It's been a few years since Anne and Gilbert were young and in love, and now Gilbert is going overseas to do his part in the war effort. Anne follows him, but ends up meeting up with Jack, a dashing young man who almost manages to steal her heart while she attempts to find her beloved Gilbert.
Of course, the principal roles (Anne Shirley and Gilbert Blythe) will be played, once again, by the Canadians who made them famous in the 1980s. Megan Follows, who was launched into fame by taking on the role of Anne in the mid-80s, will reprise her role, and will be joined by original co-star Jonathan Crombie (most recently seen in Harlequin's "The Waiting Game") as Gilbert. They won't be the only two originals to return -- Schuyler Grant will also return as Anne's beloved best friend, Diana Barry Wright. New to the saga, however, is Australian Cameron Daddo, most recently seen by viewers in the short-lived Canadian/American series "F/X: The Series", playing the role of Jack.
The "Anne of..." series is possibly the most famous CBC mini-series. While it was not the first time that the "Anne" books by Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery were put on screen, it is certainly the most famous. Millions of people all over the world recognize Ms. Follows as "that Anne girl", and the series continues to be a favorite in Canada, even spawning a related favorite series, "Road to Avonlea", in which Gilbert and/or Anne were occasionally mentioned.
It will be interesting to see how the series could be tied in with the movie. Throughout "Road to Avonlea", viewers learned that Anne and Gilbert were married, with one or more child, that Marilla Cuthbert died, and that Ms. Rachel Lynde was left partially incapacitated due to a medical condition. For Anne and Gilbert though, the movie takes place during World War I, with Anne traveling to war-torn Europe to find her beloved.
Unlike the previous two parts of the saga, which have roots in the Montgomery novels, this episode doesn't seem to come from the novels, but rather is a sort of fan fiction, taking the relationship of Gilbert and Anne and adding to it to create a new story. But with eight books in the Anne/Gilbert series, there is no shortage of material for Sullivan Entertainment. Within Montgomery's eight-part look at the life of Anne Shirley (the eighth being the story of Anne's daughter, Bertha Marilla "Rilly" Blythe), there is not only the courtship of Anne and Gilbert, but their marriage and six children, and the future of their children. The series has always been very popular, and should Sullivan decide to complete it, upcoming segments should experience the same success and popularity that the first two did.
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