ICYMI: Why Netflix Series "Anne With An E" Needs To Be Renewed!

If there’s one universal truth in this world, it’s that people have always been people, and the same is especially true for kids. When we think back on eras past, there’s a tendency to assume that teenagers were much more quaint and mature, but the fact of the matter is, not much has ever really changed – for as long as teendom has existed, there have been popularity contests, cliques, romantic drama, and bullying.

These facets of childhood, and much more, are explored in the Canadian series “Anne With An E”, which is based on the classic novel that you might have been forced to read in school called Anne of Green Gables. The story revolves around an orphan named Anne Shirley who is (reluctantly at first) adopted by a pair of siblings, Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert, neither of whom ever married or had children of their own. Anne, who has been through some terrible things in her young life, copes with her trauma and loneliness by living a whole world inside her head, her vivid imagination being her main survival tactic. Her dreaminess initially annoys Marilla and Matthew but then they soon come to find it endearing. Her classmates, however, are a tougher sell, and Anne endures a fair amount of bullying (the worst from boys) over her quirky personality but also her red hair and homely looks. Though the story is set in the late-1800s, it’s one that can still be incredibly relatable to any generation.

The first 2 seasons of “Anne With An E” are currently available on Netflix, and I tore through every 45-minute episode like my life depended on it. The series not only does an excellent job of transporting you back to that era in history, but it also manages to make it completely accessible to modern audiences (including a story arc involving LGBT characters). It also doesn’t pull any punches when it comes to the abuse Anne endures, which can be very uncomfortable (and even triggering) to watch for those who have also had similar experiences, but that just adds another layer of richness to the storytelling, in my opinion. They story sucks you in and never lets go.

Although Season 3 is not yet available here in the States, what is available is the news that CBC (the Canadian Broadcasting Company, which produces the series) has announced that the third season will be its last. I haven’t even seen the latest season yet, but I already know that this news is a travesty indeed – utterly “tragical”, as Anne herself would say. A movement online has already begun to encourage the CBC to reconsider cancellation – or, at the very least, for Netflix itself to pick the series up. #renewannewithane has been trending on Twitter, and I, for one, am happy to hop aboard that train!

Growing up can be a nasty business, filled with soaring highs and crushing lows, no matter what century it is. “Anne With An E” is a series that frames the good with the bad in a way that both teens and adults (who were teens themselves once) can fully understand. I highly encourage our readers – most of you at the perfect age to indulge in this show – to add this series to your must-binge list. Perhaps if Netflix sees its soaring streaming numbers, they will come to Anne’s rescue just like good ol’ gallant Gilbert Blythe!