How Long to Watch “Pit Pony”?

Based on the 1997 Canadian TV movie inspired by Joyce Barkhouse's novel of the same name, the 30-minute series Pit Pony began its weekly CBC run on February 5, 1999. Set in the small Nova Scotia mining town of Cape Breton in the early 1900s, the series dwelled upon 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 often as not stayed home and waited anxiously to see if their loved ones would return safely for yet another day. Principal players included the members of the MacLean and Hall families: Alex Wrathell as young Willie MacLean, through whose eyes the stories unfolded, Jennie Raymond as Willie's sister Nellie MacLean Hall, Shaun Smythas Nellie's husband Ned Hall, Ellen Page as Maggie MacLean, and Anna Wedlock as Sarah MacLean. Among the other major characters were Willie's surrogate father Charley (Denny Doherty) , town gossip Lorena MacTavish (Mary-Colin Chisholm and mine owner Mr. Frawley (Jeremy Akerman). The Gemini Award-winning Pit Pony was telecast in the US courtesy of the Starz Encore Group digital-cable service beginning in 2003.