Character's Bio: Great Aunt Eliza

Eliza Ward is Janet King and Abigail Ward’s aunt. Eliza visited King farm several times throughout the series and would prove to be very eccentric and extremely overbearing. In later seasons, Eliza moves to King farm and becomes a more permanent member of the family. Eventually, her wit and wisdom become an integral part of their lives.

Actor's Bio: Kay Tremblay

A life in the arts provided Kay Tremblay with ample research for the creation of the indomitable Aunt Eliza Ward on Road to Avonlea. In fact, she won a Gemini award for her performance of Eliza in 1997. Ms. Tremblay’s first professional appearance was with the George Balanchine Ballet at Theatre Royal in London. She then played the major variety theatres throughout Britain and toured the capitals of Europe. Ms. Tremblay married a Canadian and settled in Montreal where she resumed work in the theatre in 1954. During her years there, Ms Tremblay appeared in thirty leading roles on Shoestring Theatre, Tele-Play and Tele-Theatre for CBC Television and in numerous radio dramas produced by Rupert Caplan and Earl Pennington. Her extensive list of film and television credits include: Renegades, Shadowdancing, Diamonds, Night Heat, Hot Shots, Street Legal, and Kevin Sullivan’s Wind at My Back. Sadly, the talented actress passed away in 2005.

Character's Bio: Rachel Lynde

Rachel is the local gossip and the self-appointed moral guardian to the town of Avonlea. Her character originally appeared in the Anne of Green Gables trilogy, at the end of which she had moved in with her best friend, Marilla Cuthbert. She continues to live at Green Gables until Marilla’s death at the end of the third season of Road to Avonlea. Eventually, Rachel will suffer a stroke and is forced to move in with Hetty King, with whom she doesn’t always see eye to eye. Now that Rachel is at Rose Cottage, she and Hetty will raise the twins that Marilla had previously cared for with Rachel - Davy and Dora Keith.

Actor's Bio: Patricia Hamilton

A dynamo with limitless energy, Patricia Hamilton performed the role of the self-righteous Rachel Lynde in "Anne of Green Gables". She continued to delight audiences with this character in Road to Avonlea, and recently in Kevin Sullivan's animated film Anne: Journey to Green Gables and Anne: The Animated Series on PBS. Over the course of her career she has worked with the American Shakespeare Festival, the National Shakespeare Festival and the Stratford Festival. She was the recipient of a Dora Mavor Moore Award for her role in I Am Yours with the Tarragon Theatre. Her film and television credits include Night Heat, A Bridge to Silence, Echoes in Darkness, Fight for Life and The Last Detail. Her role in A Bird in the House garnered her a 1975 Canadian Film Award. Hamilton has served as the Head of Drama at the Banff School of Fine Arts. She is also the founder and producer of Masterclass Theatre, and was honoured with a Brenda Donohue Award for Distinguished Contribution to the Toronto Theatre in 1987.

 

Character's Bio: Marilla Cuthbert

A strong-minded and independent spinster, Marilla Cuthbert lives at Green Gables farm along with her unmarried brother, Matthew. Although she is not known for usually expressing her emotions, she has a wry sense of humor and a loving heart underneath. Anne eventually manages to break Marilla’s frosty exterior and the two women develop a meaningful and lasting relationship.

Actor's Bio: Colleen Dewhurst

Born in Montreal on June 3, 1924, Colleen Dewhurst grew up in the United States and studied drama at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City. Colleen became an "overnight success" in 1974 after 27 years in the business due to her outstanding performance in the play Moon for the Misbegotten.

Although she became extremely successful in movies and television, her first love remained the stage and she often returned to it - not only to perform, but to direct as well. She was married three times – twice to actor George C. Scott, whom she divorced for the second time in 1972.

Colleen was the first choice of producer Kevin Sullivan when he was casting Anne of Green Gables. She accepted the role immediately, before even reading the script. Anne of Green Gables was one of the first books she remembered her mother reading to her.

As well as appearing regularly on Road to Avonlea as Marilla, Colleen had a recurring role as Candice Bergen's mother on the CBS series Murphy Brown, for which Colleen won her third Emmy. Over the course of her 45-year career, she won a total of four Emmys, two Tonys and two Gemini Awards. From 1985 to 1991, she served as president of Actor's Equity, the theatre union for actors in the United States. During the last years of her life, Ms. Dewhurst lived on a farm in South Salem, New York and had a summer getaway on Prince Edward Island.

On August 22, 1991, the beloved actress died of cancer at age 67. Active until the end, she was scheduled to do an episode of Road to Avonlea, the television series that had her reprising the role of Marilla Cuthbert.

