Why "Anne with an E" gets an A from me

I recently watched an inspiring series on Netflix with my 12-year-old daughter. At first I was mostly inspired because my 12-year-old actually wanted to watch something with me more than she wanted to play Woodoku. (Don’t ask. And for heaven's sake, don’t start — it’s rather addictive.)?

But it was my daughter who called this series to my attention, and to whom I initially responded with a curmudgeonly lecture — informing her that "Ahem, the *original* Anne of Green Gables series was a solid-gold PBS classic released in 1985, back when bands like Dire Straits and Duran Duran roamed the earth — and this, my little dumpling, was binge TV before binge even knew its name."

In fact, I continued, the 1985 adaptation of Anne of Green Gables was so beloved and popular that the local PBS station would only run it during one of their fundraising campaigns, knowing that suckers like me would eventually get the guilt vibes and cough up a little something to help Big Bird feather his nest.

In response to this rant, my daughter looked up and showed me her Woodoku score. Point taken — we could do worse than taking a shot on some classic literature brought to life on the screen.

Nonetheless I came to this new series a bit skeptical, insisting that there was no need to repeat something that had already been done so perfectly.?

Well, I was wrong on a couple of points. First of all, it turns out that the original Anne of Green Gables adaptation was a 1919 silent film starring Charlie Chaplin as Anne. Okay, I'm kidding about the Chaplin part — it was an actress named Mary Miles Minter — but I woke you up, didn't I?

After that there were several other films and TV series even before the one I remember. And the blockbuster that aired on PBS was actually made by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation before PBS picked it up.

I was also wrong about not wanting to watch the new version, because it's terrific. It's called "Anne with an E" and was co-produced by Netflix and CBC. And yes, it's different from the 1985 version as well as the source material, but in exchange it explores some difficult subjects that the earlier series shied away from — such as the treatment and forced educational indoctrination of the indigenous tribes located in and around Prince Island. This is still a sensitive topic and yet to be fully resolved even today. (See Wikipedia for more on this.)?

The result is a riveting, emotionally powerful, and thought-provoking show that some have argued is actually an improvement over the source material, which is not something you hear very often.

Unfortunately, despite critical praise, awards, and a rabid fan base, the series was cancelled by Netflix and CBC after only three seasons — leading to a huge outcry from devoted fans begging them to finish the series, with an online campaign to bring it back that's still going on a year and a half after the cancellation. According to Wikipedia it has the largest petition ever started by a fanbase for a cancelled television show. You can read more about these efforts here: "Gone but not forgotten: Fan campaigns and ‘Anne with an E’"

For this reason and many others the series won me over, and I highly recommend it to anyone who has the itch for some warm storytelling filled with heart and art.

It even left me with a favorite quote that distills in a few words the focal point for the much-needed school reform that is another thing I tend to lecture about — albeit mostly to adults.

I don't think this little gem turns up until well into season three, but here it is:

"Tell me, and I forget. Teach me, and I remember. Involve me, and I learn."?

These words have been attributed to Ben Franklin in various places, but historians dispute that and some online digging suggests they might really go back to a Chinese Confucian philosopher.

Regardless of who said them, they're another reason to give "Anne with an E" a shot. And whatever you do, please don't download Woodoku. You may get involved with it but I'm not sure how much you'll learn.