The Hardacres star reveals major change from beloved novel series

The Hardacres star Julie Graham has revealed one major change from CL Skelton's best-selling novel series, The Hardacre Saga, which inspired the Channel 5 drama.

The actress, who portrays formidable matriarch Ma in the period series, revealed that her character and her on-screen granddaughter, Liza (played by Shannon Lavelle) were created for the show and did not feature in the books.

Speaking to HELLO! and other press ahead of the drama's debut, Julie revealed: "Ma isn't in the books and I don't think Liza is in the books, either. They focus very much on the history and the time that they're set in. Even though it's about the Hardacre family, it's a sprawling, historical setting as well.

"I didn't read the books, I think if the scripts hadn't been so vivid and come to life so much, I might have gone to the novel but I didn't need to," she said, later adding: "But obviously, we want the family of the author to be happy with what we've done."

Julie's co-star Claire Cooper, who plays Mary Hardacre, also chimed in, describing the show as "so different" to the novel series. "You're telling a different story here with what we're doing," explained the actress. "You kind of want to focus on what you're telling. You don't want to be influenced by something that's not going to happen in our story.

"There's an element of that world that is created and we are just celebrating it and branching off," said the Hollyoaks star.

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Liam McMahon, who plays loving father Sam, added that the tone of the show also differs from the novels. "I think the most important thing is the tone was very different in the books," said the actor, who read the first novel in the book series.

For those yet to watch the series, it tells the rags-to-riches story of the Hardacre family, who live in a small Victorian fishing village on the coast of Yorkshire.

When we meet the family, they're working as fish gutties down at the docks but after an unfortunate accident befalls patriarch Sam, the family lose their jobs and must find work elsewhere.

Mary soon comes up with a unique business idea and the family's fortune changes dramatically. The Hardacres soon find themselves rich beyond their wildest dreams with the chance to move into a sprawling Yorkshire country estate.

The synopsis continues: "Catapulted into the rarefied world of the upper classes, they are faced with snobbery from aristocrats and servants alike. The family must learn the hard way that real class isn’t a birth-right, it’s something they had all along."

The Hardacres continues on Monday 14 October on Channel 5 at 9pm.