Channel 5 formally announced it is renewing the second season of The Hardacres for broadcast in 2025 and confirmed this news in July of 2025, due to the previous success of Season 1 (which was aired on Channel 5 between October-November 2024 as a six-part series) being the best launch for a new weekly drama on that channel to date.
The Hardacres Season 2: Release date speculation
At this time in April 2026, no release date has been set for official release.
The dates for filming (pre-production filming) were originally planned as September 2025 (through the 1st week of October 2025) and would take place in Dublin and County Wicklow, Ireland (which were the same filming locations used for season one).
An update on production (e.g., Instagram, and Channel 5 posts) indicated that production has started (November to early December 2025).
Based on the historical timeline for post-production of period dramas (which takes several months of editing, composing the score, and so forth), a potential window for release could be late 2026 (possibly in the fall, similar to season one) or early 2027.
Some speculation from social media and fans is that a possibility exists for "2026" or "early 2026"; however, this is unsubstantiated at this time.
There will once again be six 1-hour episodes. It is anticipated that the series will be aired on Channel 5 in the UK and will also be available for streaming on My5, as well as potentially becoming available to viewers in North America via BritBox (the same platform where season one was released in September 2025) and in other countries and on other platforms.
The Hardacres Season 2: Cast
A full confirmed cast list for Season 2 has not been released yet, but the core Season 1 ensemble is widely expected to return. Key returning roles likely include:
- Claire Cooper as Mary Hardacre (the determined matriarch)
- Liam McMahon as Sam Hardacre (her husband)
- Julie Graham as Ma Hardacre
- Shannon Lavelle as Liza Hardacre
- Adam Little as Joe Hardacre
- Zak Ford-Williams as Harry Hardacre
Additional supporting cast from Season 1 (e.g., Kevin Doyle and others) may reprise roles, with possible new additions for fresh storylines. Production is from Playground Entertainment (makers of All Creatures Great and Small).
The Hardacres Season 2: Plot details
In Season 2 of our show, the plot continues to follow the Hardacre family as they face unexpected challenges and conflicts after gaining their newfound huge economic status (gaining tremendous wealth) as depicted by their series' first season storyline. The plot will once again showcase each of the family members as they are adjusting to living in Hardacre Hall, re-adjusting to society after becoming wealthy, and struggling to change the world around them through their new economic status. The new season is going to explore family activities and subplot lines about disagreements, new secrets discovered about other family members from the past, changes made to family loyalty toward one another due the ability to generate new wealth through their actions (or inactions) following family members' deaths, and the social challenges of achieving a much better socioeconomic status than what they had just before becoming extremely wealthy. This plot will once again follow the events of this family's lives as depicted in C.L.
Skelton's novel series set in Yorkshire during this time period, including how to achieve success in this new and powerful world they live in now and why it's so difficult to maintain those relationships while doing so.