A Woman of Substance (2026) poster
Poster: TMDB
Series2026

A Woman of Substance

Drama

Created by Barbara Taylor Bradford

The life of Emma Harte, from kitchen maid at the beginning of the 20th-century, to respected businesswoman and grandmother in the 1980s. From humble beginnings, Emma Harte starts her business with a small shop, but over the next twenty years, she expands her stores and invests in the growing textile industry in Leeds. From TMDB

45 reactions from 2 sources (Bluesky, Mastodon) · newest Sep 19, 2026 · last updated Oct 7, 2026 · How this works

Audience score

—
No Data

Sentiment labels for these sources are still being hand-checked; no score yet.

Source+−=
Bluesky *12224
Mastodon *007

* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).

82 archived X posts (Mar–Apr 2026) are kept for the record and not used.

What people are saying

A written summary appears once the title has a score.

At a glance

A Woman of Substance is a 2026 drama TV series, created by Barbara Taylor Bradford, starring Jessica Reynolds, Brenda Blethyn and Emmett J. Scanlan.

  • 39 people have posted about this series on Bluesky, Mastodon
  • posts span Nov 25, 2024 to Sep 19, 2026

Assembled from TMDB, Wikidata and Steam fields and our own counts, nothing written by a model. Method

RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account

45 public posts have mentioned A Woman of Substance so far, but it needs 10 opinionated reactions from checked sources before it gets a score. Seen it? Post your take.

Critics, per Wikipedia

The first series received positive reviews, with Mail+ calling it a "stunning adaptation", and Woman & Home describing it as "absolutely glorious" and a "powerful, feminist watch". In a five star review for The Daily Mail, Christopher Stevens described the "brilliant rags-to-riches epic" as "an outrageously guilty pleasure". Hollie Richardson of The Guardian described it as "another wonderful (and horny) retelling" of the novel, and Helen Fear of TV Guide said that "if you're a fan of period dramas" then this "quality series" is "a great yarn". Anna Walker wrote for The Conversation that the series is "visually sumptuous", taking place in an "unapologetically glossy period world", adding…

From the “Reception” section of Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Critic context only — not part of the audience score.

Reactions

45 of 45 · most liked first
  • Jo Callaghan @jocallaghankat.bsky.socialBluesky · Nov 25, 2024

    Ah, just seen this. I loved A Woman of Substance - it was a TV series on Sunday nights when I was growing up and it definitely influenced me in terms of what women can achieve.

    positive · AI labelView post →
  • RedScharlach @redscharlach.bsky.socialBluesky · Mar 19, 2026

    TV update: A Woman of Substance is a very daft series which consists of cliché after cliché after cliché AND ends halfway through the book, so it's clearly hoping for a second season I bet it won't get. The Other Bennet Girl, however, is charming Sunday-night-bonnet viewing. Sedate but ❤️warming.

    negative · AI labelView post →
  • C. Ratched, MSN, RN @cratchedrn.bsky.socialBluesky · Aug 24, 2025

    I’m rereading a series I adored when I was a teenager. I’m on the first book A Woman of Substance by Barbara Taylor Bradford.

    neutral · AI labelView post →
  • Shirley Temple Bar @shirleybar.bsky.socialBluesky · Nov 25, 2024

    The TV mini-series of A Woman of Substance was a 1980s camp classic.

    neutral · AI labelView post →
  • RIVER 🐾🏳️‍🌈 🐶(Jason)🔜Doggy Weekend MCR @pup-river.bsky.socialBluesky · May 14, 2026

    Went for a piss and dropped my glasses in the toilet. On a positive tho, "A Woman of Substance" is an amazing series. Powerful, loved it.

    positive · AI labelView post →
  • Robert Wilfort @robertwilfort.bsky.socialBluesky · Mar 12, 2026

    Watched A Woman of Substance live last night (I'm in it, did I say?). Haven't watch live telly with ads for a while, was surprised to see an ITV show advertised on Channel 4. Is that a thing now? It seemed so strange to this child of the 80s.

    positive · AI labelView post →
  • Elizabeth Smith @smithelizabeth.bsky.socialBluesky · Sep 18, 2026

    You definitely can’t decline that deal. Glad that worked out for you. I really think you will like A Woman of Substance. The book is fantastic! And if I recall, I think there are three books in the series. It’s been a moment since I’ve read them.😅 The author is Barbara Taylor Bradford.