 

Character's Bio: Nanny Banks

Nanny Banks is Sara Stanley’s governess who looked after Sara when she lived in Montreal with her father, Blair Stanley. However, when Blair is caught up in an embezzlement scandal, Nanny Banks travels with Sara to Avonlea, where tensions arise between her and Hetty over who should care for the young girl. Nanny Banks plots to escape back to Montreal with Sara, but is caught by Hetty. She returns to Montreal alone, but is later visited by Hetty and Sara when she becomes gravely ill. After Sara’s father dies unexpectedly during their visit, all three women return to Avonlea. However, Hetty and Nanny Banks continue to bicker over what’s best for Sara and it isn’t until the child they love seems to have disappeared that the two women begin to mend their differences.

Actor's Bio: Frances Hyland

Frances Hyland was an award-winning actress, perhaps best known for her role as “Nanny Banks” on the series Road to Avonlea. Born in Shaunavon, Saskatchewan in 1927, Frances first took acting and elocution lessons as a teenager to try to overcome her shy and introverted nature. Since then, her acting and directing career spanned five decades, and included directing and starring in a number of Stratford and Shaw festivals. In 1977, she was awarded the Joseph Jefferson Award for Actress in a Principal Role in a Play for her work in Long Day’s Journey into Night, which she performed at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago, Illinois. Frances was also awarded the Office of the Order of Canada in 1970 for her contribution to the performing arts. Sadly, the actress passed away in 2004 at the age of 77.

Character's Bio: Miss Muriel Stacy

The former schoolteacher of Avonlea, Muriel Stacey, is named Provincial Superintendent of Schools and returns to Avonlea to inspect Hetty’s teaching methods - much to Hetty’s chagrin. The two women and their different teaching styles continue to clash and Hetty is often jealous of Sara’s admiration for Muriel’s progressive style and exciting life. However, the two women share a mutual respect for each other. During her stay in Avonlea, Muriel purchases the General Store and befriends the widower, Clive Pettibone. The two then fall in love.

Actress Bio: Marilyn Lightstone

Muriel Stacey is a well-known name to anyone who is a devotee of Sullivan Entertainment's Anne of Green Gables mini-series. As a two-time ETROG award winner as Best Supporting Actress for her role in the Avco Embassy release, In Praise of Older Women, and as Best Actress for her superb performance in the Columbia Pictures release, Lies My Father Told Me - films that were both critical and commercial successes - Miss Lightstone has gained recognition as an actress of international stature. Her film and television credits include the sensitive portrayal of a French Canadian working class mother in the television adaptation of Gabrielle Roy's The Tin Flute, as well as the her principal role in Sullivan’s The Wild Pony, as the shrewd and determined mother, Nora Fellows. Also notable are leading roles in NBC's Joseph and Mary and The Trojan Women, Blind Justice and Disaster in Time, with Jeff Daniels. She has also starred in such highly rated television series as The New Avengers, Witness To Yesterday, in which she portrayed Emma Goldman, and CBC's King of Kensington with Al Waxman. Her most recent credits involved providing voices for characters in the television series Madeline: My Fair Madeline and Dennis the Menace in Cruise Control.

 

Character's Bio: Pigeon Plumtree

Sara’s cousin, the flamboyant actress Pigeon Plumtree, arrives in Avonlea for a short visit. Sara greatly admires Pigeon and hopes to follow in her footsteps - much to Hetty’s dismay. However, when Pigeon’s snobbery and insensitivity comes between farmer Pat Frewen and his sweetheart, Theodora Dixon, Sara sees Pigeon’s true colours.

Actor's Bio: Madeline Kahn

Critically-acclaimed comedic actress Madeline Kahn originally trained to sing opera. Kahn appeared in cabaret revues before appearing on stage, then in films, beginning with The Dove in 1968. Kahn went on to star in Paper Moon (1973) and Blazing Saddles (1974), receiving an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress in both movies. Other film credits include Young Frankenstein, The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes’ Smarter Brother, The Cheap Detective, History of the World – Part 1, Slapstick of Another Kind, Clue and Nixon. Kahn also added her voice to the highly popular A Bug’s Life, as the moth Gypsy. In 1993 Kahn won a Best Actress Tony Award for her work in Wendy Wasserstein’s The Sisters Rosenswieg. Sadly, in 1999, Madeline passed away from ovarian cancer when she was just 57 years old.

 

Character's Bio: Ezekiel Crane

The eccentric Ezekiel Crane is a retired sea captain who tries to protect Gus Pike from a dangerous fugitive - the young sailor’s own father. Crane also holds the key to a legend about hidden treasure on the island.

