Ma (Julie Graham) is seen gutting some fish (Image: CHANNEL 5)
The much-awaited period drama ‘The Hardacres’ is poised to grace Channel 5 screens on October 7, with fans eagerly anticipating the six-part series produced by the celebrated team behind the global sensation ‘All Creatures Great and Small’.
Set against a backdrop of stunning historical shifts, ‘The Hardacres’ follows a working-class family’s dramatic change in destiny after a devastating incident forces them onto a new path. In its opening salvo, calamity strikes, leaving the family penniless and joblessprompting them to invent an audacious business scheme to reverse their fortunes.
Before long, they find themselves swimming in wealth that exceeds their most extravagant fantasies. An official teaser offers a glimpse into their journey: “Catapulted into the rarefied world of the upper classes, they are faced with snobbery from aristocrats and servants alike.”
However, as they climb the social ladder, they confront a daunting revelation that ‘true’ sophistication isn’t embedded in one’s lineage but inside themselves all along. The picturesque Irish landscape played host to the series’ winter filming sessions, where cast members shared personal anecdotes about the making of the show.
Highlighting the series’ meticulous attention to detail, actress Claire Cooper who portrays Mary Hardacre divulged insights into the lengths taken for authentic representation. A crucial portion of the pilot unfolds amidst the docks, capturing the family’s persevering spirit whilst eviscerating fish, reports .
The Hardacre family in rags in episode 1 (Image: CHANNEL 5)
To ensure veracity in depicting such work, the crew engaged bona fide fish gutting maestros for the actors to observe and emulate, which Cooper finds essential, remarking, “If we wanted to participate we could, which I think is really important because these women were incredibly fast.”
“They were amazing at their job and we had scars across our hands because the women were often wounded by the work they did.”
“The scales would slice their fingers. There was a technique to it, we just got stuck in.”
“I gravitated towards the rubber ones as they made these incredible rubber fish with rubber guts and everything.”
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Claire Cooper learned how to properly gut a fish (Image: CHANNEL 5)
“When the housekeeper says ‘Is that fish we can smell off you?’, yes, because even at the end of the day we smelt of fish.”
Julie Graham, who portrays Ma in the series, emphasised the importance of mastering the skill to ensure authenticity on screen.
She explained: “The most important thing was they said they can do it in their sleep, it’s second nature.”
“You are gutting fish and you are chatting but it had to look like it was second nature.”