    neutral · AI labelView post →
  • BBJules/Jems @bbjulesjems.bsky.socialBluesky · Aug 27, 2026

    rarely give recs, so thankful for some u creatives give especially when traveling So here’s one from me: if you have BritBox the series version of A Woman of Substance Brenda Blethyn is always a great watch (Vera++) but Jessica Reynolds just made me want to look for her in future projects #BB28

    neutral · AI labelView post →
  • Not Space Karen @rowan68.bsky.socialBluesky · Nov 25, 2024

    I *loved* A Woman of Substance when I was a teen, and the tv show too. Formative stuff.

    positive · AI labelView post →
  • Telly Visions @tellyvisions.orgBluesky · Apr 18, 2026

    For Americans looking forward to 'A Woman of Substance,' BritBox has confirmed the series will debut stateside this summer.

    neutral · AI labelView post →
  • Bend @cmbend.bsky.socialBluesky · Nov 25, 2024

    Goodbye Barbara, and thanks for A Woman of Substance which is a brilliant epic and has entertained me many times, I absolutely love the mini series with Jenny Seagrove.

    positive · AI labelView post →
  • Q₉ @q9f.bsky.socialBluesky · Aug 14, 2026

    Thank you, Great Britain, for regularly providing me with series for septuagenarians that should be TV movies, but with a big budget for costume bodice-rippers. My latest find is "A Woman of Substance", and of course I’ll watch season 2.

    positive · AI labelView post →
  • Clothes in Books @clothesinbooks.bsky.socialBluesky · Mar 18, 2026

    My piece for the i newspaper on Barbara Taylor Bradford's A Woman of Substance. A look back at Thatcher, and an era of male domination of book-reviewing - I wouldn't have been writing about this book for a national newspaper back in the day clothesinbooks.blogspot.com/2026/03/cult...

    neutral · AI labelView post →
  • TVARK @tvark.bsky.socialBluesky · Jan 2, 2025

    These two shows debuted on British TV today in 1985. Jenny Seagrove starred in A Woman of Substance a 3 part miniseries shown over 3 consecutive nights on Channel 4. Daytime drama Gems began on ITV. Running for 3 series and shown 2-3 times a week. An early role for Liz Hurley.

    neutral · AI labelView post →
  • Michelle @bookwormstravel.bsky.socialBluesky · Nov 25, 2024

    Really sad. I read A Woman of Substance series many many years ago and loved it ❤️

    positive · AI labelView post →
  • Andrew™ @anxovert.bsky.socialBluesky · Sep 19, 2026

    Not an unreasonable choice. We’ve just finished series two of Reacher (and series six of NYPD Blue). I’d seen hype for the new version of A Woman of Substance and saw that the 80s series was available. We’ve seen two of three 90 minute episodes and it’s great. Very much of its time.

    positive · AI labelView post →
  • Jen needs a Wishing Well @jenmindelen.bsky.socialBluesky · Aug 5, 2026

    #WhatImWatching 1 Currently juggling 3 series Just finished the last episode of A Woman of Substance (2026) starring the incredible Brenda Blethyn, a large cast with every person delivering impeccable performances, and beautiful Yorkshire scenery Thrilled there will be a second season!!!

    positive · AI labelView post →
  • Andrew Parker @andrewjparker.bsky.socialBluesky · Jun 25, 2026

    Had the pleasure of talking to Jessica Reynolds and legendary actress Brenda Blethyn about their shared role in the new series adaptation of Barbara Taylor Bradford's A Woman of Substance, now streaming in North America on BritBox.

    neutral · AI labelView post →
  • UK Media Entertainment News @ukmediaents.bsky.socialBluesky · Jun 22, 2026

    A Woman Of Substance Renewed For Series 2 By Channel 4 As Brenda Blethyn & Jessica Reynolds Return www.geektown.co.uk/2026/06/22/a...

    neutral · AI labelView post →
  • TV Zone @tvzoneuk.bsky.socialBluesky · Jun 12, 2026

    #AWomanOfSubstance renewed for second series on Channel 4. More details: www.tvzoneuk.com/post/awomano...

    neutral · AI labelView post →
  • Bufo Calvin @bufocalvin.bsky.socialBluesky · May 10, 2026

    Happy bookish birthdays, 10 May, to: Barbara Taylor Bradford (A Woman of Substance), Bel Kaufman (Up the Down Staircase), John Scalzi (Old Man's War series)... ilmk.wordpress.com/2026/05/10/h...

    neutral · AI labelView post →
  • Hidden Liverpool @hiddenliverpool.bsky.socialBluesky · Jun 2, 2025

    A bit of New York in Liverpool. Liverpool is standing in, once again, for The Big Apple for filming - this time for the upcoming Channel 4 series 'A Woman of Substance' starring Brenda Blethyn. Pic taken outside the Liver Building. #liverpoolfilm #royalliverbuilding #liverpoolasnewyork

    neutral · AI labelView post →
  • Autumn is Beautiful @autumnisbeautiful.bsky.socialBluesky · Jun 1, 2025

