A WOMAN OF SUBSTANCE - Wed&Thur - ch4 9pm - TV PACE NO SPOILERS

[Blondeshavemorefun]

A woman of substance Was originally aired 41 years ago and remains channel 4 highest rated program with 13.8 million people tuning in to the rags to riches story of by BARBARA Taylor Bradford

this drama eight episodes - two a week for four weeks

This new adaptation stars as the older EMMA who heads up a business empire we discover as she stepped back through the decades to meet her younger self that she started out of a maid in a big Yorkshire house

This is a story to climb from poverty to great wealth

I don’t think I’ve ever read any of her books so should be interesting if any good

Riiight so not allowed to watch a tv series, if seen other (decent) adaptations or read the book. What a load of rubbish. Does that apply to all book adaptations or just this?

FYI I was really looking forward to this updated adaptation, which the makers have made a hash of. The fact that certain questions are being asked, shows it’s been made a hash of.

True as in they never seem to stick to the book

i still rem crickley hall and changed ending to that

E7 tonight

Oh 😢😢😢

So sad! Which one is next, I wonder. Looking forward to tonight’s finale, but I will miss it! Emma is so beautiful, perfect casting.

I’ve enjoyed this an for a period drama and I don’t normally like

Oh wow. So after all that the house was back in the Farley’s namesake

I almost felt sorry for Emma. She went through all that rage over the decades and ended up like that with it going back to them/their name

nice of the butler to tell Emma that plan of fiddling her

so now this has finished I will watch last e of old series

I did feel sorry for Emma, I was rooting for her to get revenge from start to finish!

Yes it all was a bit sad in the end for her wasn't it.

One of my favorite things about the old one is Liam Neeson putting on a fake Irish accent 🤣. I felt there's definitely less 'modern' behaviors in the old one too, with the characters written more like they were brought up with Victoria/Edwardian thinking

@PinkTonic totally agree. Another thread was created to respect the 'no spoilers' thread- but the book and 80s adaptation has been out there for ever. The 'no spoilers club' can feel a bit like a bit of a clique for anyone who wants to join a thread, and this is not a critism. I do remember someone being told off for a 'spoiler' about a drama based on true life events, extensive media coverage at the time and the resulting criminal trial and sentence common knowledge!

The 80s mini-series has been repeated on terrestrial TV many times, that is how I first discovered it, and has been easily accessible on free to view streaming platforms for a long time. This version is rubbish, that is why it has not set the world alight. The now dated, but more true to the book, adaptation remains channel 4s highest rating drama. It is of its time but very watchable

No the house in the book is destroyed. Emma gives her blessing for Paula (who’s grandfather doesn’t even feature in this ridiculous adaptation) to marry Jim. I can’t remember about the butler in the book. It’s a completely different ending.

I was totally new to the story /series and even book so knew nothing of the story

obv I know of the author but didn’t not this story at all and what what happened and def didn’t expect the twist at the end

I agree. I loved the original and just can't get into the latest one. I watched the first episode and didn't enjoy it at all, so haven't bothered since.

So are Paula and Jim Fairley cousins? Don’t they have the same grandfather- Edwin?

It’s not a twist that’s in the book. It’s completely made up.

Very few adaptations have annoyed me as much as this one, as it just didn’t even make sense, or have the characters down.

It didn’t show how Emma went from being in service, to her running a business empire. It didn’t show what she had to overcome. Or how she met David & his family in the first place. How they helped her.

It didn’t have the love of her life in it or Paula’s parents.

It’s a blooming travesty and I hope it gets consigned to the bin.

And breathe.

No they are not cousins. No they do not share a grandfather. The fact that people are asking this, shows what a hash has been made of this apparent remake.

Seems not as Paula isn’t edwinas

tho not sure who she belongs to as didn’t look like her parents were there at the end having their million

Pats soothingly

so. Will the old adaption show this - I’m on e3 I think

or how does the book end if this didn’t happen in the book

Yes it will. The new one is just a different flashier version (and as I've mentioned characters actions are less in keeping with the expectations of the time it's set in). That aside too some of characters are portrayed differently. The Fairley brother stood out to me in the old one is well acted as being entitled yet pathetic.

I enjoyed both for different reasons!!

I started the other thread after getting deleted early on this one for saying something completely innocuous. I think the fact that this thread is now full of posters who can’t figure out who’s who tells us all we need to know about the success of the adaptation. Crap.

Unless we are talking about people died at Hillsborough/ the Titanic hit an iceberg level of real events , I still think you can have spoilers on dramas based on past events. As an example, that recent one about Fergie's dresser: I deliberately avoided Wikipedia, googling her name and all reviews whilst watching as people assume some events are much more common knowledge than they are, to be honest.

I do think also in all honesty that people who have read books don't really (want to?) get that adaptations are just that and that bits will be left out, characters amalgamated , plotlines tweaked etc. I have read the book and seen the original and recall very little about either (for example, I had completely forgotten WWI makes an appearance) and I can watch this as a separate potboiler drama and assess it independently. I do agree though, that when you do that, large bits don't make sense (so far - I haven't watched to the end) especially Paula!

My separate assessment is that the acting is weak, regardless of the strength of the adaptation (or otherwise!) except young Emma, who I think does well, and Joe. Young Edwin and aunt thingy are also fine. I think it's Emmett and Leanne that are grating on me.

Ok reading this Emma has 5 kids by 4 men. Is that Correct

is this the book version or the old version not sticking to the book

so daisy daughter of Paul is Paula’s mum and hence why called Paula after her dad?

and Emma gives her blessing to marrying Jim so the house will go back to his family

https://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/a-woman-of-substance/cast/1030001558/

The fairley house is destroyed in the book and becomes a park I think.

Father of Emma’s children
Edwin is Edwina father

Joe Lowther is Kit’s dad (she marries him after Gerald tries to rape her), the stuff in this adaptation was made up

she meets the love of her life Paul McGill after Joe Lowther dies in the war. He goes back to Australia at some point to sort things out with his wife. He’s there for a while so Emma thinks she’s gone back to him and

marries Arthur (I think) Ainsley and has Robin and Elizabeth (?)

she's unhappy with ainsley and Paul comes back into her life but he’s still married. They have Daisy, who is Paula’s mother.

Paul goes back to Australia again where he’s in an accident and then takes his own life.

Emma gives her blessing for Paula to marry Jim and tells Edwina that’s she’s a Fairley which she’s thrilled about. That’s in the book but I can’t remember if in the adaptation.

It also doesn’t show her relationship with the Kallinskis really in this new adaptation.

Thanks. So a bit similar but also things added

And what a waste of Jo Joyner