Click here to watch the Channel 4 official trailer of A Woman of Substance starring Brenda Blethyn and Jessica Reynolds
Based on the multi-million bestselling novel and global phenomenon written by Barbara Taylor Bradford OBE, first look images of the iconic character Emma Harte have been released for A Woman of Substance, a brand-new adaptation of the classic novel. Previously Emmy-nominated and Channel 4’s biggest ever drama when it was made 40 years ago, this new revenge romp feels as searingly relevant today as it did back then.
Coming to Channel 4 in March, the above images show Brenda Blethyn and Jessica Reynolds as the two versions of Emma Harte; a housemaid turned-mogul, daughter, mother, lover, fighter and a 20th century feminist icon who refused to know her ‘place’.
Thank you Jessica for sharing these behind-the scenes glimpses from the set – we can’t wait to see you bring Emma Harte to life – also some of the latest images from the official trailer.
Katherine Jakeways, showrunner and writer, says: “I was a child in the ’80s, when A Woman of Substance was on every bookstand, every glass-topped coffee table and hidden, well-thumbed, under every pillow. The original Channel 4 adaptation was packed full of rolling Yorkshire hills, hairspray, shoulder pads and heaving bosoms and I desperately wanted in. So, it’s an incredible thrill for me to be bringing this blockbusting, epic saga of ambition, lust and revenge back to exactly where it belongs…Channel 4. And, we hope, doing justice to those twin feminist icons: the unstoppable Emma Harte and the original, inspirational Woman of Substance herself… Barbara Taylor Bradford.”
Ollie Madden, Director of Film4 and Channel 4 Drama, adds: “Emma Harte’s superpower is weaponizing the degree to which men underestimate her. Watching her do that through the decades, experiencing her epic journey from housemaid to mogul, promises to be as thrillingly entertaining as it is fiercely relevant. We couldn’t be more excited to bring Barbara Taylor Bradford’s classic creation to life again via the brilliance of Katherine Jakeways and Roanne Bardsley’s sparkling scripts, alongside our trusted partners at The Forge.”
Beth Willis, Executive Producer at The Forge, says: “Katherine’s delicious, funny and observant writing is a joy to read – and in her and Roanne Bardsley’s brilliant hands Emma Harte is as fabulous as ever. A Woman of Substance is an all-you-can-eat-banquet of drama for contemporary audiences who – like Emma Harte – want it all.’”
Vicki Downey, Trustee of The Barbara Taylor Bradford Trust, says: “It was always Barbara’s dream to see A Woman of Substance reimagined, as this book – along with her 39 others – features compelling plot lines, which are perfect for television drama. In many ways, A Woman of Substance was one of the first female empowerment novels, portraying a woman driven not by love or the pursuit of it, but by her determination to gain power, protect and provide for others, and, above all, to succeed. It is a classic of its genre.”