Actor's Bio: Michael York

Michael York needs no introduction to the television public. Over his illustrious career he has worked with some of the most notable directors and stars of this century. British-born Michael York made his professional debut at Dundee Repertory Theatre before joining the National Theatre Company, London in 1965 where he appeared in such productions as Zeffirelli’s Much Ado About Nothing. In 1973 he made his Broadway debut in Tennessee Williams’ Outcry. His film debut came in 1966 with Zeffirelli’s The Taming of the Shrew with Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor. Additional film credits include Zeffirelli’s Romeo and Juliet, Cabaret, Murder on the Orient Express, The Three Musketeers, The Island of Doctor Moreau, The Omega Code and Austin Powers.

Television credits include The Forsyte Saga, Jesus of Nazareth, A Knight in Camelot, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Gilmore Girls and more recently, Four Seasons.

 

Character's Bio: Peg Bowen

Peg Bowen is Avonlea’s resident “witch”, who is feared at first by the King children. However, they soon learn that she is not to be feared and they often seek her counsel in times of uncertainty. Peg also helped save Avonlea’s woodlands from Archie Gillis’ strip cutting when she wins a hockey match, coached by Alec King, against Archie’s team.

Actor's Bio: Susan Cox

A native of Liverpool, England, Susan Cox trained at Manchester University and worked with such theatres as the Northcott Theatre and the Theatre Royal. Since coming to Canada in 1973, she has performed with numerous major theatres, as well as directed a variety of productions. Her more recent stage appearances include leading roles at the Shaw Festival, The Stratford Festival, The Royal Alexandra Theatre and in her one-woman show, Valentine Brown: Live. Ms. Cox was also the artistic director of the Vancouver Playhouse from 1993-98 and the National Arts Centre from 1982-83.

 

Character's Bio: Romney Penhallow

Romney Penhallow is Aunt Hetty’s only serious beau from her youth. When he arrives unexpectedly in Avonlea, Hetty tries to avoid him, but the two slowly start to rebuild their former relationship and discover that it is exactly what it once was – argumentative and tempestuous. However, their relationship is not meant to last, as Hetty discovers that Romney is fatally ill and he leaves Avonlea just as unexpectedly as when he first arrived.

Actor's Bio: Peter Coyote

Peter Coyote is probably best known for his work in the feature films A Walk to Remember, Patch Adams and Erin Brokovich. The talented actor says he was delighted to be working on Road to Avonlea, “because he has never been a Canadian before”. Other feature film credits include The Hebrew Hammer, More Dogs Than Bones, Purpose, The Basket, Jagged Edge, Outrageous Fortune, Road Ends, High Art, The Man Inside, The Act of Will, Slayground and Heartbreakers. He was also seen in Stephen Spielberg’s E.T. and Legend of Billie Jean. Coyote’s television credits include appearances on Deadwood, Law and Order: Criminal Intent and Brothers & Sisters.

 

Additional Series Cast: Road to Avonlea: Season 2

Elva Mai Hoover: Mrs. Lawson

Maja Ardal: Mrs. Potts

Heather Brown: Izzy Pettibone

Barbara Hamilton: Mrs. Bugle

Ian D. Clark: Simon Tremayne

Roger Dunn: Bert Potts

John Friesen: Archie Gillis

David Fox: Clive Pettibone

Joel Blake: Andrew King

Kyle Labine: Davey Keith

Linsday Murrell: Dora Keith

 

Character's Bio: Sara Stanley

Eleven-year-old Sara Stanley is used to a luxurious lifestyle in her hometown of Montreal. Her mother, Ruth King, died of TB when Sara was only a baby. When Sara’s father runs into trouble, Sara is sent to live with her mother’s family - siblings Hetty, Alec, Roger and Olivia. When she arrives, Sara’s nanny is sent back to Montreal, and Sara must adjust to a simpler lifestyle in Avonlea while living at Rose Cottage with Hetty and Olivia. Throughout seasons 3, 4, and 5, Sara takes it upon herself to act as the Avonlea matchmaker. By season 6, her Aunt Hetty and her nanny, Louisa, begin planning her future without her. Sara, however, has other plans. She dreams of becoming a writer and attending a very prestigious school in Paris – alone. Hetty and Louisa agree to let her go, and Sara leaves Avonlea only to return in the final season for her cousin Felicity’s wedding to Gus Pike.

Actor's Bio: Sarah Polley

Sara Polley became a veteran of film and television while still in her teens, and grew up on Road to Avonlea - as did her character, Sara Stanley. Like her character, Sara is an intelligent, fiercely independent woman, and brought many talents and natural charm to the show. Sarah made her screen debut at age four, playing a street waif in the feature One Magic Christmas, starting Jan Rubes. She won North American critical acclaim at the age of nine for her performance in the PBS family series Ramona, and went on to win international recognition for her lead role in Terry Gilliam’s big screen fantasy adventure, The Adventures of Baron Manchausen. Polley’s portrayal of the only surviving child in a school bus crash in Atom Egoyan’s celebrated feature The Sweet Hereafter earned her a Genie nomination as best actress. Other credits include principal roles in feature films The Last Night, The Weight of Water, Exotica, Green Monkey, The Big Town and Pretty Kill. Most recently, Sara has demonstrated her abilities behind the camera as writer and director of the Canadian based feature Away From Her, which earned many nominations and won various awards. Her most recent film was the sci-fi thriller, Splice, starring Adrien Brody.

