Honestly, if you close your eyes and think of Anne Shirley, you probably see Megan Follows. You see the straw hat, the slightly crooked red braids, and that fierce, "don't-mess-with-me" look in her eyes before she smashes a slate over Gilbert Blythe’s head. It's been decades since the Sullivan Entertainment Anne of Green Gables miniseries first aired in 1985, but for most fans, it isn’t just an adaptation. It is the story.
But here’s the thing: it almost didn't happen the way we remember.
Behind the sweeping shots of the "Lake of Shining Waters" and the cozy, green-shuttered farmhouse lies a history of risky casting, legal bickering, and a director who hadn't even read the book when he started. Seriously. Kevin Sullivan was basically flying blind into a Canadian literary institution.
The Casting Gamble That Saved the Series
You’ve got to admire the guts it took to cast Megan Follows. Back in 1984, the search for Anne was intense. We're talking 3,000 girls. Even Katharine Hepburn called up Kevin Sullivan to push her own niece, Schuyler Grant, for the role. Grant was good—so good she ended up playing Diana Barry—but she wasn't Anne.
Megan Follows actually auditioned twice. The first time? Sullivan wasn't feeling it. He thought she was too old or just didn't have the "spark." Then, months later, she came back. The second audition was so powerhouse that Sullivan knew he’d found her. But get this—the tape of that legendary second audition was accidentally destroyed. Follows had to race back to the studio, re-do the whole thing in 45 minutes, and then bolt to the airport to catch a flight.
That’s the kind of chaotic energy that makes for a great performance.
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And then there was Richard Farnsworth as Matthew Cuthbert. He barely spoke a word, but his eyes did all the heavy lifting. He and Colleen Dewhurst (Marilla) created this spine of quiet dignity that balanced out Anne’s high-velocity chatter. Without them, the Sullivan Entertainment Anne of Green Gables could have easily drifted into "too sugary" territory. Instead, it felt grounded. Real.
Why the Scenery Looks So Perfect (And Where it Actually Is)
Everyone thinks the movie was filmed entirely on Prince Edward Island. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but most of it wasn't. While the iconic red cliffs and the lighthouses are definitely PEI, a huge chunk of the "Avonlea" we love was actually staged in Ontario.
- Bright River Station: This was actually the Jerseyville Railway Station at Westfield Heritage Village in Rockton, Ontario.
- The Green Gables House: The exterior shots of the house with the specific layout we recognize? That’s Butternut Farm in Scarborough.
- The Bridge: The one where Anne almost drowns playing the Lady of Shalott? That was filmed at Century Mill in Whitchurch-Stouffville.
Sullivan was obsessive about the look. He didn't want a "TV movie" feel; he wanted a cinematic epic. He pushed for a 1890s aesthetic rather than the 1870s setting of the original novel because he thought the technology of the turn of the century—the steam trains and the fashion—looked better on film.
The Sequels: Where Things Got Complicated
The 1985 original is a masterpiece. The 1987 sequel, Anne of Avonlea, is also pretty beloved, even though it started blending bits and pieces from three different books (Anne of Avonlea, Anne of the Island, and Anne of Windy Poplars). It kept the magic alive.
But then we hit 2000. Anne of Green Gables: The Continuing Story.
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If you want to start a fight in an Anne Shirley fan group, just bring this one up. Sullivan took a hard left turn. He moved the timeline forward, put Gilbert in the middle of World War I, and sent Anne to New York and then to Europe to find him. It wasn't based on any of L.M. Montgomery’s books. For a lot of people, it felt like a betrayal. For others, it was just a chance to see Megan Follows and Jonathan Crombie together one last time.
The Legal Drama Nobody Talks About
While we were all crying over Matthew’s death on screen, there was a whole different drama happening in the courtrooms. The relationship between Sullivan Entertainment and the heirs of L.M. Montgomery was... well, "stormy" is an understatement.
In the late 90s, Montgomery’s family claimed they weren't getting their fair share of the profits. We're talking about a series that reached millions of people globally—it was a cash cow. Sullivan argued the films hadn't actually made a profit yet. This turned into a decade-long legal battle. At one point, Sullivan even filed a $55 million defamation suit against the heirs after they went public with their grievances.
A judge eventually tossed that suit in 2004, noting that Sullivan had been "evasive" regarding financial records. It’s a bit of a dark cloud over such a wholesome franchise, but it's part of why you don't see this specific version on certain streaming platforms as often as you might expect.
The Legacy of the "Real" Anne
What makes the Sullivan Entertainment Anne of Green Gables so enduring?
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It's the pacing. Modern shows like Anne with an E (which Sullivan actually sued for allegedly copying his visual style) are darker and more "prestige TV." They’re great, but they lack the specific, golden-hued warmth of the 1985 version. Sullivan captured the feeling of being a kid with a big imagination in a world that wasn't quite ready for it.
If you haven't watched it in a while, it holds up surprisingly well. The 4K restorations have fixed the graininess of the old VHS tapes, and the acting remains top-tier.
How to Revisit the World of Avonlea
- Check out GazeboTV: This is Sullivan’s own streaming service. It’s usually the most reliable place to find the high-def versions of the films.
- Visit the Locations: If you’re in Ontario, you can actually visit Westfield Heritage Village. It’s weirdly surreal to stand where Matthew picked up Anne.
- Compare the Books: Read the first book again. You'll notice where Sullivan added scenes—like the Hammond family backstory—that weren't in the original text but helped make Anne’s arrival at Green Gables feel like such a relief.
The magic of this production wasn't just in the script. It was in the chemistry of a cast that seemed like they were born to play these roles. Even with all the legal mess and the weird sequels, those first four hours of television are basically perfect.
To get the most out of your next rewatch, try looking for the small details in the background. The production designer, Carol Spier, used L.M. Montgomery’s own personal photographs to style the sets. It's that level of obsession that makes the world of Avonlea feel like a place you could actually move to, provided you don't mind a little bit of gossip from Rachel Lynde.
Actionable Next Steps:
- Watch the Remastered Version: If you've only seen the grainy DVD or VHS versions, seek out the 4K restoration on GazeboTV or Blu-ray to see the detail in the period costumes and PEI landscapes.
- Read 'The Selected Journals of L.M. Montgomery': To understand the real woman behind the story and why Sullivan's 1890s setting resonated so much, look at Montgomery's own life in Ontario and PEI.
- Cross-Reference the Locations: Plan a trip to Westfield Heritage Village in Rockton, Ontario, to see the "Bright River Station" in person and experience the actual set used in 1985.