Critic Reviews

The Hardacres is an enjoyable period drama that stays light on the drama and goes heavy on establishing how solid the family unit is, whether they live on the docks or on a country estate.

If it’s untaxing, escapist fare you want, this will do fine.

The Hardacres is too predictable, sanitised and silly to really stir the emotions. Yet its old-fashioned Catherine Cookson stylings feel counterintuitively fresh and fun, both for a costume drama and Channel 5’s schedules.

Ultimately, The Hardacres is about class – one of the UK’s favourite topics and ample fuel for endless fascinating storylines. Unfortunately, that potential was squandered.