 

Character's Bio: Hetty King

The eldest of five siblings, Hetty is the head of the King family and respected schoolteacher of Avonlea. She is a humourless middle-aged woman, who finds change difficult to handle. Hetty lives at Rose Cottage with her sister, Olivia, and her niece, Sara. In later seasons, Hetty King gives up being a schoolteacher in order to pursue her dream of being a writer. Once Sara leaves for Paris, leaving Rose Cottage very much empty, Hetty decides to have Mrs. Lynde move in with her, along with the adopted twins Davey and Dora Keith.

Actor's Bio: Jackie Burroughs

An actress of incomparable breadth and talent, Jackie Burroughs earned a well-deserved reputation as one of Canada’s premiere actresses both on stage and screen. She had won just about every conceivable show business award in Canada. Her performance as the well-intentioned, headstrong and domineering Hetty King has garnered her three Gemini Awards for Best Actress in 1990, 1992 and 1994. Jackie Burroughs had a reputation for being an encouraging and enthusiastic supporter of Canada’s young actors and playwrights. She was known to turn down leading roles at some of Canada’s most prestigious theatres to work for nothing on small ‘fringe’ productions introducing a new playwright’s work. Her participation in many so-called alternative productions has been responsible for drawing public attention to many an independent work. Indeed, like her character Hetty, Jackie Burroughs placed a premium on her independence, both creative and personal. Her body of work is extensive, but she is best known in recent years for the critically acclaimed A Winter Tan, which she both co-directed and co-wrote as well as starred in. Filmed on location in Mexico, A Winter Tan garnered her a 1988 Best Actress Genie Award, and gave her a new love. During the hiatus periods of Road to Avonlea, Ms. Burroughs spent her summers in Mexico, overseeing the construction of her home.

Sadly, the beloved actress died of cancer on September 22, 2010, at the age of 71.

 

Character's Bio: Olivia Dale

Olivia is the youngest of the King siblings, and Sara’s most affectionate aunt. Olivia eventually begins working as a reporter for the local newspaper. It is here that she meets the man who will eventually become her husband, Jasper Dale - a photographer for the newspaper. Once she and Jasper are married, Olivia leaves Rose Cottage and has a son named Montgomery. Olivia and Jasper later adopt a baby girl named Alicia.

Actor's Bio: Mag Ruffman

Mag Ruffman brings an enthusiastic innocence to her work on Road to Avonlea, lending vitality to the determined career woman, Olivia Dale. Her natural charms and professionalism help her give a loving push to her shy, inventor husband Jasper. In addition to be being an accomplished actress, musician, dancer and singer, Ms. Ruffman possesses the unique gift of being able to relate to children on their own level. She was sought out constantly by the entire junior Avonlea cast for advice on everything from how to tune a flute to how to smuggle newts into the girls’ trailer. Ms Ruffman’s television credits include Anything I Can Do, A Repair to Remember, Debbie Travis and Mag Ruffman Live. She also appeared in Kevin Sullivan’s Emmy Award-winning film Looking For Miracles, and played the part of Alice Lawson in the Anne of Green Gables series.

 

Character's Bio: Alec King

Alec King was the first born son of the King family. He owns and operates King farm, which is next door to Rose Cottage, where his sisters, Hetty and Olivia, live. He has four children (Felicity, Felix, Cecily and Daniel) and is married to Janet King.

Actor's Bio: Cedric Smith

Cedric Smith never thought he would have children – until he was cast as Alec King, the calm and insightful father of four. His portrayal of the easy-going PEI farmer earned him a 1993 Best Actor Gemini Award, and prepared him for his role as father in his private life. Cedric began his career as a folk-singer in Stratford and has been involved with film and television productions since his first role as Dr. Zvarich in the 1977 film adaptation of Who Has Seen the Wind? Since then his credits number more than one hundred various roles, including Kevin Sullivan’s Butterbox Babies and Sleeping Dogs Lie. He has also provided his voice for a number of documentaries and characters in animated features, such as "Tupper" in Sullivan’s film Anne: Journey to Green Gables.

 

Character's Bio: Janet King

Janet King is married to Alec and has four children. She is a very loving wife, but is also very independent-minded. In addition to her role as mother, Janet becomes a leader of the women’s suffrage movement in Avonlea. She has a sister named Abigail (played by Rosemary Dunsmore).

