I love Anne and Road to Avonlea.

I love Anne of Green Gables and Road to Avonlea too. And I've read all the Anne books and short stories which inspired RTA. I haven't read 'Emily of New Moon' so I cannot comment on how faithfully it has been adapted from book to screen. But since you want to know how EONM is compared to Anne and RTA, I can help you with that I think... Unlike Anne and RTA, EONM is shot entirely on location on PEI and I enjoyed watching the show just to be able to see bits and parts of PEI! It takes a little getting used to the actors and the characters. I'm watching the 2nd season now and I still feel the show is bit too contrived at times and just plain ridiculous at others. The character development is also quite unrealistic. The show replaces one tyrant (Aunt Elizabeth) with another (Cousin Isabel) and everyone just bows down in submission. The character of Aunt Laura especially demands a lot of patience from the viewer. It's sad to see the brilliant Sheila McCarthy reduced to a whimpering meek kitten for most part. Martha McIsaac as Emily is... I dunno... she's okay I guess. She's nowhere as arresting as say how Gema Zamprogna was as Felicity or Sarah Polley was as Sara Stanley. Perhaps it's not Martha's fault. The whole show in terms of its look and feel just doesn't feel as authentically "period" as how RTA looked. Most action is cleverly and conveniently placed indoors (to control and avoid too much detailed propping) and when the action moves out, it's on the or near the red sandy beaches which don't need period propping in any case... So on the whole it just doesn't feel very authentic. Perhaps the budget of the show was much lesser than that of RTA I don't know...

My favorite characters in the show were Ilse and Perry. Jessica Pellerin who plays Ilse is a scene stealer. She is just so funny, goofy and altogether bewitching as Ilse that Emily just pales in comparison. Kris Lemche as Perry is really adorable!

I would say, definitely give the show a try. Stefan Scaini who directed 'AOGG: the Continuing Story' and some episodes of RTA, has also directed some episodes of Emily. So what you're watching is basically in the same... realm so to say. Just the treatment is different - that for Anne and RTA being far superior.

Hope this helps!

Leena

It's different. The orphan girl theme is the same and the setting of Prince Edward Island, but this seems to be the other side of the island from Avonlea. :) Emily is very different from Sarah and Anne.