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

No. I don't want to say in case it becomes a plot point but Paula is descended from Emma and a man who is not Edwin and Jim is descended from Edwin and not Emma. No shared genes at all.

Liam Neeson is in the 1985 one!! Apologies if that was mentioned.

Watched the first 1985 episode, I'm liking it, not for the same reasons I enjoyed the 2026 one, seeing the 1985 on is certainly not trashy. (I unashamedly do like a bit of trash.) The characters are written to be more fitting to the time they are supposed to be from aren't they.

Just editing to add, I'm amused with how all the actors in the 1985 one are about 20years older than the character is supposed to be 🤣

How can it be a plot point who her parents are

Well, because you hate spoilers so , and at some point in the future episodes it may come up?

Paulas mother is Daisy who was the daughter of Emma and Paul McGill

Is she deg Paul’s daughter and not Gerald’s

I don’t think book Gerald got as far as raping Emma (and I’m not sure if he did in the show either) In the book he was overweight and unfit due to alcohol and she managed to fight him off. So he ‘only’ dry humped her and ejaculated over her dress. She didn’t have a baby by him in the book.

I’m not sure what number episode is real time wise. but I think I’ve seen one where they mention four of her children’s names who are the same as the four eldest in the book.

They did the reason why she’s called Edwins poorly in the show. Giving Mac/Blackie a massive clue like that with a beaming smile on her face.

In the book she is cuddling the baby and has a pang of longing wishing Edwin had not rejected her and could see the baby. So when Blackie asks the name she just says ‘Edwina’ without thinking then is horrified. Blackie immediately guesses then that Edwin is the father (until then she’d just said it was a village lad) but is tactful enough not to make an issue of it and just remarks it’s a really elegant name.

On the subject of Mac/Blackie if they did want to use a new name it would have made more sense if they’d renamed him Shane McNeill rather than O’Neill which would have explained why he was nicknamed Mac. It just seems rather random!

Seems a lot of randomness

I thought Paula was Edwinas daughter and Jim was Edwin’s grandson? And who is Paul McGill???
I only watched it in the past few days.., I’m gonna have to go back and check if I missed an episode🤣

No you haven’t. It’s a rubbish adaptation basically and they have left out important characters from the book, which is why things don’t make sense. You’re all better off reading the books or at the least watching the earlier adaptations, so you can make sense of this one. 🤷🏻‍♀️
tbh I know you always say no spoilers Blondes, but in this adaptation, nothing make sense , unless you have some of us telling you all, what’s missing.

Jim is Edwin’s grandson, although apparently not by the Indian woman they’ve married him to in this version. There is a reason why Paula is Emma’s favourite grandchild and why her mother is the favourite child. It’s actually gratifying to see the impact of the ridiculous and pointless changes on the audience. It literally makes no sense. What a cluster.

Yep A fucking shambles

Ah I’m glad it’s not just me😕
Whilst I was watching it I kept thinking I’d missed stuff but it seems I actually missed more than I thought!
At one point I was convinced Adam was Emma’s father!

Yes I know what you mean

everywhere looks so bright and new even when Emma is poor itms

What is it that doesn't make sense?

This. It’s a shambles of an adaptation BTB will be turning in her grave!!!!

Think I am one of the few really enjoying it!

I like it

I kinda get that

it’s an ok watch and guess as I don’t know any different - tho I am watching the ok version as well after each new one

glad Paula isn’t Edwin and Indian lady’s grandchild. Was a little worried some Eastenders and famiky shagging going on 😉

Adam Fairley did have a thing with Elizabeth Harte when they were younger as described in the book but she never got pregnant. It is how she ended up with that personalized piece of jewellery that said For my Elizabeth as shown in the episode where Emmas mum died.

I am as well

I'm enjoying it too , not sure why people watch if they've read the book or seen another version . Tv dramas/books are always different . .

So true

I often watch films and TV adaptations of books, what a weird thing to say. Where books need to be abridged to fit into the time available for a film or series that’s unavoidable but the story still needs to make sense. Quite clearly this one doesn’t make sense to a lot of viewers, as they are posting their confusion on this thread.