Actor's Bio: Lally Cadeau

Since winning the ACTRA Award for best newcomer in 1981, Lally Cadeau has received over a dozen nominations and awards for her work in television, film, radio, and stage, including the 1995 Gemini for Best Actress in a leading role for her work as Aunt Janet on Road to Avonlea. Other awards have included a Bijou and an ACTRA for her work in the critically acclaimed You’ve Come a Long Way, Katie. Ms. Cadeau also starred in the CBC series Hangin’ In for six years before performing on Road to Avonlea. Other television credits include guest-starring roles in Street Legal, Kane and Abel, Adderly, Twilight Zone and King of Kensington.

 

Character's Bio: Felix King

Felix is the eldest son of Alec and Janet. He is very mischievous and will often get into trouble. He eventually befriends Isolde Pettibone (Izzy) who is the daughter of Mr. Pettibone, the widowed schoolteacher who takes over the Avonlea schoolhouse when Hetty retires. In later seasons, a romance begins to develop between Felix and his good friend, Izzy.

Actor's Bio: Zachary Bennett

Like Gema Zamprogna, who plays his sister, Felicity, on Road to Avonlea, Zachary Bennett also comes from an acting family. His father teaches drama, his mother is his coach, and his elder brother Gareth, and sisters Marion and Sophie, all work in the field.

Zachary’s role as the irrepressible Felix King matured over the course of the show. The Felix of Season 1 - indefatigable tease, lover of adventure stories and shirker of chores - matured into a responsible young man who knows his own mind and always has an eye for a quick dollar.

Zach is already a veteran actor on an international scale. Aside from his work in Canada, Zach has worked in the United States, Europe, New Zealand, the former Czechoslovakia and Mexico with some of the best known names in the entertainment industry, including Leonard Nimoy, Sam Waterson, Diane Keaton, Liam Neeson and Jan Rubes.

Film credits include The Good Mother with Diane Keaton, Back to Hannibal with Megan Follows, The Muppets Christmas Special, the lead in the four-hour mini-series By Way of the Stars and Sullivan Entertainment’s Looking for Miracles, for which he received an Emmy nomination. Television credits include Shattered City, Blind Faith, Lantern Hill and Twice in a Lifetime. His recent credits include appearances on a number of television series.

Character's Bio: Felicity King

<>Felicity is Alec and Janet’s eldest daughter. She often takes on adult responsibility and feels superior to her four siblings and her cousin Sara.

 

Actor's Bio: Gema Zamprogna

A talented actress, a scholarship winning student and an accomplished dancer, Gema Zamprogna, like her character Felicity King, is one of those enviable young adults who can turn their hand at almost anything with brilliant results. Gema is a native of Hamilton, Ontario and comes from a stage family. Her parents operate a dance school, and her father Lou is a professional Director/Choreographer and director of a performing arts program at Hamilton’s Theatre Aquaris. Dominic and Amanda, Gema’s twin siblings, are also accomplished stage and screen actors. Gema’s portrayal of the opinionated and frequently bossy Felicity King has brought her 1991 and 1994 Gemini nominations for Best Supporting Actress. Gema’s other film credits include a co-starring role on Sullivan’s four-hour mini-series, By Way of the Stars, the leading role in the TV film The Challengers, as well as principal roles in Defense of a Married Man, Amerika, Friday the 13th, War of the Worlds and Forever Knight. Her stage credits include The Queen in Winnie the Pooh, Little Marie Antionette in the opera Andrea Chenier as well as productions of Into the Woods, Chess and West Side Story.

 

Character's Bio: Cecily King

Cecily is the younger and quieter daughter of Alec and Janet King. She is more interested in farm work than her brother. As a result, Alec considers leaving King Farm to her after his death, knowing he will be leaving it in good hands.

Actor's Bio: Harmony Cramp

Harmony Cramp’s first major role in a television series was on Road to Avonlea. Prior to that, she appeared in the feature film The January Man, in which she was saved from a burning building by Kevin Kline; and in an episode of the CTV series The Campbells. Eventually, Harmony would leave Road to Avonlea and be replaced by actress Molly Atkinson, who would complete the series as Cecily King and later appear in An Avonlea Christmas.

 

Character's Bio: Jasper Dale

Jasper Dale is perhaps the most eccentric resident of Avonlea. His shy awkwardness and fantastic inventions often make him the subject of ridicule by the other townspeople. But after Sara Stanley befriends the stumbling genius, and he gains the affections of Olivia King, Jasper becomes more sure of himself.

