The future could look bright for Boothbay said Jerry Smith, the Emmy award-winning television producer who is ready to put the Boothbay region on the map.

On June 19, Smith phoned the Boothbay Harbor Region Chamber of Commerce to say he was ready to pencil our town in as a number one New England destination. Local residents and business owners leaned forward in their seats, to hear what Smith had planned for the peninsula.

“This show has been an enormous surprise for me,” Smith said. “This is the best travel show I have ever done.”

Since Smith's television show “Getting Away Together” premiered on Public Broadcasting Service in 2011, towns across America have reaped the benefits of being spotlighted as a timeless destination. And now, Boothbay wants to get on board, said Audrey Miller of Cottage Connection of Maine.

Miller is hoping the Boothbay region can raise $55,000 to secure a date with Smith's television crew to capture the Boothbay region as it's never been filmed before. If the money can get raised in the next couple months, Boothbay will be the first ever New England town featured on Smith's acclaimed travel series, Miller said.

Currently the Boothbay region is competing with Gloucester, Mass., for the last remaining opening for the 2013 season, Miller said.

The premise of “Getting Away Together” weaves a family and friends narrative with the perfect weeklong getaway. “It's much more compelling watching people really react in a way that no TV host will ever do,” Smith said.  

Recently, Smith filmed in Park City, Utah and, according to the Park City's Chamber of Commerce, the town experienced a measurable boon in tourism recently.

“Unlike other TV shows, we will also own the rights to the film. Just imagine how area businesses featured in the film will get repeated national exposure,” Miller said.

“Getting Away Together” is slated to begin filming in early September, provided Boothbay can secure the funds before Gloucester. The show airs on PBS and is distributed to an international audience through Canamedia.

For more information about the shoot visit www.gettingawayboothbay.org.  For questions on local fundraising, search Facebook for “Getting Away Together in Boothbay,” or contact Audrey Miller at 207-633-6545.