Anne Of Green Gables - 1985 - 2 Parts May 2026

Opening: In summer, elderly siblings Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert (Green Gables, Avonlea) decide to adopt an orphan boy to help Matthew on the farm. Matthew goes to Bright River station.

Meeting Anne: Instead of a boy, Matthew finds a talkative, red-haired, imaginative 11-year-old girl, Anne Shirley. Matthew’s gentle heart melts. Marilla, at first, insists she must return.

Decision: After a “trial,” Marilla agrees to keep Anne, who is overjoyed. Anne of Green Gables - 1985 - 2 Parts

Avonlea Life:

Part 1 ends: Anne and Gilbert compete for the Queen’s Academy entrance exams. Anne wins the Avery Scholarship (full ride to college). Gilbert, beaten but respectful, watches her triumph. Marilla and Matthew are proud. Opening: In summer, elderly siblings Marilla and Matthew

For those searching for the Anne of Green Gables - 1985 - 2 Parts complete version, be careful. Many streaming services and DVD releases have cut the two parts into a single movie, or worse, cropped the original 4:3 aspect ratio to widescreen, clipping faces out of the frame.

The best ways to watch it in its original glory: Part 1 ends: Anne and Gilbert compete for

For millions of fans around the world, the name “Anne Shirley” conjures a very specific image: a young girl with a red braid, a faded straw hat with a black velvet ribbon, wide grey-green eyes, and a mouth that never seems to stop moving. That image belongs almost exclusively to Canadian actress Megan Follows, who brought Lucy Maud Montgomery’s beloved redhead to life in the 1985 television miniseries, Anne of Green Gables.

Split into two distinct parts, this Kevin Sullivan production was not just a television event; it was a cultural phenomenon. Over three decades later, it remains the gold standard for literary adaptations. In an age of CGI spectacle and rapid-fire editing, the gentle, pastoral beauty of the 1985 Anne of Green Gables—with its lush Prince Edward Island scenery, its aching emotional honesty, and its perfect casting—has only grown more precious.

Here is a deep dive into the history, the narrative structure, the casting genius, and the enduring legacy of Anne of Green Gables (1985 - 2 Parts).