The Hardacres | Preview (Channel 5)

The Hardacres is a sweeping rags to riches story that follows the lives, loves and fortunes of the working class Hardacre family as they move from a grimy fish dock to a vast country estate in 1890’s Yorkshire.

A bold, gutsy ensemble family drama full of heart, The Hardacres places an ordinary family in an extraordinary position and explores the age-old question – can money ever buy true happiness?

The Hardacre family consists of Claire Cooper (The Continental, The Peripheral) and Liam McMahon (Hunger, The Secret, Warrior Nun) as loving married couple Mary and Sam Hardacre, who land on hard times following an accident at work on the docks, which leaves them unemployed and broke.

Alongside, Julie Graham (Time, Ridley, Penance), starring as Mary’s  wily mother, Ma, and their three kids, Joe, Liza, and Harry, played by Adam Little (Ackley Bridge, Coronation Street), newcomer Shannon Lavelle and Zak Ford-Williams (Better), the family band together to think fast with a business venture that will free them from their humble existence on the North Yorkshire Coast and catapult them into high society.

Also joining the series are Holly Sturton (The School for Good and Evil) as Adella, Cathy Belton (Miss Scarlet & The Duke,The Catch, Philomena) as Emma and Owen Roe (Michael Collins, Vikings, Penny Dreadful) as George, making up the well to do Fitzherbert Family and new neighbours of The Hardacres.

Ingrid Craigie (Blood, Blackshore, You Are Not My Mother) is housekeeper Mrs Dryden, with Siobhan O’Kelly (The Tourist S2) as Lena and Taheen Modak (The Bay) as Saunders.

In the first episode, in a small Victorian fishing village on the coast of Yorkshire, we meet the working-class Hardacre family: easy-going Sam and eldest son Joe are dockers, while his fiery wife Mary, rebellious daughter Liza and formidable mother-in-law Ma are fish gutties.

Their youngest son, Harry is the brightest of the bunch. He has cerebral palsy and still attends school. Despite the relentless graft of dock work, made only harder by their odious boss Mr Shaw, the Hardacres are the heart of a loyal and decent community, surrounded by friends with indomitable spirits.

But after an unfortunate accident befalls Sam, the family lose their jobs at the docks and must race to find work elsewhere– or else end up on the street. Mary, Ma and Liza venture to the gilded halls of country estate Thornton Hall in search for work but are met with judgement and doors slammed in their faces.

Ma leads Liza down a risky path, much to her mother’s chagrin, but Liza soon finds that the smuggling life isn’t as romantic as it sounded. Meanwhile Joe is wracked with guilt for a decision made on the docks.

Faced with destitution, resourceful Mary comes up with a novel business idea and the family manage to turn their fortunes around. The Hardacres’ new business prospers and thanks to the financial advice of the charming Mr Saunders, they make what turns out to be a very lucky investment.

The family find themselves rich beyond their wildest dreams with the chance to move into one of the finest houses in the county. But are they ready to leave the docks and their community behind?

The Hardacres begins w/c 7th October on Channel 5.