Brenda Blethyn headlines A Woman of Substance as UK broadcaster confirms March premiere and U.S. streamer pick-up
Brenda Blethyn returns to screens in A Woman of Substance, an eight-part period drama whose first two episodes will air on Wednesday 11 and Thursday 12 March at 9pm on the UK broadcaster; the series marks Blethyn’s first role since Vera ended. A full boxset of the eight-part run will be made available following transmission of the opening episode.
Brenda Blethyn leads an eight-part remake of a classic drama
The new A Woman of Substance is a remake of a previous adaptation first released 40 years ago on the same UK channel. Blethyn and Jessica Reynolds play two versions of the central character, Emma Harte, across different time periods. The production is an updated reimagining of the multi-million-selling novel by Barbara Taylor Bradford and positions Emma as an ambitious maid who rises to become a global business figure.
Premiere dates, format and boxset plan
The series will premiere with its first two episodes on Wednesday 11 and Thursday 12 March at 9pm in the broadcaster’s primetime slot. Following the first transmission, the entire eight-part series will be made available as a boxset for viewers who prefer to binge the storyline from the start.
International sales: North American streamer secures U. S. rights
International sales have moved swiftly: a North American streaming platform has acquired U. S. rights for the series after pre-sales were showcased at an international TV market. The distributor handling global sales negotiated the deal with an executive vice-president in charge of sales, acquisitions and co-productions; that executive personally negotiated the North American streaming agreement. The series was presented as part of a slate at a London TV Screenings event held at BAFTA on 25 February.
Territory deals and global launch plans
Beyond North America, a number of territory deals were announced: two Australian platforms will be the exclusive home of the series in Australia; a New Zealand public broadcaster has acquired rights there; local services in the Netherlands, Israel, Greece and Iceland have also secured the show. These sales reflect a broad international appetite for the reworked rags-to-riches drama.
Cast, creative team and what the trailer reveals
The cast combines established and rising names. Alongside Brenda Blethyn and Jessica Reynolds, the ensemble includes Leanne Best, Ewan Horrocks, Harry Cadby, Niall Wright and Robert Wilfort. Additional cast members are Toby Regbo, Hiftu Quasem, Sophie Bould, Georgina Sadler and Jo Joyner. Production comes from a UK production company known for recent prestige drama work, and the script is written by Katherine Jakeways with co-writing from Roanne Bardsley.
Directorial duties are split across production blocks: John Hardwick directed block one, Samantha Harrie block two and Richard Senior block three. Executive producers on the project include Beth Willis, Joe Innes, George Faber, Katherine Jakeways and the estate trust of the original novelist; Roanne Bardsley serves as co-executive producer and Charlie Palmer is credited as producer. The series was commissioned for the UK broadcaster by two commissioning executives whose names are listed on the project.
The released trailer juxtaposes Blethyn’s older Emma in New York — depicted as desperate and intent on revenge — with Reynolds’s younger Emma working in a grand house and being warned about her “ambition. ” The official synopsis places Emma in 1911 as an impoverished but driven maid in Yorkshire who embarks on a dizzying journey to become the world’s richest woman, later gazing down from a sprawling luxury New York penthouse. The series is pitched as a rags-to-riches tale spanning the 20th century in which Emma defies societal expectations, challenges assigned roles, smashes glass ceilings and remains loyal to a single masterplan: Get to the top. Whatever it takes.
Legacy, context and next steps
The new adaptation arrives after the death of the original novelist in late 2024. It follows a much-loved 1980s miniseries starring Jenny Seagrove and Deborah Kerr for the original broadcaster; that earlier adaptation remains one of the channel’s most successful dramas, with its final episode still ranking as the highest-rated program in the channel’s history. With premiere dates now confirmed and international deals in hand, attention will turn to audience reaction when the first two episodes air in March and to how the series performs across the new streaming homes that have acquired rights for their regions. Details such as scheduling and platform launch windows in some territories remain subject to each buyer’s rollout plans and may be updated ahead of local release.
