Anne of Avonlea

Finally got to see one of my favorite BBC series of the 70s, Anne of Avonlea, with Kim Braden! I did find it to be not quite as I remembered it, but, it was still a good watch. For most of the movie, it had the feeling of being filmed in a studio. There were some outdoor scenes just to add some atmosphere, but overall the staging effect didn't take away from the series. Some of the actors were a little rough around the edges (i.e. Anne's fiancé and the young "American" kid with the horrible British accent). Kim Braden and her best buddy, Jan Francis were great together! Both were really fun to watch. I think Kim Braden added a believable level of naiveness to her role. I remember falling in love with her back in 1978, when I saw it as a rerun on BBC. I now can see why. The series was maybe not as well produced (spell that well funded) as the Megan Follows version, but it held its own if you watch it for what it is; an overall well directed and well acted little period piece. I'm glad they finally came out with the DVD on this BBC classic. I can't understand why Kim Braden and Jan Francis never became brighter international stars. They did go on to do several projects after that but nothing really memorable. Time well spent. Thanks Kim.

I loved this sequel which follows Anne into adulthood and continues to explore her relationship with Gilbert Blythe. Kim Braden played Anne just as I imagined her when I read the Anne stories , and she was ably supported by a superb cast who all equally well portrayed the characters and brought them to life in a memorable and sympathetic way. I feel that Joan Crafts' direction must have helped to extract such supreme performances from the actors and actresses. I would love to obtain a copy of this mini -series either on video or DVD as I have tried in vain to acquire this version which in my opinion is the best that I have seen, all other Annes pale in comparison to Ms Braden. I hope that someone will be able to help me in my search.

This mini series was without doubt,L.M.Montgomerys story visualised perfectly.Kim Braden beautifully brought Anne to life,in a way I feel no other actress ever has. No offence to all the fans of Megan Fallows,but I never enjoyed her interpretation of Anne,...she didn't bring out all of Annes innocent qualities,and rapturous love for all things living.Nor her dramatic passion. Kim Braden,however,did. Having loved the Green Gables books (and others in the series) from childhood to adulthood,I felt I was truly watching the world of Matthew,Marilla,Anne and Co through the authors eyes,in this perfectly filmed,acted and directed version of the classic childhood book.

I've watched this mini-series twice now and appreciate it even more the second time around. The actors and actresses are excellent, and, while there are a *few* liberties taken, this series is very faithful to the book, much more so than the Sullivan Productions. All the wonderful characters that are missing from the Sullivan version - Dora and Davy, J. A. Harrison, Miss Lavender Lewis, Paul Irving - are all here and played wonderfully by the actors / actresses. Anne of Avonlea has always been my favorite of the series, and I really enjoyed this adaptation. Such a shame the Anne of Green Gables from 1972 mini-series is lost. If the BBC's adaptation Anne of Avonlea is this good, then their Green Gables must have been amazing. Highly recommend to any Anne fan!