A Woman of Substance asks the question: Who knew that after dating Simon Callow in Chance In A Million in the ’80s, Brenda Blethyn (Kate and Koji) would be the richest woman in the world?
Based on the Barbara Taylor Bradford novel and coming 42 years after the Jenny Seagrove version on BBC1, once a maid in early 1900s Yorkshire at Fairley Hall, young Emma Harte (Jessica Reynolds – Kneecap) she had a dalliance with master Adam Fairley’s (Emmett J Scanlan – How To Get To Heaven From Belfast) son, Edwin (Ewan Horrocks, who looks a bit like a younger Cillian Murphy), and had to head off. Now the richest woman in the world, it’s 1970s New Work, and the papers think her empire is crashing down and bad word is spreading.
In the more modern day – albeit the decade in which fashion forgot, but then the 1970s is when the original novel was set – Jim Fairley (Toby Regbo – Platform 7), Edwin’s grandson, pops up, stating there’s a mole behind what’s going on, he claims to know who it is.
The trouble is, as much as I enjoyed the setting in the era when bellbottoms were all the rage, I’m less interested in Emma’s early years at the Hall, where it’s all period drama, as it’s very Upstairs Downstairs. Plus, back at her home, where her mum’s not well and her Dad’s Will Mellor (The Teacher Series 2), I kept expecting him to say, “Eeeee… get yer whippet out of my ginnel!”
However, since no major infrastructure had been built around those parts in the 1900s, it’s all very stunning-looking, so I’d still take the lush, green pastures over the concrete carbunkles of the modern day.
I’m sure those who enjoy early 20th Century period drama will love it, though. So, count that one as a ‘me problem’, as it were.
Thanks to our friends at Channel 4 for the screener prior to release.
A Woman of Substance begins tomorrow night on Channel 4 at 9pm, continues the following night, and then runs each Weds & Thurs for four weeks. Once broadcast, all episodes will be on All 4.
It’s not yet available to pre-order on Blu-ray or DVD, but when it is, it will be listed on the New DVD, Blu-ray, 3D and 4K releases UK page.
Cert: 
Running time: 50 minutes per episode (8 episodes)
Release date: March 11th 2026
Channel: Channel 4
Format: 1.78:1
Series Directors: John Hardwick, Richard Senior, Samantha Harrie
Producers: Charlie Palmer, George Faber
Created for TV: Katherine Jakeways
Screenplay: Katherine Jakeways, Roanne Bardsley
Novel: Barbara Taylor Bradford
Cast:
Emma Harte: Brenda Blethyn
Younger Emma Harte: Jessica Reynolds
Adam Fairley: Emmett J Scanlan
Jack Harte: Will Mellor
Adele Fairley: Leanne Best
Elizabeth Harte Ainsley: Jo Joyner
Jim Fairley: Toby Regbo
Frank Harte: Lenny Rush
Edwin Fairley: Ewan Horrocks
Mac: Niall Wright
Olivia Wainwright: Lydia Leonard
Murgatroyd: Robert Wilfort
Paula: Mara Huf
Priya Chandra: Hiftu Quasem
Polly: Georgina Sadler
Gerald Fairley: Harry Cadby
Elizabeth Harte: Sophie Bould
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.