes and her town ways. She ignores her and plays mean pranks on her (often with the help of her brother, Felix). However, Felicity soon learns that it's better being friends with Sara than being at odds with her! Felicity likes to cook and do crafts. She likes being put in charge of her siblings, although when she actually does get put in charge of them there's always trouble!
Felix King
Felix King is mischief personified....and cuteness personified! He's forever getting into scrapes and playing pranks. But he loves his family dearly and is sorry whenever he realizes that one of his pranks has really hurt someone. Felix has a strong sense of justice and gets outraged when he feels things aren't fair (which is about every five minutes)!
Cecily King
Cecily is the youngest King child, and the best behaved. She is kind to Sara when she first arrives and Felicity and Felix can't stand her. Cecily is truthful, logical, and never afraid to speak her mind.
Andrew King
Andrew King is a cousin both of Sara Stanley and of Felicity, Felix, and Cecily. He's been sent to Avonlea while his father, a famous geologist, is doing mining work in Brazil. Andrew often sides with Sara against Felicity and Felix in arguments. In his free time, he's nearly always got his nose in a book.
Peter Craig
Peter Craig is Aunt Hetty's hired boy. He's kind to Sara when she comes to Avonlea. He often gets involved in the pranks and arguments going on among the other children. Peter is a plucky kid who isn't afraid of much of anything, even the so-called "Witch of Avonlea," Peg Bowen.
If you're looking for a light-hearted, family friendly TV show, you should check out Road to Avonlea! If you've seen it, I'd love to hear your thoughts on it in the comments!
