Channel 5 has released more details about its Yorkshire “rags-to-riches” drama, The Hardacres.
The 6 x 60 minute period drama is being made by Playground – the production team behind All Creatures Great and Small.
Based on CL Skelton’s best-selling novels, the cast includes:
- Claire Cooper (The Continental, The Peripheral);
- Liam McMahon (Hunger, The Secret, Warrior Nun);
- Julie Graham (Time, Ridley, Penance);
- Adam Little (Ackley Bridge, Coronation Street);
- Shannon Lavelle;
- Zak Ford-Williams (Better),
- Holly Sturton (The School for Good and Evil);
- Cathy Belton (Miss Scarlet & The Duke,The Catch, Philomena);
- Owen Roe (Michael Collins, Vikings, Penny Dreadful);
- Ingrid Craigie (Blood, Blackshore, You Are Not My Mother);
- Siobhan O’Kelly (The Tourist S2);
- Sarah Agha (Homeland);
- Taheen Modak (The Bay).
The Hardacre Saga 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 1890s Yorkshire.
It’s been created for television by Amy Roberts and Loren McLaughlan (The Winter King, Call the Midwife) who will serve as Lead Writers and Executive Producers.
They are joined by Emma Reeves (The Worst Witch) who will write episode 3 and Liz Lake (Waterloo Road) who will write episode 4.
Rachel Carey (Deadly Cuts) is Lead Director of Episodes 1-3. And Kieron J Walsh will direct Episodes 4-6.
It’s produced by Alex Jones (Witness Number 3, Penance) and co-produced by Jackie Larkin (Strike, Mrs Wilson).
It’s slated for transmission in 2024.
“We’re incredibly excited to have found a cast that embodies and enhances the spirit, humour and humanity that leaps off the page in both the original novels and the brilliant scripts by Amy, Loren, Liz and Emma,” said David Stern, Executive Producer and Joint Managing Director of Playground.
“Audiences will undoubtedly fall in love with our fantastic group of actors, made up of both seasoned talent and exciting new faces, as they bring this spirited and sweeping rags to riches saga to life on screen.”
