Better Than the Canadian Version
Yesterday at Borders, I bought a DVD of the 1975 Anne of Avonlea. I had never seen this version before, up until now knowing only the later Canadian series. And much as I like the Canadian version, I must say that this earlier BBC production is a better, i.e. more faithful adaptation.
The Canadian "Anne of Avonlea" took far too many liberties with the original storyline. In fact, it basically REWROTE L.M. Montgomery. It deleted most of the original "Avonlea" plot in favor of more sensational episodes from the later Anne books. Many of Montgomery's characters were left out altogether, or renamed and changed beyond all recognition. Davy and Dora didn't even exist in the Canadian series! And neither did Philippa Gordon...and neither did Roy Gardiner, who was metamorphed into an entirely different, much older character. These changes detracted from the overall quality of the remake. And so, despite its higher budget and its fine cast of actors, the remake was deeply flawed.
But the BBC "Anne of Avonlea" closely followed L.M. Montgomery's books. It included all the important details: Marilla's adoption of the twins, Mr. Harrison and his parrot, Uncle Abe's storm, Echo Lodge, the A.V.I.S., Ruby Gillis' death from "galloping consumption," the girls at Patty's Place, the Roy Gardiner storyline, and of course the Anne-Gilbert romance. Watching this BBC version was a real pleasure, bringing to life all the characters and incidents that I loved reading about as a kid. And yes, it was relatively low budget, and the pseudo "Canadian accents" may have been all wrong, but still it rang true because it STUCK TO THE ORIGINAL STORYLINE. Producers should always remember to do that when they're dramatizing a classic.