Actor's Bio: R.H. Thomson

R.H. Thomson is one of Canada’s busiest and most accomplished stage and film actors. He has won every major Canadian award – a 1989 Gemini Award for his portrayal of Dr. Frederick Banting in the CBC mini-series Glory Enough for All, a Genie Award for If You Could See What I Hear and a Dora Mavor Moore Award for his stage work in the Toronto Free Theatre production of Hand to Hand. Thomson’s incredible dramatic range is heightened by an extraordinary command of physical characterization, a skill he utilizes to great affect in portraying the awkward inventor Jasper Dale. His more recent credits include roles in Chloe and The Englishman’s Boy – for which he received a Gemini Award nomination in 2008.

 

Character's Bio: Gus Pike

Gus is a young vagabond and sailor who eventually earns the respect of the residents of Avonlea. At one point, Gus leaves town to search for his mother, who he thought had died years earlier. After news of a hurricane, the people of Avonlea assumed Gus lost at sea. However, Felicity and Hetty eventually find a blind Gus along the eastern shore of the United States and he returns to Canada where he has surgery to restore his eyesight and marries Felicity.

Actor's Bio: Michael Mahonen

A graduate of George Brown Theatre School in Toronto, Michael Mahonen was born in the small Ontario town of Kirkland Lake. Mahonen was introduced in the second season of Road to Avonlea as a migrant worker employed at the Cannery. His television debut in this series attracted the attention of critics, marking him as a young talent to watch. Later that year, he drew rave reviews for his performance as Lee Colgan in the critically-acclaimed mini-series Conspiracy of Silence (CBC/CBS) – a performance which garnered him a Gemini Award. He was also the writer, director and co-producer of the award-winning film, Sandstorm.

 

Kevin Sullivan: Executive Producer, Writer, Director

Kevin Sullivan is the President of Sullivan Entertainment Inc. which he and his partner, Trudy Grant, founded in 1979. Internationally recognized as one of the leading producers of high quality entertainment and renowned for his directorial ease with children and top performers, Mr. Sullivan has achieved myriad accolades and awards over the past two decades. His ability to consistently produce top-notch entertainment as well as to attract big name stars has enhanced the image of Sullivan Entertainment throughout the world.

Under Mr. Sullivan’s guidance Sullivan Entertainment has developed a distinctive brand of story-telling. Lavish productions that are emotionally compelling and entertaining have become the hallmark of the company Mr. Sullivan founded more than 20 years ago.

 

 

Trudy Grant: Co-Executive Producer

Trudy Grant is the President of Sullivan Entertainment International, which she founded in 1981. Through her leadership, the company has emerged as a major player in the world marketplace and particularly in the television arena.

Her involvement in distribution prompted her to form Sullivan Entertainment International to better administer the Sullivan product. The company’s penetration into many of the world’s less accessible markets makes it one of the few companies that can truly be considered international, having developed key relationships with buyers and financiers for various co-productions. One of Ms. Grant’s main achievements is the sale of the mini-series “Anne of Green Gables” to more than 120 countries around the globe.

Ms. Grant has evolved into the guiding light behind the company’s financial success. By strategically maximizing financial opportunities, Ms. Grant has built a very successful international business around the Sullivan brand.

 

Fiona McHugh: Writer

In addition to writing a number of episodes in the first and second season, Fiona McHugh is credited with developing the series Road to Avonlea. An additional writing credit includes another film from the Sullivan Entertainment Library, Lantern Hill.

Heather Conkie: Writer

Heather Conkie’s credits include the Canadian television show Heartland, and the Emmy Award-winning made-for-TV movie Beethoven Lives Upstairs. She has also been credited as a producer, actress and composer.

 

John Welsman: Composer

John Welsman has won four Gemini Awards in recognition of his compositions for Road to Avonlea, and has been nominated an additional six times for his work on the programs Borrowed Hearts, Marie Curie: More Than Meets the Eye, Stolen Miracle and Kevin Sullivan’s By Way of the Stars. Some of Welsman’s countless other credits include War of the Worlds, Lantern Hill and more recently, My Friend Rabbit, Nurse Fighter Boy and The Mighty Jungle.

 

Allan King: Direction

Allan King began his career by making documentaries for the CBC. There are a long list of credits to his name, which include Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The Twilight Zone and Dying at Grace – just three of the many titles over the course of a career that spanned six decades. The Canadian director died on June 15th, 2009, leaving behind his wife and four children.

 

Marian Wihak: Art Director

Marian Wihak has won two Gemini Awards for her work as a production designer on the shows Pit Pony and The Music of Kurt Weill: September Songs, and has been nominated on two other occasions for Heyday! (2006) and The Squamish Five (1988). She joined the crew of Road to Avonlea in 1990 as its art director for thirteen episodes. Throughout her career, Marian has worked in the art departments of such programs as Fraggle Rock, Looking for Miracles and the feature film Lucky Number Slevin. She has also worked as a production designer on The Zack Files, Julie Walking Home, Wild Card, and more recently True Confessions of a Hollywood Starlet and The Shortcut.

