The Journey Begins is episode one of the first season of the Sullivan Entertainment long-form television series Road to Avonlea (1990–1996) and episode 1 overall. It first aired on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation on 7 January 1990 and on the Disney Channel on 5 March 1990. It was written by Heather Conkie and directed by Paul Shapiro. It was followed by “The Story Girl Earns Her Name.”
This episode stars series regulars Sarah Polley (Sara Stanley), Jackie Burroughs (Hetty King), Lally Cadeau (Janet King), Cedric Smith (Alec King), Gema Zamprogna (Felicity King), Mag Ruffman (Olivia King), and Zachary Bennett (Felix King). Guest stars include Frances Hyland (Nanny Banks), Robert Collins (Blair Stanley), Susan Cox (Peg Bowen), Joel Blake (Andrew King), and Miklos Perlus (Peter Craig).
A novelization by Dennis Adair and Janet Rosenstock, as volume 1 of the Road to Avonlea book series, was published in Canada in 1991 and the United States in 1992.
Home Video: Road to Avonlea, Volume 1. A Sullivan Films Production. Astral Communications, 1990. Tales from Avonlea, Volume 1: The Journey Begins. Disney Presents. Walt Disney Home Video, 1993. Road to Avonlea: The Journey Begins. Sullivan Entertainment Presents. Sullivan Releasing, 1996. Road to Avonlea: The Movie. Sullivan Entertainment Presents. Sullivan Entertainment, 2002.
DVD: Road to Avonlea: The Complete First Season. Sullivan Entertainment Presents. Sullivan Entertainment, 2002. Road to Avonlea: The Movie. Sullivan Entertainment Presents. Sullivan Entertainment, 2002. Tales from Avonlea: Beginnings. Disney Presents. Walt Disney Home Video, 2004. Tales from Avonlea: The Complete First Season. Disney Presents. Walt Disney Home Video, 2005. Road to Avonlea: The Complete First Season / Les Contes d’Avonlea: L’intégrale de la première saison. Sullivan Entertainment, 2009.
Credits
Opening Credits
A KEVIN SULLIVAN PRODUCTION
ROAD TO AVONLEA
SARAH POLLEY [Sara Stanley]
JACKIE BURROUGHS [Hetty King]
LALLY CADEAU [Janet King], CEDRIC SMITH [Alec King]
GEMA ZAMPROGNA [Felicity King]
MAG RUFFMAN [Olivia King]
ZACHARY BENNETT [Felix King]
Special Guest Star: FRANCES HYLAND as Nanny Banks
Art Direction: PERRI GORRARA
Director of Photography: MANFRED GUTHE, c.s.c.
Costume Design: MARTHA MANN
Casting: ANNE TAIT
Written by HEATHER CONKIE
Story Editor: LUCIE HALL
Edited by MAIRIN WILKINSON
Music Composed & Conducted by HAGOOD HARDY
Executives in Charge of Production: DEBORAH BERNSTEIN, CATHY JOHNSON
Executive Producers: KEVIN SULLIVAN, TRUDY GRANT
Directed by PAUL SHAPIRO
Ending Credits
Sara Stanley: SARAH POLLEY
Nanny Banks: FRANCES HYLAND
Blair Stanley: ROBERT COLLINS
Hetty King: JACKIE BURROUGHS
Olivia King: MAG RUFFMAN
Alec King: CEDRIC SMITH
Janet King: LALLY CADEAU
Felicity King: GEMA ZAMPROGNA
Felix King: ZACHARY BENNETT
Andrew King: JOEL BLAKE
Cecily King: HARMONY CRAMP
Peter Craig: MIKLOS PERLUS
Clemmie Ray: GILLIAN STEEVE
Peg Bowen: SUSAN COX
Constable Jeffries: JAMES O’REGAN
Sally Potts: TARA MEYER
Jane Spry: VALENTINA CARDINALLI
Nelly Shatford: AMY STEWART
Mr. Bartholomew: JAMES MAINPRIZE
Mr. Heinrich: REX SOUTHGATE
Mr. Stewart: ERIC FINK
Chauffeur: PAUL LaROCQUE
Maid: JENNIFER INCH
Line Producer: LEN D’AGOSTINO
Production Manager: BRIAN LESLIE PARKER
1st Asst. Director: JEFFREY STEVEN AUTHORS
2nd Asst. Director: DAVID J. VAUGHAN
3rd Asst. Director: ROSE TEDESCO
2nd Unit Assistant Director: ERIC BANZ
Camera Operator: GORDON LANGEVIN
Location Manager: JOSEPH BOCCIA
