Cameras Roll for Emily of New Moon on Prince Edward Island

The Avonlea Traditions Chronicle
Winter 1996/97 ~ Issue No. 18

Prince Edward Island, in all its rustic beauty is the authentic setting for Emily of New Moon, a television series based on LMM's Emily trilogy. CINAR Films and Salter Street Films have teamed up to create Emily of New Moon, along with Canadian broadcaster WIC (Western International Communiciations).

Emily of New Moon, which will air in Fall 1997 on Canadian television is a mysterious and haunting tale of a free-spirited young girl that speaks to the challenge women faced on the eve of the 20th century. This richly imaginative new series depicts the coming-of-age experiences of Emily, who, as an orphan living with her two maiden aunts and adult cousin, has to make a new life for herself in a strict Victorian home when her father dies.

Thirteen one-hour episodes started production last September at Slemon Park in Summerside and Cabot Provincial Park close to Malpeque, making full use of Prince Edward Island's coastal ambiance and vintage architecture from the Victoria era. The series has already been renewed for another thirteen episodes, bringing the total to twenty-six.

"The show will have three main stars: Emily; the stunning beauty of the island; and the drama of the sea," notes Marlene Matthews, who was Road to Avon1ea's executive story editor for six years and acts as supervising producer for this new series. "Here, the veiled mysteries of the ocean and rich red earth will reveal secrets destined to thrill the legions of LMM fans and lure new generations of viewers into the fold. Emily of New Moon's compelling stories and unforgettable characters will explore the depths of LMM's work as they've never been explored before."

Prince Edward Island's twelve-year-old Martha MacIsaac makes her professional acting debut as the imaginative, sensitive Emily, while veteran actor Susan Clark, best known for her role in the American television series Webster, plays Emily's ironwilled Aunt Elizabeth. Sheila McCarthy as Aunt Laura and Stephen McHattie as Cousin Jimmy round out the leads in the production. Maclsaac's best friend, Jessica Pellerin, also a newcomer to TV, will play Emily's best friend.

Emily, with her wild imagination and psychic powers, is eager to become a writer and to speak her mind in a restrictive period of history that frowned upon that much self-expression.

"Anyone who has ever burned with a creative passion or a secret ambition will adore the young, dark-eyed Emily," says Patricia Lavoie, Vice President, CINAR Production and Development. "Her courageous spirit and her phoenix-like will to live life to the fullest will inspire all who see her story unfold"

Return to: My Unofficial Emily of New Moon page