Pit Pony (TV series)
Encyclopedia
Pit Pony is a 1999 CBC
television series which tells the story of small-town life in Glace Bay, on the island of Cape Breton
, Nova Scotia
in 1904. The plot line revolves around the lives of the families of the men and boys who work in the coal mines.
's novel of the same name
.
The series, like the movie, was produced by Cochran Entertainment. The series was directed by Mike Clattenburg
, Stephen Reynolds, and Peter Rowe. 70% of the cast and crew were from Cape Breton and 20% were from other regions of Nova Scotia.
In June 1999, production began for the second season of Pit Pony. However, the series was subsequently cancelled on February 4, 2000.
-winning series was telecast in the US courtesy of the Starz Encore Group digital-cable service beginning in 2003.
of Glace Bay in the early 1900s, the series revolves around the lives and work of the town's male population, virtually all of whom were employed by the local coal mine
, and the trials and tribulations of the women of the town, who waited anxiously to see if their loved ones would return home safely.
In particular, the plot line focuses on the story of the MacLean family. Willie MacLean is a 12-year-old boy with a love for horses and liking to school to escape the difficult times his family has. When the series begins, Willie's father has been dead for over a year from coal consumption, and his older brother, John also died in a mine cave in. When Willie's brother was killed in a cave in and his father wounded two or three years earlier (in the Pit Poney TV movie), Willie was forced to fill his brother's shoes to support his older sister Nellie, and two younger sisters, Maggie and Sarah, until their father recovered. Willie found work at the mine lonely and unfriendly; as a result he forms a bond with a pit pony
horse in order to make it though each day.
The principal characters included the members of the MacLean and Hall families: Alex Wrathell as young Willie MacLean, through whose eyes most of the stories unfolded around, Jennie Raymond as Willie's older sister Nellie MacLean Hall, Shaun Smyth as Nellie's Scott husband Ned Hall. Ellen Page
played Maggie MacLean, and Anna Wedlock played Sarah MacLean, Willie's two younger sisters. Among the other major characters were Willie's surrogate father and stable owner Charley (Denny Doherty
), town gossip Lorena MacTavish (Mary-Colin Chisholm) and the firm, but fair, mine owner Mr. Frawley (Jeremy Akerman
).
2nd Season
CBC Television
CBC Television is a Canadian television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster.Although the CBC is supported by public funding, the television network supplements this funding with commercial advertising revenue, in contrast to CBC Radio which are...
television series which tells the story of small-town life in Glace Bay, on the island of Cape Breton
Cape Breton Island
Cape Breton Island is an island on the Atlantic coast of North America. It likely corresponds to the word Breton, the French demonym for Brittany....
, Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
in 1904. The plot line revolves around the lives of the families of the men and boys who work in the coal mines.
Production
Stories in the series were written by Heather Conkie, Paul Ledoux, Edwina Follows and Lori Houzer. It is based on the award-winning 1997 Canadian TV movie inspired by Joyce BarkhouseJoyce Barkhouse
Joyce Carman Barkhouse, is a Canadian children's writer best known for writing historical fiction.-Education and family life:...
's novel of the same name
Pit Pony (novel)
-Plot summary:In Pit Pony, Barkhouse describes life in a coal-mining town in turn-of-the-century Cape Breton, but also deals with importance of education itself. It is the story of Willie and Gem. Willie is an eleven-year-old boy forced by family circumstances to work as a trapper in a Cape...
.
The series, like the movie, was produced by Cochran Entertainment. The series was directed by Mike Clattenburg
Mike Clattenburg
Mike Clattenburg is a Canadian TV and film director best known as creator/director of the TV comedy series Trailer Park Boys , and This Hour Has 22 Minutes...
, Stephen Reynolds, and Peter Rowe. 70% of the cast and crew were from Cape Breton and 20% were from other regions of Nova Scotia.
In June 1999, production began for the second season of Pit Pony. However, the series was subsequently cancelled on February 4, 2000.
Broadcast history
Pit Pony debuted on Canada's CBC on February 5, 1999 and ended on February 4, 2000. It ran for two seasons with 44 episodes. The Gemini AwardGemini Award
The Gemini Awards are annual television broadcasting industry awards in Canada.First awarded in 1986, the Geminis celebrate the achievements of TV members of the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television. Essentially, it presents awards for the best television productions in Canada. Awards are...
-winning series was telecast in the US courtesy of the Starz Encore Group digital-cable service beginning in 2003.
Plot summary
Set in the small Nova Scotia mining townMining town
A mining community, also known as a mining town or a mining camp, is a community that houses miners. Mining communities are usually created around a mine or a quarry for the extraction or smeltering of ore.-United States:...
of Glace Bay in the early 1900s, the series revolves around the lives and work of the town's male population, virtually all of whom were employed by the local coal mine
Coal mining
The goal of coal mining is to obtain coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content, and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United States,...
, and the trials and tribulations of the women of the town, who waited anxiously to see if their loved ones would return home safely.
