Brenda Blethyn headlines Channel 4 remake 'A Woman of Substance' as BritBox secures U.S. rights
brenda blethyn returns to television in the eight-part period drama A Woman of Substance, which has confirmed its UK broadcast dates and international distribution deals. The production marks Blethyn’s first role since Vera ended and pairs her with Jessica Reynolds in a two‑generation telling of Emma Harte’s story.
Channel 4 premiere schedule and boxset plan
A Woman of Substance will premiere on Channel 4 with its first two episodes on Wednesday 11 and Thursday 12 March at 9pm. The eight‑part series is a remake of another Channel 4 adaptation released 40 years ago, and the entire run will be made available as a boxset following transmission of the first episode.
Brenda Blethyn and Jessica Reynolds as two versions of Emma Harte
Brenda Blethyn and Jessica Reynolds play two versions of the central character, Emma Harte, in different time periods. A trailer shows Blethyn’s version in New York driven by a desire for revenge, then cuts to Reynolds as the younger Emma working in a grand house and warned about her "ambition. " Blethyn plays the older Emma and Reynolds the younger incarnation of the character.
BritBox secures North American streaming; global sales list
BritBox has acquired North American streaming rights to the eight‑part series in a deal negotiated by Matt Creasey, EVP Sales, Acquisitions and Coproductions at Banijay Rights. Matt Creasey said, "BritBox is the perfect North American home for this bold new adaptation of Barbara Taylor Bradford’s classic story, which follows Emma Harte’s extraordinary rags‑to‑riches journey. We’re in no doubt this premium drama will captivate global audiences in what has been an incredible sales effort from the Banijay Rights team. "
Other territorial agreements include Foxtel and BINGE as the exclusive home in Australia, TVNZ in New Zealand, NPO in the Netherlands, Cellcom TV Plus in Israel, COSMOTE TV in Greece and RUV in Iceland.
Production team, writers and directing line‑up
The series was produced by The Forge, a Banijay UK company, for Channel 4. The adaptation is written by Katherine Jakeways with Roanne Bardsley as co‑writer. Executive producers are Beth Willis, Joe Innes, George Faber, Katherine Jakeways and The Barbara Taylor Bradford Trust; Roanne Bardsley serves as co‑executive producer and Charlie Palmer is the producer.
Direction is split across blocks: John Hardwick directed block one, Samantha Harrie directed block two and Richard Senior directed block three. Rebecca Holdsworth commissioned the series for Channel 4 in her role as Commissioning Editor, with Gwawr Lloyd listed as Acting Head of Drama.
Source material, legacy and context for the remake
The drama is a reimagining of Barbara Taylor Bradford’s multimillion‑selling novel and is framed as a revenge drama and rags‑to‑riches tale. Its official synopsis places Emma Harte in 1911 as an impoverished, ambitious maid in Yorkshire, England 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 described as a rags‑to‑riches tale of women through the 20th century in which Emma "defies the expectations of her society, fearlessly challenging the roles she's given, smashing glass ceilings, and never, ever deviating from her masterplan: Get to the top. Whatever it takes. "
The new adaptation follows a notable earlier version: a 1980s miniseries of the same story starred Jenny Seagrove and Deborah Kerr and remains one of Channel 4’s most successful dramas, with its final episode still ranking as the channel’s highest‑rated programme. News of the new series surfaced shortly after Barbara Taylor Bradford’s death in late 2024.
Sales push at the London TV Screenings and festival timing
A Woman of Substance formed part of Banijay Rights’ slate presented to international buyers at Banijay Entertainment’s London TV Screenings event at BAFTA on 25 February. The sales for the series were part of a broader market launch that was led by Banijay alongside All3Media, ITV Studios and Fremantle, with the event expanding to include more than 40 sales houses showcasing scripted series.
For brenda blethyn, the role reunites her with high‑profile period drama material and places her at the centre of a transatlantic distribution push that secures both Channel 4 broadcast dates in March and a North American streaming home.
