Makers of new drama ‘The Hardacres’ lament lack of working-class TV | TV

The makers of a new “working class” drama “Downton Abbey” say the lack of such programs is exacerbated by the decline of soaps and “posh older men” who have had a monopoly on storytelling.

Produced by the producers of “All Creatures Great and Small,” the rags-to-riches drama “The Hardacres” is the brainchild of “Call the Midwife” and “Our Girl” writers Amy Roberts and Loren McLaughlin, who said , they chose the series because “More working-class people watch television than any other demographic, but they don’t feel like they’re represented on screen.”

The series is written and produced by working-class women – unusual for a period drama – and McLaughlin said: “One of the most important things for us was the class aspect,” as it was “rare to see a working-class family be the highlight of everyone.” TV show, let alone a period drama,” especially one with smart, funny characters. She said: “The stories we tell about working-class people are often quite dark, quite depressing… condescending.” [or] Cartoons.”

A cross between Poldark and Downton Abbey, The Hardacres is based on the bestselling Hardacre saga novels by CL Skelton and traces the journey of a Victorian family from gutting fish in dirty docks to building a huge country estate in Yorkshire, during they navigate the British class system.

Class is a hot topic for television right now. It was debated at the Edinburgh Television Festival in August after Sherwood creator James Graham said the industry should treat class like other inequalities such as race or sexuality, and Carol Vorderman pointed out that working-class people use television for social reasons Avoid media. The Line of Duty star Vicky McClure told the Labor Party conference she found it “frustrating” to get television to make shows for the working class

Roberts said: “We are at something of a crisis point. Television is in a really difficult position due to declining revenues… We need to connect with audiences and we do that by representing them and showing them something that touches their lives. The fewer working class people we have telling stories, the less likely we are to do that.

“Eight percent of the people who work in film and television are working class, which is terrible… It’s no coincidence that working class writers don’t get work. Someone makes these decisions.”

“Posh older people… don’t have a monopoly on storytelling, they really don’t, and we need to open the store.”

McLaughlin said many working-class writers struggled to make a living. She said the golden era of working-class drama 20 years ago that inspired her came from “people who came through soaps and laid the foundations of working-class drama [Clocking Off writer] Paul Abbott.” As the popularity of soaps has declined, she added: “We no longer have the same people allowed to emerge from these ongoing dramas.”

Doctor Who, Time and Payback actress Julie Graham, who plays Ma Hardacre, said the problem had been exacerbated because “a whole generation of young working-class actors… are likely to be wiped out because there aren’t the resources to have one.” to attend drama school”. that was available when she trained.

She said that Judi Dench “sends about ten working-class actors to drama school every year”. But she shouldn’t have to do that.”

Her words, and those of Roberts and McLaughlin, reflected those of McClure, who has tried to produce working-class dramas through her own production company but, despite her fame, “finds it frustrating”.

She told the Labor Party conference that more working class people were turning to social media rather than television and asked: “Where is the working class The Crown?” I’d like to see that. Something with great production value, where the stories and characters are just as great.”

The Hardacres, which is a rarity in having an all-female writing team, female producers and strong female leads across three generations, could help bridge that gap and will air on Channel 5 from October 7.

Graham praised Channel 5 for commissioning sympathetic British series, saying: “Channel 5 is trying to produce working-class stories…that people can relate to and working with actors from that background.” [and also] the employment of authors with this background.”