The Disney Channel was the first television station to broadcast the miniseries in four hour-long installments, giving the world premiere of the series in May and June 1987, using the title Anne of Avonlea: The Continuing Story of Anne of Green Gables.[6] This was the same title used in March 1988 when the series was broadcast on the PBS anthology series WonderWorks.[2] Disney later shortened the title in television syndication and for VHS and DVD sales to simply Anne of Avonlea.[7][8] The airing rights and video rights to the program in the United States were initially purchased by PBS under the title Anne of Avonlea, and the rights to broadcast the series and sell the series for home video under that title were purchased by the Walt Disney Company from PBS in 1987.[9]