'Masterpiece' Yorkshire period drama 'even better than All Creatures' is streaming free

A Yorkshire period drama that has been described as a cross between Poldark, Downton Abbey, and The Gilded Age is streaming for free and has been renewed for a second season. The Hardacres, which premiered last year, tells the story of a working-class family in the 1890s who move from a fish dock to a sprawling country estate. The programme was adapted from the novels by C.L. Skelton and boasts a stellar cast.

Claire Cooper plays Mary Hardacre, and other cast members include Liam McMahon, Adam Little, Shannon Lavelle, Zak Ford-Williams, and Julie Graham. The show can be streamed on Channel 5 completely free of charge.

The show's first series has a rating of 7.2 stars out of 10 on IMBd, with one reviewer writing: "I loved this series, it was entertaining, well acted and very well made." Another said the show was a "wonderful period piece with layered characters and an interesting storyline".

A third wrote: "A true crowd pleaser with everything you need in a good drama. Highs, lows, laughter and tears, truly fantastic acting from all the cast." Another fan posted: "Entertaining, funny and sometimes moving, it's an uplifting tale of rags to riches, one of Channel Five's better dramas, hopefully a second series will follow."

Before it was announced that The Hardacres would be renewed for a second season, fans took to social media to ask for more of the show. One posted on X: "The Hardacres has been the best series on Channel 5 in a long, long time. Please bring it back @channel5_tv." Another said: "Absolutely loved the hardacres on @channel5_tv, a great cast, a gritty and heartwarming script. Everything about it was perfect, right down to the music and costumes. I really hope Channel 5 is reading all these comments and signs up for a second and third series."

In July, it was announced that The Hardacres had been renewed for a second season. The synopsis read: "Following the smash-hit first series, which followed the Hardacre family as they navigated their rise from poverty to staggering wealth and the unexpected twists and turns that money brought, the new season charts the Hardacres as they settle into Hardacre Hall and turn their attention to reshaping the world around them... with all the ambition, friction, and fallout that entails."

Speaking about her experience filming the first season of The Hardacres, one of the show's stars, Julie Graham, said she was impressed by the fact that there was a female producer, director, and writer. She told the Sunday Post: "There are well-rounded female characters, but also well-rounded male characters existing alongside them too. That was important to me, to see that."

Graham said The Hardacres was a show "with a lot of heart" and that she was "really impressed with Channel 5" which was turning out "good, watchable dramas" you can watch with the whole family.