The Hardacres

The Hardacres isn't going to win any awards but it isn't half bad as an easy Autumn watch with its lovely Yorkshire backdrops. With an obviously limited budget the period setting is pretty much defined by a country house and the clothes of the time, which is a shame.

Overall its much closer to those old Catherine Cookson TV movies than higher budget efforts like Poldark. Production wise I felt it was a bit far-fetched story wise with lots of predictable pay-offs and the pilot episode was definitely too rushed. The soundtrack was very busy, honestly less is more.

Made by the same outfit as 'All Creatures Great & Small' I wanted something a bit more sophisticated, but hopefully it will find an audience and find its feet properly in series two.

Worth a look if you're a fan of period drama/family sagas.

A great accompaniment alongside ACGAS, much needed for those who love a period drama!

However very disappointed with some of the cast. Claire Coopers glaringly obvious botox was so distracting, it took away from the accuracy of the time. What on earth were they thinking!?

It was also difficult to take her character seriously having known who she played in Hollyoaks. She isn't the right actress for this part and sad to see C5 think people would overlook this. I'm sure there is a whole host of British northern actresses who would have been better suited for the role.

Conor Deane is brilliant, along with Julie Graham and Taheen Modak. Not sure on the actors chosen who don't look historically accurate for the time in Yorkshire.

Watch it if you want to enjoy six episodes of light drama mixed with a lot of comedy that might not appeal to everyone, but it's a charming show I can actually recommend to anyone looking for a short, six-episode series to enjoy at any time. However, don't watch it expecting to compare it with other shows that represent this historical period, as it's likely not suited for such comparisons.

The first episode moved quickly with its events, which may not seem entirely logical in reality, but again, I'll say don't look for logic or comparisons-just watch it to enjoy. It's pure fun in this series, and honestly, I loved it. Maybe the ending wasn't ideal; I would have at least liked to see the wedding. But so far, we're not sure if they'll stop at one season. I think it might get another season because, in reality, it didn't get bad ratings, which I can understand. I watched it, and honestly, it's a good choice for a quick watch.

Its a rags to riches Downton Abbey.

The new money story was indeed a widespread process resulting from the industrial revolution, the birth of capitalism and fast stock market winners.

Although lower working class elevations to such dizzying heights was rare indeed because they lacked initial capital to seed such fortune.

Nevertheless good acting, good comedic moments and plenty of upstairs downstairs skulduggery to satisfy anyone who likes English period drama.

There's a lot of silliness and behaviour that would never occur and sometimes the father's refusal to move up from his humble background starts to grate a bit as do the daughters persistent petulance with everything.

Then there's the housekeeper who seems to believe she's invincible.

The varied accents are inconsistent for such a tight nit family but lead to some great quotes such as

Her Ladyship: "What accent is that, I can't quite place it?" The mother-in-law "Its Yorkshire ma'am, it's where you're bloody living"

I don't normally do reviews but I wanted to on this. I think this is the best that channel 5 have put on. Yes the first episode was rushed and could have been shown over 3 episodes but stick with it. I have Sky and Disney plus,Netflix and I'm enjoying this a lot more that what I pay for. I really hope they will do a season 2 after this finishes. I love period dramas and it's not Downton abbey but they haven't the budget obviously because it's channel 5. I think a lot of people will enjoy this,if they get over the first episode. Claire Cooper is brilliant in this and Julie Graham. Everyone needs to remember what channel it's on and it's not bad.