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

I've never seen the original, I don't know how it passed me by. I'd half seen the trailer for this and had forgotten it was on today. I was on my laptop when it started and happened to see buildings which looked familiar (Liverpool as New York) so started watching.

Quite enjoying it, so have set series link.

Amusing review from Lucy Mangan

https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2026/mar/11/a-woman-of-substance-review-a-lavishly-absurd-cliche-packed-tribute-to-simpler-times

I watched this in the 80s with my American mother . We had a standing gag for years about ' Wooman of Soobstance' because Jenny Seagrove's accents was so very Yorkshire. My mum died a few moths ago so I've just had a wee cry. Not because of the quality of the drama...

Those rings he found in the cave. I think i remember who they belonged to Its all coming back to me

Well I enjoyed. I do most things unless really cheesy😂😂

prob helps that I have nothing to compare it to

A good cast with

sexy emmett
Leanne best
Will mellor

and lovely to see lenny rush as well

I wached Woman of Substance in the 1980's so was looking forward to this. Think I was expecting too much.

Watching recording tonight. Looking forward to it.

Recording Stolen Girl, Ellis, and this one was going to be impossible but then I found I could record it on Channel 4 + 1.

I can record 6 things I think at same time

def done 4 before

I can only record 2 things at the same time, but if I do that we can’t watch anything else. Rules in ChezNewAge. One thing at a time, if different Chanel’s at 9pm followed by 10pm then only one thing taped usually 9pm. Tis annoying.

I have sky

Can’t seem to find a good recap yet

e2 is on tonight

I'm currently binge watching this, loving it! I'm on episode 4.

Enjoy

tho please remember this is TV paced so no spoiling thank you

I read the books in my ‘yoof’ and watched the original series, both back when it was first shown, and again last year.
I don’t like the way that characters have been axed, the Harte family had elder brothers, who added substance to the later plot, the new series has only the younger brother…
I realise that time constraints often result in axing characters in film versions, but this is a series, so it’s a short sighted decision, and not typical of poorer families of the time.
So I’m still watching it, but not as enjoyably as the original, so far.

Guardian review with no spoilers

https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2026/mar/10/a-woman-of-substance-remake-channel-4-barbara-taylor-bradford

I enjoyed the first episode and I'm not a fan of a period drama's, well apart from Bridgeton. I've nothing to compare it to though as not seen the 80's version or read the books.

Same I’m not a lover of period dramas and never seen downtown abbey or brighteron

E2 was good but felt very sorry for Emma and th red dress and and Mrs F is a bitch

assume as she saw her son kissing /being with her through the curtain

i see to fancy Emmert but the Greg in beards isn’t sexy

an what a lot of sex scenes as well

i enjoyed it - different to original but well done. I thought the casting was v good. Brenda was perfect choice.

I read the book when it came out in 1979, I was very much into period drama then and my mum used to read the same books.

Just watched ep 1 and it was so bad it was good. Cheesy and ott and I don't remember the book having much sex in it?
I only recently got into watching period drama on TV though I hated Brigerton I'm mostly enjoying Downton.
I'll give ep2 a go but I don't remember watching the original TV series though I might seek it out now.

I had forgotten this was on! I don't remember the TV series but read the book in my teens and thought it was fab, all the descriptions of Emma's clothes (once she got rich), and her businesses, although she was a bit too perfect and every man she ever even talked too fell in love with her 🤔Wil try and catch up on ep 1 and see if it's worth bothering with

Same. I thought the Fairley casting was spot on, Adele and Adam total scene stealers.
The only casting I thought was a bit meh was Paula. The actress playing her just isn't, for me, convincing.

I am binge watching, I promise that there will be NO SPOILERS from be, but in the absence of a spoiler thread....

The original W of S mini series has been a bit of a comfort watch/guilty pleasure for me over the years since I discovered it. The old Catherine Cookson melodramas are the same. The lack of fanfare and real interest in this new adaptation sums it up really. I am not sure what it is trying to be. It has had to be updated for the current market, but still feels like a 1980s melodrama. Some of the plot changes make no sense and take away from the story. There is A LOT of wooden acting and dialogue, as there was in the first adaptation, but this version gets away with it less.

I lived in the area of Leeds where this is mainly set and continue to work in the area. I know it was a different time and it used to be quite wealthy, so this in no reflection on the accuracy of the historical setting, but is pretty humorous to see Armley as such a bucolic terms! I doubt this adaptation will cause an influx of tourists, but they would be very disappointed!

I have had this on in the evenings after a challenging week at work, and wandered off to do a few things in the house, browsed the internet, completed some paper work etc. That says it all really. The original was such a big event for Channel 4 and ratings were huge. Whilst those days are gone, this is such a half-hearted effort. It feels like a Chanel 5 drama.

Where I love and gripped

Tho equally haven’t seen the original

maybe I need to watch it - know it’s on ch 4