The second half of the last decade of the century has been an exciting one for the cultural and entertainment production industry in Prince Edward Island. In 1998 alone, two new television productions made their debut and a CBC-TV series went into its second season. All three were produced on the Island.

The CBC television series Emily of New Moon, based on the Emily series of books written by Island author Lucy Maud Montgomery, has captured the attention of Canadians from coast to coast to coast. The star of the hour-long drama is young Island actress Martha MacIsaac who plays Emily Starr. Emily’s best friend Ilse Burnley is portrayed by another Islander, Jessica Pellerin. Over 500 Islanders enjoyed a short period of fame as extras or stand-ins during the third season alone. And the unmistakable beautiful scenery in the program’s outdoor scenes has made a star of Prince Edward Island. The shooting of this series (having completed three seasons as of 1998) employed approximately fifty Islanders in crew, talent, technicians and post-production services. CINAR Films and Salter Street films are the co-producers in association with WIC Entertainment Ltd. and Telefilm Canada.

In December 1998, a Prince Edward Island-written and co-produced animated Christmas television special appeared on the Teletoon network. Titled The True Meaning of Crumbfest, the tale is adapted from a short story in the book An Island Christmas Reader, written by Islander David Weale. It was co-produced by Cellar Door Productions of Prince Edward Island and Ontario’s Catalyst Entertainment. The True Meaning of Crumbfest features the voices of Islanders, including Jack McAndrew and Emily of New Moon’s Jessica Pellerin.

Master Chef Michael Smith is in the spotlight in The Inn Chef, a half-hour television cooking series co-produced by Cellar Door Productions and Nova Scotia’s Ocean Digital Entertainment. The fast paced and creatively simple cooking show was filmed on location at the Inn at Bay Fortune. Chef Smith is an entertaining and lively host who demonstrates how all of us can create a delicious and simple gourmet delight. Fresh Island food takes central stage as Smith takes viewers from the garden, field or sea all the way to the dining room table. The Inn Chef is broadcast on the Life Network.

List of Emily of New Moon locations.

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