The Hardacres

Grannynannywanny

I wasn’t expecting the rags to riches to all happen in the first episode 😊

Ha ha! Neither did I.

I don’t mind that it’s lightweight. Plenty of gruesome dramas about so this makes a pleasant change.

It was predictable but ok. I enjoyed it.

Indigo8

Married at First Sight. It is cringe inducing but compulsive.

Thank you. Only seen it advertised and think it is ridiculous.

I also thought it rather like a Catherine Cookson .
When I was a child I lived in some farm cottages we didn't have wallpaper in any of them !
No electricity , no running water and no loo ondoors - so they were basic .
OK in the summer and very difficult in the winter .
The Hardacres rise to riches is rather rapid .
I'm sure that it would have been much slower if plausible .
But a nice dollop of escapism -refreshing after the endless drivel on TV .

I usually like a good costume drama and was looking forward to this but switched over 10 minutes in, just so unrealistic with it's snazzy bright interior & box fresh outfits, it jarred straight away so I didn't even see the plot development - their going looking for work "at big 'ouse" and deciding to take the dog with them was just daft. CBA'd with any more after that.

Lightweight drama. Comparing it to older Catherine Cookson adaptations, now they were realistic , both in settings and grittiness.
Think this is made for today's audience, many who wouldn't have witnessed the poverty of yesterday, .Or they have a set designer who has done no research into living conditions in that time. I'll watch it for the comedy between the new nouveau rich, and the crusty old housekeeper.

I expect the solicitor/financial adviser chap will end up with the mouthy daughter after lots of angst.

I don’t think it’s like a Catherine Cookson - they were much more realistic and gritty, and Cookson had her own dirt poor, abusive upbringing to inspire her. And at least they made an effort to suggest gloom and poverty in the adaptations. This lot are comical really, with their spacious, well-decorated house and their pristine clothes and hair, even if they were told in passing that they smelt of fish. And yes, how did they find the money to buy that herring? No doubt I’ll still be watching next week though, I’m a sucker for a daft costume drama.

Disappointed

I agree with all the criticisms but I enjoyed it. I don’t want to watch programmes full of violence, nor reality shows or sport, so this makes a changes from antiques and canals.

I thought it moved too quickly, but there’s only so much fish gutting and cooking that you can watch. I’m re-reading the book.

Just a bit of enjoyable light weight drama. I haven't read the book so just took it as it came including the lack of realism.

For me it moved so quickly I got lost ! Some of that was due to it not holding my attention
I might look for the books

It was different for me. Never read any Catherine Cookson, so didn't really know what to expect.
I couldn't get over the wallpaper in the little cottage, but didn't spoil it for us.

I loved it, nice and easy to watch and some humour too.

After watching one episode tonight there's only one thing to say. What a load of RUBBISH!

Maggiemaybe they got money from the boss when the husband went to tackle the boss about his proposition to the wife. Paid off their debts and had enough left to buy the barrel of herring.

I read the books years ago and I'm sure it was different to how this started. Sam the father cut his thumb on a knife and it got infected if I remember correctly.
I liked it though, as like others said, better than watching dramas about crime all the time.

Enjoyed it, it reminded me of the 1970s dramas, and as people have said, a nice change from the grim stuff on at moment. Also liked seeing some new faces, the only one I recognised was Julie Graham.

Lilypops

How did she get the money to buy her first barrel of herrings when she couldn’t pay the rent. Or did she steal them , but I saw her bidding for them for five shillings. , Otherwise I think it’s quite good , but willrecord them as it’s on channel5.

Perhaps the barrel of herrings was less than the rent would have been i.e. the herrings were five shillings, but the rent was seven shillings say? So enough for the fish, but not enough for the rent.

Coolgran65

Maggiemaybe they got money from the boss when the husband went to tackle the boss about his proposition to the wife. Paid off their debts and had enough left to buy the barrel of herring.

Ah, thanks Coolgran, I must have missed that. If only they’d thought to buy a few sacks of potatoes as well, chop them into strips and fry them to sell with the fish, they’d have invented a whole new meal deal and made their fortune even more quickly.

I’ve been trying to remember the scene where they acquired the money to buy the herrings and it’s only just come to me. When Sam went to the dockside to confront the boss about molesting his wife he was handing out the weekly wage packets. Sam snatched some from him.

Maybe I should eat more fish to see if it improves my memory 😆

I enjoyed it and will stick with it and see how the story develops in the big house. I agree with Calendargirl and wonder if the financial advisor will become romantically involved with the daughter. I did have concerns when they handed over the bag of cash that he might be a swindler but all was well.

I thought they bought the first barrel of herrings before he went and took the wage packet?

Just recently read the books and they have completely changed the story. The husband is main character in book and she is very shy and they dont have children til later one. Such a shame made it boring when the books are quite eventful. Not sure I’ll be watching any more.

Gave up after 15 minutes, a bit Janet and John, I thought a bit wooden too.