Sink into “A Woman of Substance,” a sweeping adaptation of Barbara Taylor Bradford’s beloved novel, starring Brenda Blethyn (Vera, Pride & Prejudice) and Jessica Reynolds (House of Guinness, Outlander). 
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This beautifully shot eight-episode series spanning seven decades, now streaming on BritBox, breathes new life into the classic 20th-century saga. Packed with romance, betrayal, and juicy twists, “A Woman of Substance” is sure to become the must-see period drama of the summer.
New episodes streaming Wednesdays through August 5, 2026
In 1970s Manhattan, iconic businesswoman Emma Harte (Brenda Blethyn) learns that her empire is at risk of crumbling. Someone has leaked her confidential medical records, sending company stocks into freefall as investors panic about the longevity of her company. But the only person with helpful information, journalist Jim Fairley (Toby Regbo), also happens to be part of the family Emma’s devoted her entire life to destroying. Meanwhile, her beloved granddaughter, Paula (Mara Huf), whom Emma plans on naming as her successor, may not be as trustworthy as Emma believes.
The show then moves back in time to the 1910s, where young Emma (Jessica Reynolds) is working herself ragged as a kitchen maid in the Fairleys’ elegant home in Yorkshire, England. Her family’s hardscrabble existence is a far cry from the pampered life of Edwin Fairley (Ewan Horrocks), with whom she’s developed a forbidden romance. Yet Emma is determined to make something of herself, and early episodes see her work her way up in the staff to become personal maid to Adele Fairley (Leanne Best), the lady of the house, who’s become a recluse in her own rooms.
Emma’s also handy with her sewing machine, forecasting her future success as a department store magnate. But life throws more than one wrench into Emma’s plans for her future, and slowly her reasons for seeking revenge on the Fairleys begin to take shape.
It’s no surprise when Emma’s romance with Edwin doesn’t end well, but it’s what Emma chooses to make of her circumstances that proves her stubborn drive to succeed. “Your first love is the one that imprints on your mind and your body for the rest of your life,” reflects Reynolds on her character’s first major turning point, “and when you’re betrayed in that moment, that’s a really deep scar to bear.” Emma, she continues, “tries to make sure [she] never makes that mistake again.” Instead, she throws herself into building a clothing business from the ground up, focusing on bringing down the Fairley family as she does so.
Early episodes examine life above stairs at the Fairley house as well as among the staff. At first these episodes focus on the romantic entanglements of the Fairley heirs; patriarch Adam (Emmett J. Scanlan), who runs the family fabric business, has grown tired of his wife’s reclusiveness and seeks solace elsewhere. Cracks begin to appear in the glamorous Fairley façade. Customers are beginning to reject their fabric for its cheap quality, and Adam’s attempts to cut corners only damage his sons’ relationship with the employees. By the time Emma is ready to make her move, the stage has been set for her triumph over the family that wronged her.
As young Emma, Jessica Reynolds is magnetic to watch. She grounds her performance in Emma’s love for her family and her determination to improve her circumstances, and you can sense her passion simmering in every scene.
Brenda Blethyn brings a sense of world weariness to the older Emma, who’s hardened over the course of her life and is beginning to see the drawbacks of her single-minded focus on revenge. “Her morals stay the same,” Blethyn notes, observing that even as Emma succeeds in business, she supports her employees and pays fair wages. “But it’s a lonely place to be up there, the richest woman in the world. She would like her family around her more. There are sacrifices to be made along the way. Would she have done it differently? I doubt it. This one-track destination to get revenge on the family who wronged her was just so unquenchable. She just couldn’t erase that.”
The result is a juicy, addictive series with plenty of closely-guarded secrets, scandalous affairs, and passionate performances. Says Reynolds, “It’s a classical show. It’s sweeping and romantic and it’s more reminiscent of older shows but I think there’s magic in that, because…people want to escape.” “A Woman of Substance” is the perfect series for summer escapism, a sweeping saga of one woman’s climb to the top in the face of monumental challenges.
Free Trials of BritBox on Amazon are AVAILABLE HERE
A Woman of Substance (2026) is AVAILABLE to STREAM
8 episodes, Rated TV-MA
A Woman of Substance (Emma Harte Series Book 1) is HERE
Abby Murphy is the author of two young adult historical/historical fantasy novels, and is currently working on a dual-timeline historical novel about the Greenwich Village folk music revival. A member of SCBWI and The Historical Novel Society, she is represented by Laura Crockett of Triada US Literary Agency. Visit Writing in the Kitchen Sink, Abby’s Substack filled with her musings about books and the writing life.
If you enjoyed this post, see Strong Women in Period Dramas, and All the Period Dramas on BritBox US.