The Hardacres is a six-episode period drama that premiered on Channel 5 beginning October 7, 2024. Adapted from C.L. Skelton’s beloved Hardacre Saga novels, the series is set in 1890s Yorkshire and follows the working-class Hardacre family—Mary (Claire Cooper), her husband Sam (Liam McMahon), their formidable matriarch Ma (Julie Graham), and their three children: Joe (Adam Little), Liza (Shannon Lavelle), and Harry (Zak Ford‑Williams)—as they navigate a dramatic transformation from dockside poverty to unexpected wealth
The drama begins when Sam suffers a crippling hand injury at the docks, threatening the family’s already-strained finances. Desperate and determined, Mary asks their lecherous employer for a wage advance—and when her request is rebuffed, she creates a fried-herring stall at a local fair. To both audience delight and disbelief, the venture takes off. Within a single episode, the Hardacres inexplicably amass a fortune—investing in a South African gold mine and buying an estate previously above their reach. The rapid rise, while criticized by some reviewers as implausible, serves as the engine for the series’ rags-to-riches narrative
Claire Cooper anchors the story as Mary, portraying a resourceful, strong-willed matriarch whose entrepreneurial spirit pushes her family into a world of genteel customs and class snobbery. Liam McMahon is a steady opposite, giving Sam moral grounding, and Julie Graham delivers gravitas as Ma—contributing a hard-earned wisdom to the household dynamic
The children each add texture to the family journey: Joe embodies the black sheep, Liza provides youthful curiosity and defiance, and young Harry—played by actor Zak Ford‑Williams, who has cerebral palsy, as does the character—brings both emotional depth and real-world representation
Filmed in Dublin and Wicklow over early 2024, The Hardacres evokes Victorian England while blending small-town grit with estate grandeur The production team from All Creatures Great and Small ensures a pastoral charm, though critics point out that this series lacks the nuanced depth of its predecessor, presenting its characters in broad, often simplified strokes: virtuous workers against villainous elites
Despite its narrative shortcomings, the series has been embraced as “untaxing escapist fare,” a cozy autumn drama that blends rags-to-riches optimism with light-hearted class conflict
Viewers have praised it as “fun, easy, escapist,” calling for a second season while applauding the ensemble's charisma and period ambiance
Yet, several critics and fans have pointed to the story's implausible wealth jump, flat villain archetypes, and occasionally rushed storytelling—especially the accelerated rise from dock to manor
In summary, The Hardacres delivers a comforting and emotionally warm depiction of working-class aspiration set against Victorian class divides. Anchored by a strong cast—especially Claire Cooper, Liam McMahon, and Julie Graham—the series resonates as light-hearted historical escapism. While it may not redefine the genre, its heartfelt family story, picturesque setting, and calls for continuation suggest broad appeal among period-drama audiences.
