Anne of Green Gables: The Continuing Story the course of developing original characters and stories for seven seasons of "Road to Avonlea", the time frame of Sullivan's fictional world evolved into a 20-year difference from the Montgomery novels. As a result, Sullivan decided to make "Anne of Green Gables: The Continuing Story" a completely original work that took Anne and Gilbert to the battlefields of World War I instead of their children as in Montgomery's novels. The film was also criticised for introducing a continuity problem. Following Colleen Dewhurst's death in 1991, Marilla Cuthbert's death was written into the series "Road to Avonlea". At Marilla's funeral, Hetty
Anne of Green Gables (1934 film) does and that he wants her to be his girl. For three years they have an affair, but Mrs. Barry spies on them and tells Marilla. Marilla does not want Anne to even talk to Gilbert, since his mother broke Matthew's heart. Anne and Gilbert are both devastated and Matthew is upset with Marilla, since it wasn't she who got her heart broken. Anne goes to college. Diana, who is now married, visits Anne and tells her that Matthew is ill. She returns to Green Gables, finding out it's for sale to save Matthew, since he needs the best doctor