 

Madeleine Stewart: Costume Designer

Madeleine’s authentic costume designs for the cast of Road to Avonlea have not gone unnoticed. In 1995, her work on the episode “Strictly Melodrama” earned her an Emmy award for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Costume Design for a Series. She was also nominated the following year for the episode “What a Tangled Web We Weave” and received two Gemini Award nominations for her designs in 1995 and 1996. Since then, Madeleine has worked as a costume designer for Earth: Final Conflict, The Murdoch Mysteries, Painted Angels and Custody.

 

Sara’s Homecoming

A grieving Sara returns to Avonlea, but is kidnapped by a couple of opportunistic fortunetellers.

 

How Kissing was Discovered

Several changes are happening at the King farm. First, Janet's judgmental and demanding aunt, Eliza, comes for a visit. Much to Alec's chagrin, they learn that Aunt Eliza's stay at another relation's lasted eight months. Second, Janet herself is feeling strange, not knowing the cause. Third, a pipe-smoking, fiddle-playing young man named Gus Pike is staying temporarily in their hayloft. All alone in the world, Gus recently arrived on the island looking for work. He is uneducated, but world-traveled, having sailed the seas on merchant and fishing ships. And fourth, Felicity, aged 13¾, is feeling no longer like a child, but a young woman. First and foremost on her mind is wanting the affection of young man and to be kissed before the summer is out. She believes she's found that man when she meets David Hawes, the bowler of a visiting cricket team and who Sara thinks is at least 18 years old. Felicity does whatever she can to spend time with David while he's in Avonlea. She seizes an opportunity with him at the post-cricket match ball, which is only for adults. She will need her parent's permission to attend - something which is not a foregone conclusion. Through Felicity's attempts to be grown up, Gus unexpectedly acts as her guardian and protector.

 

Aunt Hetty’s Ordeal

Muriel Stacey, former teacher of Avonlea School and Hetty's colleague at teachers college, has just been promoted to Provincial Superintendent of Schools. This promotion irks Hetty, who has always finished second to Miss Stacey and was expecting the promotion herself. Miss Stacey is coming to Avonlea for a visit, which further irks Hetty, who sees the visit as an inspection. To prove her success as a teacher, especially at this important time just before a school presentation to the Lieutenant Governor, Hetty vows to increase school enrollment. She thinks that the workers at the cannery are a good source of possible students and she manages to recruit one: Gus Pike. But Gus agrees only on the stipulation that he can continue working. Despite Gus's rough edges, Hetty admires the quest for betterment that Gus displays. In turn, Gus respects everything that Hetty has to teach and say to him. However, after a discussion with Hetty, Gus is convinced that many of his old habits, including his fiddle playing, are a path straight toward being just like his convict father. This news makes Gus miserable, as music is an integral part of who he is. When Miss Stacey arrives in Avonlea, she sees Gus's internal conflict when she herself meets and gets to know him.

 

Of Corsets and Secrets and True, True Love

Marilla and Rachel’s friendship is tested when two orphans are sent to live with them at Green Gables.

 

Old Quarrels, Old Love

Hetty and Rachel recently reconciled after their thirty-six-year-old feud that started in the seventh grade over a boy named Romney Penhallow. Hetty broke up with Romney - the two having a love/hate relationship - when Romney asked Rachel to a dance to make Hetty jealous. But Hetty's feud, specifically with Romney, may erupt all over again when Romney, now a famous artist, returns to Avonlea for a family wedding. After initially wanting to avoid Romney while he's in town, Hetty instead decides to confront him head on. But in their confrontation, Romney purposely withholds some important information from her. Meanwhile, the Avonlea District Chronicle may shut down for good since all the businesses are now advertising in the less expensive Carmody newspaper. Olivia's promising career may go down with the paper. She decides to do whatever it takes to save her career.
Special Guest Star: Peter Coyote

 

May the Best Man Win<

Olivia is getting tired of Hetty interfering in her life, especially Hetty's continual bad mouthing of Jasper. It is much like the bad mouthing Hetty did of Edwin Clark, Olivia's beau ten years earlier. It was because of Hetty that Edwin and Olivia broke up and that Edwin left Avonlea for good. Now a wealthy widower, Edwin is back in town and wants to reacquaint himself with Olivia. Hetty has a change of heart about Edwin - in her view, anyone is better than Jasper. Sara, on the other hand, doesn't like Edwin very much and she tries to convince Jasper to sweep Olivia off her feet despite Edwin's return. Sara does whatever she can, including using a little witchcraft by Peg Bowen, to assist Jasper. Meanwhile, recently widowed Jim Armstrong is feeling cheated in life, and has become sullen and reclusive, even pulling his son, Teddy, out of school to work on the farm. Teddy wants to go back to school to be with his friends, but he wants his father to be happy even more.

