ROMANCE AND INDUSTRY ON THE ROAD TO AVONLEA Patsy Aspasia I<otsopoulos M.A., Simon Fraser University 1996 B.A., Carleton University 1989 DISSERTATION SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY In the School of Communication 0Patsy Aspasia Kotsopoulos 2004 SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY March 2004 All rights reserved. This work may not be reproduced in whole or in part, by photocopy or other means, without permission of the author. APPROVAL NAME Patsy Aspasia Kotsopoulos DEGREE PhD OF DISSERTAT1oN: ROMANCE AND INDUSTRY ON THE ROAD TO AVONLEA EXAMINING COMMITTEE: CHAIR: Dr. Robert Anderson Dr. Catherine Murray Senior Supervisor Associate Professor, School of Communication, SFU Dr. Carole Gerson Supervisor Professor, Department of English, SFU Dr. Alison Beale Supervisor Professor, School of Commui~ication,SFU -- -- - - Dr. Peter Dickinson Internal Examiner Assistant Professor, Department of English, SFU Dr. Irene Gammel External Examiner Professor, Department of English University of Prince Edward Island 26 Mar 2004 DATE: Partial Copyright Licence The author, whose copyright is declared on the title page of this work, has granted to Simon Fraser University the right to lend this thesis, project or extended essay to users of the Simon Fraser University Library, and to make partial or single copies only for such users or in response to a request from the library of any other university, or other educational institution, on its own behalf or for one of its users. The author has further agreed that permission for multiple copying of this work for scholarly purposes may be granted by either the author or the Dean of Graduate Studies. It is understood that copying or publication of this work for financial gain shall not be allowed without the author's written permission. The original Partial Copyright Licence attesting to these terms, and signed by this author, may be found in the original bound copy of this work, retained in the Simon Fraser University Archive. Bennett Library Simon Fraser University Burnaby, BC, Canada ABSTRACT A co-venture between CBC and Disney Channel, the television series Road to Avonlea (1990 - 1996) is widely accepted as the successful reconciliation of two competing production styles-industrial generic and dstinctively Canadian. The series represents a case from which to theorize condtions for dstinctively Canadian drama able to travel well. Under what conditions was Road to Avonlea lauded as distinctively Canadian within Canada, while becoming a Disney mainstay and gaining access to over 150 export markets? Well known in film theory, mode of address is developed and extended to policy by analysis of production history, as well as textual criticism of the form and process of adapting stories by Canadian author L.M. Montgomery. What is the mode of address resulting from creative, industrial and policy conditions, and what contribution can analyzing mode of address make to policy evaluation of Canadian television drama? Did CBC and Disney's objectives diverge because of their different organizational philosophies, or did they converge? What creative and economic demands pressured the production, and how did these manifest themselves aesthetically and meaningfully? How did adaptation, production context and social history influence interpretation of Montgomery's fiction from page to screen? Did interpretation render the series more or less culturally specific than its sources? Through familiar themes and conventions and a euphemistic construction of 'the island', Road to Avonlea offers a portable mode of address, meeting industrial objectives normally associated with placeless Canadian drama. But the series also participates in Canadian recognition through its PEI setting, Montgomery's stories and other references that locate it, helping CBC fulfil its cultural mandate of a nationally specific mode of address. Contradicting conventional wisdom in industry and policy dscourse, Road to Avonlra demonstrates that 'the local' does not necessarily pose a problem to the export of television drama. Rather, the series' romance with community suggests nostalgia for 'the local' is a sentiment with transnational potential. Mode of address contributes to policy evaluation here, suggesting the need for a new paradigm. The case challenges rigid conceptualizations of place and distinctive Canadian themes in industrial definitions of Cancon. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS It is my pleasure to thank a number of people for their support. I am especially fortunate in calling Dr. Catherine Murray my senior supervisor and friend. Thank you for championing this project. I also wish to thank members of my dissertation committee, Drs. Alison Beale and Carole Gerson, and my examiners, Drs. Peter Diclunson and Irene Gammel, and Dr. Richard Gruneau for serving on my comprehensive exam committee. My work received support from Simon Fraser University through graduate fellowships and a research stipend, for which I am grateful. As well, I am grateful to the Communications, Energy and Papenvorkers' Union of Canada and to Rogers Communication for scholarships and to the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada for a doctoral fellowship. I am also thankful for conference travel money, provided by the School of Communication and the Faculty of Applied Sciences. Over the years, I have met several individuals who have contributed to my efforts. In particular, I want to acknowledge Maryam Haddad for videotapes and early correspondence; Benjamin Lefebvre for details and ongoing discussions; the CBC's Paul Therrien for data; Deborah Bernstein, Heather Conhe, Lucie Hall, Cathy Johnson, Deborah Nathan, Jude Schneider and Raymond Storey for sharing their experiences; and the Road to Avonlea fans for contributing their insights. A special thank you goes to Neena Shahani in the School of Communication for always saving the day. Much of Chapter Three comes from my article, "Avonlea as Main Street USA? Genre, Adaptation and the Mahng of a Borderless Romance", which appeared in Essay on Canadian Wn'h'ng 76 (Spring 2002): 170-194. It appears in this dssertation with hnd permission of the publisher. In Appendix E, I am pleased to include an extract from "L.M. Montgomery: An Annotated Filmography", with kind permission of the author Benjamin Le febvre and the publisher Canadian Children's Lzterature/Lztteiature canadienne pour lajeunesse. The filmography appeared orignally in CCL 99 (Fall 2000): 43-73. To friends and family who have only ever known me as a student, this is it! And to my partner Neil Monckton, the road would have been much longer without you. TABLE OF CONTENTS .. Approval ........................................................................................................................ 11 ... Abstract ........................................................................................................................ 111 Acknowledgements ....................................................................................................... iv Table of Contents ........................................................................................................... v ... List of Figures ............................................................................................................ vlu List of Tables ............................................................................................................... ix Introduction ................................................................................................................... 1 From Industry to Romance ............................................................................................................ 5 Theory and Rationale ...................................................................................................................... 8 Method and Organization ............................................................................................................. 10 Chapter One/ The Mouse and The Mother Corp in The Business of Compromise ................................................................................................................. 15 The Black and White Morality of the Networks ....................................................................... 20 When Aunt Janet Rebelled ........................................................................................................... 24 Artificially Constructed Situations ............................................................................................... 31 A Lot More Heart ..........................................................................................................................36 Chapter Two/ There's No Place Like Avonlea ........................................................... 40 Branding Disney and The CBC ................................................................................................... 42 Under the Maple Leafs Banner ................................................................................................... 47 As Much a Fantasy Place as a Fantasy Time .............................................................................. 53 Always Set Somewhere. Always Wholly Canadan ....................................................................59 Canada's Greatest Cultural Export .............................................................................................. 65 Chapter Three/ Genre. Adaptation. and the Making of a Borderless Romance ........ 70 The Look