    Filming of the series: A Woman of Substance - Liverpool

    neutral · AI labelView post →
  • Bufo Calvin @bufocalvin.bsky.socialBluesky · May 10, 2025

    Happy bookish birthdays, 10 May, to: Barbara Taylor Bradford (A Woman of Substance), Bel Kaufman (Up the Down Staircase), John Scalzi (Old Man's War series)... ilmk.wordpress.com/2025/05/10/h...

    neutral · AI labelView post →
  • @derGrexxie 🐝 💛 🌻 🐳 🫘 🍦 🇺🇦 🌮 @dergrexxie.bsky.socialBluesky · Jan 19, 2025

    Has anyone tried writing an epistolic novel told entirely in skeets? That might be a fun experiment. Imagine A Woman of Substance in skeeets instead of a series of letters.

    neutral · AI labelView post →
  • Do Not Follow - service account to post RSS sourced data @rssfeedaccount.bsky.socialBluesky · Nov 25, 2024

    Best-selling novelist Barbara Taylor Bradford dies Her books included A Woman of Substance, which sold 30 million copies and became a hit TV series.. #rssbbcnews

    neutral · AI labelView post →
  • John Hansen🦞 🖖 @suburbanerd.bsky.socialBluesky · Sep 6, 2026

    I like how every episode of the TV show, A Woman of Substance, ends with a character exclaiming, “Emma Harte truly is a woman of substance!”

    neutral · AI labelView post →
  • Curt Johnson - Indie Genius @indiegeniusMastodon · Sep 6, 2026

    Movie TV Tech Geeks #TVFeatures #AWomanofSubstance #Britbox #Drama 'Downton Abbey' Meets 'Succession' in BritBox's 8-Part Period Drama http://dlvr.it/TVLpBF

    neutral · AI labelView post →
  • paws4justice.bsky.social @paws4justice.bsky.socialBluesky · Aug 18, 2026

    I’m a big British tv show fan (Nordic noirs too). Anyhoo…..how can one man be so repulsive on one series and so sexy on another? Hasn’t changed appearance. Emmett J. Scanlan in A Woman of Substance made my skin crawl and on Girlfriends he’s kinda cute.

    neutral · AI labelView post →
  • Showbiz Central @showbizcentral.bsky.socialBluesky · Jun 28, 2026

    It’s official! Filming is now underway on Series 2 of A Woman of Substance for Channel 4, with Brenda Blethyn and Jessica Reynolds both set to reprise their roles as the older and younger Emma, as the drama continues, with the new series set to release in 2027. #AWomanOfSubstance #Channel4 #uktv

    neutral · AI labelView post →
  • Curt Johnson - Indie Genius @indiegeniusMastodon · Jun 24, 2026

    Movie TV Tech Geeks #TVReviews #AWomanofSubstance #Britbox #Drama BritBox's 8-Part Revenge Tale Remake 'A Woman of Substance' Ends on an Explosive Note | Review http://dlvr.it/TTBpPx

    neutral · AI labelView post →
  • Rissi JC @rissijcMastodon · Jun 24, 2026

    ‘A WOMAN OF SUBSTANCE’: STORY OF PERSEVERANCE THAT WILL IMPRESS. Review of the #BritBox series #AWomanofSubstance. #PeriodDrama https://rissiwrites.com/2026/06/a-woman-of-substance-perseverance-will-impress.html

    neutral · AI labelView post →
  • Moviz Ark @[email protected]Mastodon · Jun 23, 2026

    'A Woman of Substance' Renewed for Season 2!! #AWomanofSubstance, #BrendaBlethyn, #BritBox, #JessicaReynolds

    neutral · AI labelView post →
  • Geektown @geektown.bsky.socialBluesky · Jun 22, 2026

    Channel 4 has renewed ‘A Woman of Substance’ for Series 2, with Brenda Blethyn and Jessica Reynolds returning as Emma Harte. The new series picks up in the 1920s, with ambition, betrayal, romance, and revenge all still very much on the table... www.geektown.co.uk/2026/06/22/a...

    neutral · AI labelView post →
  • Curt Johnson - Indie Genius @indiegeniusMastodon · Jun 22, 2026

    Movie TV Tech Geeks #TVNews #AWomanofSubstance #Drama #Channel4 New ‘Downton Abbey’ Replacement Officially Earns Early Season 2 Renewal After Record-Breaking Figures http://dlvr.it/TT96H2

    neutral · AI labelView post →
  • TV Zone @tvzoneuk.bsky.socialBluesky · Jun 22, 2026

