Anne of Green Gables

[andrew martin]

Not as far as I know - they were both fairly studio-bound productions as far as I know, so not overly expensive, made for the Sunday tea-time slot I think - co-productions were pretty rare in those days, whereas now they're almost obligatory.

[Colin Watson]

I remember reading an article in the early 80s that stated that Anne of Green Gables was wiped to comply with the contract with the rights holder (some film company)

[andrew martin]

Not impossible, such a thing had happened before - but I couldn't say it's definitely the case, and it's not as if a lot of other material from the period hasn't been wiped.

[Philip Mullen]

Richard said:

Although the BBC-2 classic serial does suffer from significant losses, there are also many good examples - the following serials exist, in colour, in their entirety.

VANITY FAIR (the first colour classic serial, on Acorn DVD), PERE GORIOT, THE POSSESSED, THE FIRST CHURCHILLS, DANIEL DERONDA, GERMINAL, POINT COUNTERPOINT, THE PORTRAIT OF A LADY, COLD COMFORT FARM (all tx'd in the 60s), THE SPOILS OF POYNTON, SENTIMENTAL EDUCATION, EYELESS IN GAZA, COUSIN BETTE, BEL AMI, SENSE AND SENSIBILITY

Some are a mix of colour and black/white or have some eps missing - eg - NANA, RESURRECTION, MIDDLEMARCH

Others like THE SPANISH FARM and MADAME BOVARY have single examples surviving

Just to update everyone on the availibility of these programmes (I hunt them down doggedly, can't get enough of these classic productions!) the 1967 'Portrait of a Lady' has now been released on DVD in the USA (in a similar format to the 1990's BBC Video release).
The First Churchills has been released on DVD in the UK by Acorn Media.
Cold Comfort Farm had an American NTSC video release, but is very difficult to find nowadays.
Cousin Bette is due to be released by Acorn Media in the UK in July 2006.

Philip.

[Linda A]

Isn't it possible that the actors/actresses who appeared in the BBC's Anne of Green Gables - i.e. Kim Braden, Jan Francis, might have their own video copy of the series?
I will definitely be buying "Anne of Avonlea" when it becomes available in August.
As much as I enjoyed "Anne of Avonlea", I thought the first series, "Anne of Green Gables", was the best. Kim Braden is quite magnificent as Anne.
Maybe the series will turn up one day in someone's garage like two missing episodes of Dad's Army did! We can hope!

[Ian Abrahams]

Isn't it possible that the estate of the original author (L M Montgomery) might have a copy filed with them?

[jennyland]

I'm sorry but I think that Kim Braden was the best Anne Shirley and would like to think that someone somewhere will find it before I die. Such a Classic.