"A Woman of Substance" was a bestselling novel by the late author Barbara Taylor Bradford that was turned into a classic TV series by Channel 4 in 1985, starring Jenny Seagrove — it was then Channel 4’s most-watched drama ever.
Now Channel 4 is hoping for a repeat success as it launches a reboot of A Woman of Substance as a new series. The period drama will follow steely businesswoman Emma Harte over many decades, as she claws her way from resourceful servant girl into the head of a thriving international enterprise. But her success comes at a huge cost!
Here’s everything you need to know about the all-new Channel 4 series A Woman of Substance…
A Woman of Substance release date
The all-new series of A Woman of Substance will air on Channel 4 but it's too early for a release date to be announced. Keep an eye on this page and we’ll update it when we hear anything.
Is there a trailer?
No, not yet. We'll post here when it arrives.
A Woman of Substance plot
A Woman of Substance follows Emma Harte, a servant girl at Fairley Hall in Yorkshire, as she learns to use treachery to get what she wants. In the wake of a tragedy, Emma leaves her poverty behind her and starts her own business empire.
But rather than giving her everything she has always wanted, it means she has to give up on the one man she could never have. We follow Emma through two marriages, two wars and generations of secrets and as those around her become consumed by greed, envy and the need for revenge, she must fight harder than ever and face up to the betrayals of the past.
A Woman of Substance cast
The cast for this new A Woman of Substance has yet to be announced but we’ll let you know when the names of the actors are released.
All about the original 1985 miniseries of A Woman of Substance
The book "A Woman of Substance" was turned into a three-part miniseries by Channel 4 in 1985, starring Jenny Seagrove as the young Emma Harte. It also starred Deborah Kerr as the older Emma alongside Barry Bostwick, Peter Egan, Liam Neeson and Miranda Richardson. The final episode drew in 13.8 million viewers, which remains Channel 4’s highest-ever audience.
All about A Woman of Substance author Barbara Taylor Bradford
"A Woman of Substance" is the debut novel by the late Barbara Taylor Bradford and published in 1979. It sold over 30 million copies worldwide. Her sequel novel "Hold The Dream" was also made into a series, again starring Deborah Kerr and Jenny Seagrove. In total Barbara wrote 40 novels, the last of which was published the year before her death.
Before she became an author, Barbara was a typist then a reporter for the Yorkshire Post before becoming Fashion Editor of "Woman’s Own" magazine. She was made an OBE in 2007. She died aged 91 on November 24 2024 after a short illness. She was married to film and TV producer Robert ‘Bob’ Bradford for 56 years before he died in 2019.