    Channel 4 have confirmed that #AWomanOfSubstance will return for a second series. More details: www.tvzoneuk.com/post/awomano...

    neutral · AI labelView post →
  • Curt Johnson - Indie Genius @indiegeniusMastodon · May 11, 2026

    Movie TV Tech Geeks #TVNews #Britbox #AWomanofSubstance #Drama BritBox’s Next Big Historical Epic Gets Must-See First Look [Exclusive] http://dlvr.it/TSTb4j

    neutral · AI labelView post →
  • Blue Baby⭐️⭐️ @bluebaby1967.bsky.socialBluesky · Apr 2, 2026

    A Woman Of Substance was great. Hope they'll make another series (I think there are several Emma Harte novels)

    positive · AI labelView post →
  • mattevansc3.bsky.social @mattevansc3.bsky.socialBluesky · Mar 28, 2026

    Watching a Woman of Substance and the most preposterous thing is they have these three waif maids, proper skinny, then they show their day jobs. Sorry but no, they should be buff and going on Gladiators.

    negative · AI labelView post →
  • IsisDaWonder @isisdawonder.bsky.socialBluesky · Mar 12, 2026

    I loved the mini series and the books. The Emma Harte saga was GOOD! Mind you, I only read the original three in the series: A Woman of Substance Hold the Dream To Be the Best 💜💫✨🤌🏾🫶🏽

    positive · AI labelView post →
  • schehera @schehera.bsky.socialBluesky · Mar 11, 2026

    Been a very very long time since I’ve read the book or watched the original series of A Woman of Substance but this feels like a different beast already. And Blackie has become Mac (not even Mackie?) apparently. (Edited 21:13 via @skeetsapp.com)

    neutral · AI labelView post →
  • ScouseScene @scousescene.bsky.socialBluesky · Mar 11, 2026

    Behind the scenes from A Woman of Substance filming in Liverpool last summer. The series premieres tonight at 9pm on Channel 4. 🎬

    neutral · AI labelView post →
  • Moviz Ark @[email protected]Mastodon · May 1, 2025

    'A Woman of Substance': British Mystery Icon Brenda Blethyn Returns to TV in a Brand-New Adaptation!! #BrendaBlethyn, #Vera, #AWomanofSubstance https://movizark.com/2025/05/01/a-woman-of-substance-british-mystery-icon-brenda-blethyn-returns-to-tv-in-a-brand-new-adaptation/

    neutral · AI labelView post →
  • mconnormurphy.bsky.social @mconnormurphy.bsky.socialBluesky · Nov 26, 2024

    Really enjoyed “A Woman of Substance” and others. The mini-series was great too.

    positive · AI labelView post →
  • Ms Roden @lgdianne.bsky.socialBluesky · Nov 25, 2024

    So sorry to hear about the death of Barbara Taylor-Bradford. I had the honour of meeting her at a book signing of her hardback novel Angel in June 1993 - a book that I still have. A Woman of Substance trilogy remains one of my favourite mini series. The world has lost a wonderful storyteller.

    neutral · AI labelView post →

Posts are quoted from public profiles with links to the original. Want yours removed? Contact us.

Official Trailer

Top Cast

Jessica Reynolds actor profile photo
Jessica Reynolds
Young Emma Harte
Brenda Blethyn actor profile photo
Brenda Blethyn
Older Emma Harte
Emmett J. Scanlan actor profile photo
Emmett J. Scanlan
Adam Fairley
Lydia Leonard actor profile photo
Lydia Leonard
Olivia Wainwright
Toby Regbo actor profile photo
Toby Regbo
Jim Fairley
Leanne Best actor profile photo
Leanne Best
Adele Fairley
Ewan Horrocks actor profile photo
Ewan Horrocks
Edwin Fairley
Lenny Rush actor profile photo
Lenny Rush
Frank Harte

Cast from TMDB and Wikidata (CC0).

TMDBThis product uses the TMDB API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDB.

If you liked this

same genre, and people who posted about both
Break Clause (2026) TV show poster
—
Break Clause
2026Series
S.W.A.T. Exiles (2026) TV show poster
—
S.W.A.T. Exiles
2026Series
Alice and Steve (2026) TV show poster
—
Alice and Steve
2026Series
Kill Jackie (2026) TV show poster
—
Kill Jackie
2026Series
Ransom Canyon (2025) TV show poster
—
Ransom Canyon
2025Series
My Life with the Walter Boys (2023) TV show poster
—
My Life with the Walter Boys
2023Series