Brenda Blethyn Leads New Period Remake A Woman of Substance as Broadcaster Confirms March Premiere
brenda blethyn will return to television in the new eight-part period remake A Woman of Substance — her first role since Vera ended — after the UK broadcaster confirmed the show's premiere plan and boxset availability. The announcement sets out exact transmission nights for the opening instalments and cements the production's position as a major TV event this season.
Premiere dates and how the launch will roll out
The broadcaster will premiere A Woman of Substance with its first two episodes on Wednesday 11 and Thursday 12 March at 9pm. Viewers will also be able to access the entire eight-part series as a boxset following the transmission of the first episode.
Brenda Blethyn's role and the two Emmas
Brenda Blethyn headlines the remake as the older Emma Harte, while Jessica Reynolds plays the younger version of the character. The production presents the protagonist across different time periods: the older Emma is shown in New York driven by a desire for revenge, while the younger Emma is seen working in a grand house and cautioned about her "ambition. " This is brenda blethyn's first television role since the conclusion of Vera.
Cast, writers and production team
The ensemble cast includes Leanne Best, Ewan Horrocks, Harry Cadby, Niall Wright and Robert Wilfort. Additional credited performers are Toby Regbo, Hiftu Quasem, Sophie Bould, Georgina Sadler and Jo Joyner. Separate cast notes identify Jo Joyner as Elizabeth Harte Ainsley, Emmett J. Scanlan as Adam Fairley, Lydia Leonard as Olivia Wainwright, Will Mellor as Jack Harte and Lenny Rush as Frank Harte. Several actors portray members of the Fairley family, with Leanne Best, Ewan Horrocks, Harry Cadby and Toby Regbo among them.
The adaptation was scripted by Katherine Jakeways with co-writer Roanne Bardsley. The drama was produced by The Forge.
International rights, U. S. streaming and the sales push
A U. S. streaming service has acquired rights to show A Woman of Substance in the United States under a deal negotiated with the international distributor. Matt Creasey, EVP Sales, Acquisitions and Coproductions, negotiated the U. S. streaming deal. The international distributor has also placed the show with buyers in a range of territories: an Australian streaming service, a New Zealand public broadcaster, a Dutch outlet, a Greek service, an Israeli platform and an Icelandic broadcaster.
The distributor's sales activity has coincided with the London TV Screenings event this week; the distributor and three other named distributors launched the screenings and the market has swelled to include more than 40 sales houses showing programming.
Filming locations and production notes from Yorkshire
Production for the remake took place across Yorkshire. Jessica Reynolds noted on social media that filming occurred in "lovely Leeds" and the surrounding Yorkshire area. Specific locations used during the shoot include Broughton Hall in North Yorkshire, Barnsley Town Hall, Brodsworth Hall and Gardens in Doncaster, and multiple locations across the Liverpool waterfront, which were heavily dressed to replicate early 20th-century New York. A social media post by Jessica Reynolds states that filming lasted around 19 weeks and confirmed the production wrap.
Local planning matters featured in coverage of the shoot: contingency plans to cope with a coronavirus epidemic were being formulated by Barnsley Council during production.
Story origins, format and legacy context
A Woman of Substance is a reimagining of Barbara Taylor Bradford's bestselling 1979 novel. The narrative is set in 1911 and follows Emma Harte's journey from an impoverished Yorkshire maid to the world's richest woman, presenting a rags-to-riches arc across the 20th century. The series is described as a revenge romp driven by the betrayal of Emma's daughter Elizabeth, which spurs Emma's masterplan to reach the top regardless of cost; the story frames Emma as a 20th-century feminist icon who defies societal expectations and smashes glass ceilings.
The revival is an eight-part series made up of 60-minute episodes and has been commissioned by the UK broadcaster; international distribution is being handled by the international distribution partner named in the sales materials.
The remake follows a well-known 1980s miniseries of the same novel that starred Jenny Seagrove and Deborah Kerr and which remains one of the broadcaster's most successful dramas, with its final episode still ranking as the highest-rated program in the broadcaster's history. News of the new adaptation emerged shortly after the novelist Barbara Taylor Bradford died in late 2024 at the age of 91.
The trailer for the remake juxtaposes the older Emma's New York scenes with the younger Emma's early struggles, setting the tone for a century-spanning drama rooted in ambition, revenge and social ascent.
