Nantucket on Screen: What The Five-Star Weekend and The Perfect Couple Get Right, and Leave Out

A few months ago, Jennifer Garner was sitting on a bench on Main Street, just twenty feet from my office door, waiting between takes.

Someone finally worked up the nerve to ask if she would take a photo with the staff. She did more than agree. She came inside, gathered everyone around her and posed for a proper group selfie, with her arm around whoever happened to be closest.

For three weeks last September, filming The Five Star Weekend became part of daily life on the island. The production moved through Main Street, Bartlett's Farm, Cru, Nantucket Looms and other familiar locations. For those of us working in Town, the cast and crew were not something happening at a distance. They were right outside our doors.

The Peacock series, based on Elin Hilderbrand's novel, premiered on July 9, 2026. Jennifer Garner stars alongside Chloë Sevigny, Regina Hall, Gemma Chan and D'Arcy Carden.

It arrived two years after The Perfect Couple, another Hilderbrand adaptation, debuted at number one on Netflix's English television list. Together, the two productions have shown millions of viewers a place many previously knew only by name or reputation.

So, how much of the Nantucket seen on screen feels true to those of us who know the island well?

The Short Version

• The Five Star Weekend, based on Elin Hilderbrand's novel, premiered on Peacock on July 9, 2026. The production filmed on Nantucket, including right outside my own office, for three weeks last September.
• It followed The Perfect Couple, also a Hilderbrand adaptation, which debuted at number one on Netflix.
• Both shows capture the real look and feel of the island. Owning a piece of it is a different question entirely.
• Nantucket's luxury market has its own well-documented story, and it has nothing to do with either show.

A Nantucket I Recognized

Both productions understand the importance of place.

The weathered shingles, open water and narrow streets are easy to recognize, but the shows also capture something less visual: the way Nantucket homes become gathering places. Families return to them summer after summer. Friends fill the bedrooms. Meals stretch across long tables, and traditions become tied to a particular house, beach or part of the island.

That is not simply a television version of Nantucket. I see it in my work every day.

For many buyers, a property here is never just another acquisition. It is where children will spend their summers, where friends will gather and where one generation hopes the next will continue returning.

Of course, seeing familiar places on screen is part of the fun. There is a particular pleasure in recognizing Main Street, Bartlett's Farm or a view of the harbor while watching from your own living room.

But recognizing Nantucket and understanding what it means to own a home here are two very different things.

What the Cameras Cannot Show

A television series can capture the appeal of a house in a matter of seconds. It cannot tell you how that property will live over time.

A harbor-front home, a pond-front property and a house on the ocean may all offer beautiful water views, but ownership can be very different in each setting. Flood exposure, erosion, prevailing winds, conservation restrictions and permitting requirements can all affect what may be built, changed or protected.

The same is true away from the water. Two houses that appear equally appealing online may differ considerably in renovation potential, septic capacity, privacy, rental use or ease of access during the height of summer.

These are not the most glamorous parts of buying on Nantucket, but they are often the details that determine whether a home is right for a particular family.

There is also a year-round Nantucket that television has had little opportunity to show. It is quieter and more close-knit, shaped by winter weather, ferry schedules and the people who keep the island running long after the summer crowds have gone home.

That Nantucket is an important part of the story, particularly for buyers considering longer stays or full-time island life.

Will This Attention Change Nantucket?

I am often asked whether these television productions will have an effect on the real estate market.

My honest answer is that I have not seen evidence of that yet.

The shows may make more people curious about Nantucket. They may give someone who has never visited a clearer picture of the landscape, architecture and atmosphere. Increased recognition, however, is not the same as measurable buyer activity.

Elin Hilderbrand has said she hopes the attention encourages people to visit during May and October rather than adding more pressure to an already busy July and August. I understand that view. The shoulder seasons are beautiful, and they give visitors a much better sense of the island's natural pace.

Nantucket's real estate market already has a significant story of its own. According to Realtor.com's June 2026 Luxury Housing Report, the entry point to the top 10 percent of Nantucket listings was approximately $14.1 million, the highest among the vacation markets it studied. The report also found that 55 percent of the island's housing stock was designated for seasonal or occasional use.

Those figures reflect the conditions that have shaped Nantucket real estate for years: a geographically limited supply of homes, strong second-home demand and very different values from one location and property type to another.

A television premiere may bring additional attention. It does not create more land.

When Interest Becomes a Property Search

Someone may first become interested in Nantucket because of a book, a television series or a wonderful summer visit. That emotional connection matters. It is often where the search begins.

My role is to help make the next stage much more specific.

Where on the island do you naturally want to spend your time? Would you prefer to walk into Town, or is privacy more important? How many weeks will you use the house? Do you want something ready for the coming summer, or are you comfortable managing a renovation on an island?

Budget also needs to be understood in Nantucket terms. A buyer wondering where to begin may find it helpful to see what $5 million buys on Nantucket in 2026, including the trade-offs that accompany different neighborhoods and property types.

For buyers drawn specifically to a home by the water, it is equally important to understand the practical considerations involved in buying waterfront property on Nantucket before becoming attached to a particular view.

After more than twenty years of selling real estate and living on Nantucket, I know that the best decisions are rarely made from photographs alone. They come from understanding how a particular property fits the way someone hopes to use and enjoy the island.

Television can provide a beautiful introduction to Nantucket. Choosing a home here requires time on the ground, thoughtful questions and honest guidance about what each property offers.

Those are conversations I am always happy to have.