In particular, the plot line focuses on the story of the MacLean family. Willie MacLean is a 12-year-old boy with a love for horses and liking to school to escape the difficult times his family has. When the series begins, Willie's father has been dead for over a year from coal consumption, and his older brother, John also died in a mine cave in. When Willie's brother was killed in a cave in and his father wounded two or three years earlier (in the Pit Poney TV movie), Willie was forced to fill his brother's shoes to support his older sister Nellie, and two younger sisters, Maggie and Sarah, until their father recovered. Willie found work at the mine lonely and unfriendly; as a result he forms a bond with a pit pony
Pit pony
A pit pony was a type of pony commonly used underground in coal mines from the mid 18th up until the mid 20th century.-History:Ponies began to be used underground, often replacing child or female labour, as distances from pit head to coal face became greater...
horse in order to make it though each day.
The principal characters included the members of the MacLean and Hall families: Alex Wrathell as young Willie MacLean, through whose eyes most of the stories unfolded around, Jennie Raymond as Willie's older sister Nellie MacLean Hall, Shaun Smyth as Nellie's Scott husband Ned Hall. Ellen Page
Ellen Page
Ellen Philpotts-Page , known professionally as Ellen Page, is a Canadian actress. Page received both Golden Globe and Academy Award nominations for Best Actress for her role as the title character in the film Juno...
played Maggie MacLean, and Anna Wedlock played Sarah MacLean, Willie's two younger sisters. Among the other major characters were Willie's surrogate father and stable owner Charley (Denny Doherty
Denny Doherty
Dennis Gerrard Stephen Doherty was a Canadian singer and songwriter. He was most widely known as a founding member of the 1960s musical group The Mamas & the Papas.-Early career:...
), town gossip Lorena MacTavish (Mary-Colin Chisholm) and the firm, but fair, mine owner Mr. Frawley (Jeremy Akerman
Jeremy Akerman
Jeremy Bernard Akerman is a former Canadian politician, writer and actor and a former leader of the Nova Scotia New Democratic Party.-Biography:...
).
Episode list
1st Season| Episode # | | Episode Title | Airdate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | "The Light to the Future" | February 5, 1999 |
| 2 | "Best Laid Plans" | February 12, 1999 |
| 3 | "Forerunner" | February 19, 1999 |
| 4 | "The Ball Game" | February 26, 1999 |
| 5 | "To Have and to Hold" | March 5, 1999 |
| 6 | "Endings and Beginnings" | March 12, 1999 |
| 7 | "The Phantom Ship" | March 19, 1999 |
| 8 | "The Mine's Mark" | March 26, 1999 |
| 9 | "Sleeping Dogs Lie" | April 2, 1999 |
| 10 | "Calling Mr. Bell" | April 9, 1999 |
| 11 | "Ghost in the Lens" | April 16, 1999 |
| 12 | "Famous" | April 23, 1999 |
| 13 | "Winds of Change" | April 30, 1999 |
| 14 | "Reunion" | May 7, 1999 |
| 15 | "Making Their Way" | May 14, 1999 |
| 16 | "Where There's a Will" | May 21, 1999 |
| 17 | "Evolution" | May 28, 1999 |
| 18 | "The Truth About Heroes" | June 4, 1999 |
| 19 | "Night Into Day" | June 11, 1999 |
| 20 | "Transformations" | June 18, 1999 |
| 21 | "Connections" | June 25, 1999 |
| 22 | "Homecoming" | July 2, 1999 |
| 23 | "Charley's Secret" | July 9, 1999 |
| 24 | "Sunshine and Shadows" | July 16, 1999 |
| 25 | "Into the Dark" | July 23, 1999 |
| 26 | "Our Sons and Daughters" | July 30, 1999 |
2nd Season
| Episode # | | Episode Title | Airdate |
|---|---|---|
| 27 | "Power Plays" | September 24, 1999 |
| 28 | "Two Sides of the Coin" | October 1, 1999 |
| 29 | "Coal Dust" | October 8, 1999 |
| 30 | "A Weighty Matter" | October 15, 1999 |
| 31 | "Gone Fishin'" | October 22, 1999 |
| 32 | "Home" | October 29, 1999 |
| 33 | "Company Business" | November 5, 1999 |
| 34 | "The Game" | November 12, 1999 |
| 35 | "Taking Chances" | November 19, 1999 |
| 36 | "In Harmony" | November 26, 1999 |
| 37 | "Sarah's Return" | December 3. 1999 |
| 38 | "That Special Spark" | December 10, 1999 |
| 39 | "Lost" | December 17, 1999 |
| 40 | "Fiddler's Fall" | January 7, 2000 |
| 41 | "Chasing Shadows" | January 14, 2000 |
| 42 | "Price of Change" | January 21, 2000 |
| 43 | "Small Steps" | January 28, 2000 |
| 44 | "Securities" | February 4, 2000 |