Assistant Location Manager: ARTHUR CLARKE
Script Supervisor: ELAINE YARISH
1st Assistant Art Director: NANCEY PANKIW
2nd Assistant Art Director: SUSIE MAH
Drafting: TOM DOHERTY, BARBRA MATIS
Set Decorator: DAN CONLEY
Set Decorators: ELENA KENNEY, JARO DICK
Set Dresser: DAVID JAQUEST
Property Master: J. TRACY BUDD
Assistant Property Master: TORY BELLINGHAM
Make-Up Design: LINDA L. GILL
Assistant Make-Up Artist: MARILYN TERRY
2nd Unit Make-Up Artist: DOROTHY SMITH
Hairdresser: PAUL ELLIOT
Assistant Hairdresser: KELLY BRENNAN
Second Unit Hairdressers: CARMEN DODARO, CAROL MARINOFF
Assistant Costume Designer: MADELEINE STEWART
Wardrobe Mistress: MICHELE HARNEY
1st Asst. Wardrobe: KAREN RENAULT
Sewer: GRAHAM DOCHERTY
Tailor: CARL DOCHERTY
Head Cutter: EVAN AYOTTE
Prod. Accountant: RONALD J. GILBERT
Assistant Production Accountant: ELAINE SCOTT
Payroll Clerk: MARGIE SCHNEIDERMAN
Prod. Coordinator: SUSAN PHILLIPS
Production Secretary: DAWN L. SINKO
Production Assistant: DAN MATTHEWS
Trainee Asst. Dir.: GRANT LUCIBELLO
1st Asst. Camera: KERRY SMART
2nd Asst. Camera: WENDY WALGATE
Camera Trainee: RICHARD W. BROWN
2nd Unit Director of Photography: ROBERT SAAD
2nd Unit Sound Recordist: PETER SHEWCHUK
Stills Photographer: MICHAELIN McDERMOTT
Sound Mixer: OWEN LANGEVIN
Boom Operator: KEN PORTER
Gaffer: GARY DENEAULT
Rigging Gaffer: ROBERT CONDIE
Best Boy: MICHAEL GALBRAITH
Electricians: BARRY GOODWIN, JIM GASH
Generator Operator: IAN FOULDS
Key Grip: RANDY TAMBLING
Second Grip: MIKE KIRILENKO
Grips: RON RENZETTI, ROBERT RICE
Transportation Coordinator: WILF BELL
Driver Captains: BRUCE RAYMER, TIM HILTS
Honeywagon Driver: KEVIN WILSON
Animal Wrangler: LIONEL PURCELL
Craft Service: PAUL TEMPLE
Catering: MICHAELSON’S FOOD SERVICES, CANADA INC.
Casting: ANNE TAIT
Extras Casting: ROSE LEWIS CASTING
Sarah Polley’s Tutor: LAUREL BRESNAHAN
Children’s Coordinators: LAURIE FARRANCE, AEDEN LANGEVIN
Unit Publicist: THE PUBLICITY COMPANY, GENEVIEVE KIERANS, CAROL MARKS-GEORGE
Stunts: THE STUNT TEAM
Stunt Coordinator: DENNIS CHRISTENSEN
Construction Coordinator: WIETS JEKEL
Head Carpenters: JACOB HAAK, PATRICK McCAFFERY
Key Scenic Artist: REET PUHM
Scenic Artists: NORMAN KELNER, MELISSA MORGAN-KELNER
Post-Production Supervisor: GREGOR HUTCHISON
Post-Production Assistant: ANNE COBBAN
Assistant Editor: BEN WILKINSON
Supervising Sound Editor: JEREMY MacLAVERTY
Dialogue Editor: TIMOTHY ROBERTS
Assistant Sound Editor: KRIS ENGEL
Foley Artist: DONNA POWELL
Studio Sound Mixer: DANIEL PELLERIN
Assistant Sound Mixer: TODD B. WARREN
Video Editor: BERNIE CLAYTON
Colourist: BILL FERWERDA
Series Developed by FIONA McHUGH
Wardrobe Services by
COSPROP, LONDON ENGLAND
Production Services Provided by
SULLIVAN FILMS INC.
The Production Gratefully Acknowledges
JOEY & TOBY TANENBAUM
HAMILTON REGION CONSERVATION AUTHORITY
THE ESTATE OF L.M. MONTGOMERY
PICKERING VILLAGE MUSEUM
PFA FILM AND VIDEO LABORATORIES
VIDEO ATLANTIC
FILM OPTICALS
WILLIAM F. WHITE
BIRDS AND ANIMALS INC.
THE FILM HOUSE GROUP
The characters and incidents portrayed in
this motion picture are entirely fictitious.
Any resemblance to any person living or
dead is purely coincidental.
Adapted from the novels
THE STORY GIRL
THE GOLDEN ROAD
CHRONICLES OF AVONLEA
FURTHER CHRONICLES OF AVONLEA
by Lucy Maud Montgomery.
Produced by
Story Girl Productions Inc.
in association with
The Canadian Broadcasting Association [sic]
The Disney Channel
and with the participation of
Telefilm Canada
© STORY GIRL PRODUCTIONS INC.
MCMXXXIX