 

Family Rivalry

Alec’s brother Roger – Andrew’s father - interferes with the operation of King Farm when he returns to Avonlea.

 

The Sea Ghost

After dark one evening, Sara, Felicity, Felix and Gus see a clipper off shore with no flag identifying its origin. They aren't sure if it's real or a figment of their imagination. Initially, they believe it is a ghost ship that's come to take away the reclusive Ezekiel Crane, a former sea captain who currently operates the lighthouse. Ezekiel shows specific interest in Gus. However, Gus soon learns a secret that Ezekiel has been keeping and the real reason why he has taken Gus into his confidence. Based on a later encounter, Sara and Felix then believe that the ship's purpose is for rum running. Rumors take Avonlea by storm when evidence is found that someone has been camping in the local cemetery. Most of the townsfolk believe the rum running story, and that Ezekiel and Gus are part of the smuggling ring. Sara tries to protect her new friend, Gus, from this witch-hunt. She knows that even if there are rum runners, Gus is not involved.
Special Guest Star: Michael York

 

All That Glitters

Rumors of Spanish treasure are abound on the island. They are fostered by the fact that Sara finds what looks to be a Spanish doubloon close to the lighthouse, and that Ezekiel is believed to have half of a treasure map. Coinciding with these rumors is the arrival on the island of Captain Stanhope Borden, an acquaintance of Ezekiel's. Borden, a scoundrel of a man, purportedly has the other half of the map. Gus, Ezekiel's new roommate, vows to help Ezekiel get Borden's other half and find the treasure. Elsewhere, Hetty and Sara find a treasure map of their own in the journals of Josiah King, - Hetty and Alec's great great uncle. The map marks the Falcon Treasure located somewhere on the King property. This sparks an argument amongst the King women as to the rightful owners of the map and resulting treasure. Meanwhile, Rachel Lynde and Reverend Leonard also have Falcon Treasure on their mind, believing in an old wives tales about the church basement. Although everyone is anxious to find the treasure, Borden in particular will go to any length to get it.
Special Guest Star: Michael York

 

Dreamer of Dreams

After his latest invention fails, Jasper Dale starts to take the townspeople's criticisms to heart. Meanwhile, Sara and Felicity write an advice column called "Madame X", which is accidentally published in the Avonlea Chronicle when their papers get mixed up with Olivia's.

 

It's Just a Stage

Sara’s attempts at matchmaking go awry when her cousin, a famous actress, visits Avonlea.
Special Guest Star: Madeline Kahn

 

A Mother's Love

Mother's Own magazine is holding a regional essay contest on the topic "Mother of the Year". Initially Sara feels left out, until she decides to write about her Aunt Hetty. Some of the local girls, including Felicity, ridicule Sara for even thinking that Hetty King is Sara's mother in any form. Felicity - feeling and sounding superior - is certain that she herself is going to win. Similarly, the mothers all disregard the work that Hetty does with Sara as any kind of mothering. Once the essays are written and ready to be mailed, Felicity and the other girls steal Sara's essay before it can be mailed. With Felix's help, Sara vows revenge against Felicity, ultimately using some information she learns about Felicity and Sally Potts' identical birthdates as the basis for her revenge. The ruse works. However, Sara is uncertain how to undo the prank once it gets out of hand. Once Hetty learns what Sara has done, her reaction is somewhat surprising. After all is said and done, Sara's prank has some unexpected consequences.

 

Misfits and Miracles

Hockey is on the minds of Avonlea residents. In her role as Superintendent of Schools, Muriel Stacy institutes a mandatory Physical Education class - the suggested sport of choice being hockey. This is against the wishes of Hetty, who sees the class as taking away from other more important academic subjects. Sara also doesn’t want it to happen, considering she doesn't know how to skate. Meanwhile, sawmill owner Archie Gillis is holding tryouts for his hockey team, the Avonlea Avengers. He has instituted some arbitrary standards for team members, which excludes many, including some of the best hockey players in Avonlea, such as Andrew King. As such, Alec, upholding the King name, decides to challenge the Avengers with his own team named the Misfits. The team is comprised of the people Archie considered unfit for his own team. The Misfits also have the support of Peg Bowen, who, in a long-standing professional feud with Archie, has made a bet with him on the game's outcome. Meanwhile, Jane is nearing the end of her pregnancy and is having major mood swings. On the downside, she is doubting her ability to take care of another child.