The Hardacres

Completely unrealistic and superficial.

Implausible.
Agree with Lucky girl

And a shame because it could have been very watchable.

I have watched the first two episodes haven’t read the books.

Easy viewing if you do not analyse every minute detail.

A pleasant change from current day based dramas.

I've recorded it but having watched the first episode I'm not impressed. DH didn't like it at all. I will watch the next episode and see how it goes.

I watched episode 2 last night. I’ll stick with it for now but a very large pinch of salt might be required at the start of each episode.

The first morning waking up in their new mansion was a stretch of the imagination. They all had new perfectly fitting clothes and just fell into the morning routine of going downstairs and expecting breakfast to be ready. Unless they’d previously worked in service how would they even know that’s how the other half live?

Judging by the preview shown of next week’s it looks like the dock workers are going to be even worse off with the Hardacres predictably now owning the dockyard fish business . The eldest son is going to be a nasty piece of work as their boss. I hope his father reins him in.

No comments about this week’s episode yet.

Have decided I’m not keen on Mary, the mother, and even less keen on the old mother in law, her mother.

In fact, don’t warm to any of the characters really, but will keep watching to see how it pans out.

I enjoyed it, it’s not Downton but on a miserable dark wet evening it was a welcome distraction.

MissInterpreted

They didn't 'earn' the money to buy the mansion selling the herring - that came from the investment they made in the gold mining company.

Yes, it was a wise investment. And £250,000 in those days was the equivalent of several millions now!

I liked their financial advisor. Otherwise it registered pretty high on my drossometer.

I thought is was very weak indeed and switched channels. Clumsily acted and poor sets and costumes - they all looked so darned clean and tidy! Not for me. Not a patch on the likes of Downton with its meticulous detail and excellent acting.

They didn't 'earn' the money to buy the mansion selling the herring - that came from the investment they made in the gold mining company.

^I’m a bit of a stickler for detail in period dramas.
I counted 4 oil lamps burning in the daytime while the wife is scratching about for money to pay the rent.^

Me too, Petra ... buying a barrel of fish, the paper bags to put them in, and they still had enough to feed the dog and horse. Then they earned £250,000, enough to buy the mansion !!! Whaaat? People can't do that nowadays doing proper jobs.

Life's too short to watch any more.

I watched the first episode on Netflix yesterday it looks very interesting I shall be following it I just love those period series

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.