Is The Hardacres inspired by real events? Details from the British drama, explored

Channel 5’s The Hardacres has earned praise from the audience for its authentic portrayal of the 1890s. The period drama revolves around the titular working-class family, whose fate changes due to their hard work and dedication.

The family then becomes a part of the high society and learn to adjust to their new life. The show has now reached a wider audience as it has started streaming on BritBox in the US.

Considering the realistic depiction of the events in the show, fans are wondering whether it is based on real events. The answer is no. The Hardacres is not inspired by true events, but is based on a book series.

The inspiration behind The Hardacres

The Hardacres is not based on any real historical events. Instead, the show is an adaptation of author C. L. Skelton’s novel series, the Hardacre family saga. The story and characters in the show are fictional and are taken from Skelton’s literary work. The first book in the series was published in 1977, and the second book came out in 1984.

In 2014, the books were republished, which led to an increase in their popularity as a new generation of readers discovered the series. In 2023, Channel 5 announced the television adaptation of the books.

However, the creators have made some major changes from the novels to make the story more entertaining, dramatic, and suitable for the modern audience. One massive change is the introduction of Liza Hardacre and Ma Hardacre in the show. The two women are not actually a part of the family in the novels.

The creators wanted the family to have more feminine energy, and that is why they decided to make this change. At the same time, the ages of some characters were changed. The book mostly revolves around the patriarch Sam Hardacre, while the TV show looks at the family as a whole and gives equal importance to each member.

Series co-creator Loren McLaughlan talked about the differences between The Hardacres TV show and the books in an interview with Radio Times. Addressing why the writers decided to make the show about the family and not just Sam, she said:

“What we saw immediately is that we wanted to do a family ensemble show, so immediately, you need to move it out and away from Sam. We wanted to make Sam and Mary a team. And we wanted to write about a successful marriage, because again, that’s not something that you see on TV very often, a couple working together.”

Further talking about aging up Joe and Harry, and adding Liza and Ma to the story, McLaughlan said:

“There are two brothers, but they are very young in the books, so we needed to age them up a bit. We also needed to bring in more feminine energy, so that’s where the idea for [new characters] Ma and Liza came from. I think the family came to us very quickly, actually.”

Trending

Hence, The Hardacres is not based on a true story, but a book series. The makers have only gotten inspired by the source material and have added their own flavor to the story to make it more engaging and give it a universal appeal.

For more news and updates about The Hardacres, stay tuned to Soap Central.

×

Was this article helpful?

Thank You for feedback