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Story
London, 1885. Sara Crewe, who has lived her childhood in India with her widowed father, is sent to Miss Minchin's Select Seminary for Young Ladies. After a few days, and a series of unhappy incidents, Miss Minchin takes a strong dislike to her. But Sara is nontheless the most pampered pupil in the school : she is indeed the wealthiest, she wears the most elegant clothes, and will thus be used as a show pupil for the seminary. These preferential treatments bring her the hatred of Lavinia, the former headmistress's per. But Sara also makes friends, and leads a rather comfortable existence ... until her 11th birthday.
That day, she indeed learns the death and the ruin of her father. He had invested all his fortune in a diamond mine which, apparently, contained only stones. Sara's existence will then suddenly change : she has not a penny left, and is sent to work as a scullery maid; she will have to bear the harshness of Miss Minchin and the humiliations of Lavinia. Fortunately, her friends don't let her down; they will help her to never give up.
A little Princess Sara in France
The series arrived in France in September 1987, on the network "La 5", and was their re-aired several times. After the death of La 5, the series was broadcasted on TF1, on cable TV (I don't remember whether it was on TMC or RTL9), and on France 3 in March 1996. It was than the turn of the satellite network AB cartoon/Manga (5 times since early 97), and the cable channel TMC (September-November 97, on Sunday in 2000-2001). In a word, A little Princess Sara has been often broadcasted! 
It has indeed probably been the most successful WMT here. It was especially mentioned twice in the French Anime Grand Prix (yearly poll made by the magazine Animeland among the French anime fans): it was the 20th TV series in 1996, the 24th in 1997 ant the 35th in 1998. Following this relative success, AB finally decided to release the series on video.
Note the Japanese songs that appear 3 times in the series have been replaced in the French version by a piece of BGM (also very nice) and that the French beginning song is interpreted by Cristina D'Avena (there is also a version sang by Claude Lombard).
A little Princess Sara in Germany and in Austria
In Germany, the series is regularly shown on RTL2 (early and late 97, and from May to July 98). But it last German re-air took place on the little channel TM3 in January-February and October-December 99, January, March, June and November 2000. Austrians could also see it on ORF1 (last time in August-October 98). The German version has no beginning song, but a short 5 seconds long jingle. On the other hand, the Japanese songs that appear in the series have been kept.
A little Princess Sara in Italy
The series has been broadcasted on Italia 1 (last time in Autumn 2000). Apparently, during the first broadcast (in 1986), the Italian title wasn't "Lovely Sara", but a much longer one. The Italian new opening has the same music as its French conterpart, and is also sung by Cristina D'Avena.
The Japanese songs of the series have been cut like in France. "Mizuiro" is replaced by the instrumental version of the Italian song, and "Hana no sasayaki" by some BGM pieces. The result is much lower than in the French version IMO (and the last scene somehow spoilt). Moreover, many characters have had theirnames changed in the It
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