How many series of The Hardacres are there — and how much more of the saga is coming?
If you've just torn through Channel 5's rags-to-riches Yorkshire saga and want more, here's exactly where things stand as of July 2026.
The short answer
Two series, 12 episodes, six per series. Series 1 ran from 7 October to 11 November 2024; series 2 — confirmed in July 2025 — ran from 14 May to 18 June 2026. Both are streaming on My5.
The story so far
- Series 1 (2024) — Sam (Liam McMahon) and Mary Hardacre (Claire Cooper) lose their jobs on a grimy 1890s fish dock, gamble on a risky business venture, and end up staggeringly rich — swapping the gutting sheds for a vast country estate and a high society that doesn't want them.
- Series 2 (2026) — the family settle into Hardacre Hall and start reshaping the world around them: Sam expands the business, Mary champions the dock workers' education, and Michele Dotrice arrives as the formidable Lady Imelda Hansen.
Where the story comes from
The series is drawn from C. L. Skelton's Hardacre Family Saga novels, first published in 1976 — specifically books 1 and 2. It's a loose take rather than a page-by-page transfer. Co-creator Loren McLaughlan explained the approach to Radio Times in 2024:
"Our version is definitely inspired by the book as opposed to an adaptation," she said, noting the books centre almost entirely on Sam — so the show aged up the sons and invented Ma (Julie Graham) and Liza to balance the family.
That matters for the future: Skelton's saga sprawls across generations, so the source material is nowhere near used up.
Is series 3 happening?
Not officially — yet. As of July 2026, Channel 5 hasn't confirmed a third series, but the pattern is encouraging: series 2 was only greenlit in July 2025, roughly eight months after series 1 finished airing. On that timetable, news would be expected towards the end of 2026, with strong streaming numbers on My5 the deciding factor.