BANGOR – “Made In Maine,” a Maine PBS signature television show that explores Maine businesses, people and products, launches its season premiere at 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 21. The Emmy award-winning series, now in its 17th season, will feature six shows in 2004 and eight in 2005 for a total of 14 new episodes.

Host Lou McNally kicks off the new season in Unity, where he will learn about kayaking before heading to an atmospheric fishing village in Ogunquit to spend a day on the water with a veteran lobsterman. McNally will then travel to Yarmouth to visit the sail-making company Maine Sailing Partners, in the episode “Al Fresco.”

Next it’s “Fly-Fishing Only.” “Made in Maine” will visit a bamboo rod maker in Norridgewock and a handcrafted landing nets business in Medway. McNally will float the east outlet of the Kennebec River in Greenville with one of Maine’s foremost guides and a special guest from the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.

On Nov. 4, “Made in Maine” celebrates its 250th episode with a retrospective of past shows featuring candid memories of its producers.