Channel 4 has officially ordered a second series of its hit drama A Woman Of Substance, starring Brenda Blethyn and Jessica Reynolds, following its record-breaking debut as the broadcaster's most-watched drama in five years.
Record-Breaking First Series
The first series, adapted from Barbara Taylor Bradford's bestselling novels, averaged 3 million viewers per episode across Channel 4's streaming platform, making it the network's biggest drama hit since It's a Sin in 2021. Production for the new season is set to begin in Yorkshire later this year.
Plot and Characters
The series follows Emma Harte, a housemaid who rises to become a business magnate, navigating family intrigue and revenge. The first series ended with Emma's granddaughter Paula revealing a secret marriage into the rival Fairley family, threatening decades of carefully orchestrated vengeance.
The synopsis for series two reads: “In this new series, we rejoin the unstoppable Emma Harte as she emerges from World War I and strides into the glittering, fast-changing world of the 1920s. Emma's ambition for the Harte name is unrelenting, as is her determination to make the Fairley family pay. But she has passion to contend with, in the form of the infuriatingly charismatic Paul McGill, and she'll also endure devastating loss and face unexpected betrayals from those she holds most dear.”
Meanwhile, in the 1970s timeline, Emma battles to regain control of her business empire from Jim Fairley, underscoring the challenge of staying at the top.
Creative Team and Episode Count
Katherine Jakeways, who wrote the first series, returns alongside Roanne Bardsley. The second series will consist of eight hour-long episodes, continuing the epic saga of ambition, drama, and family conflict.
Reactions from Executives and Trustees
Gwawr Lloyd, Interim Head of Channel 4 Drama, said: “Following the incredible success and popularity of the brilliant first series, we're thrilled to be bringing the incomparable and iconic Emma Harte back to Channel 4 again. Series two will continue Emma's story with all the ambition, drama and family intrigue that made A Woman Of Substance such a compelling and irresistible watch.”
H. E. Vicki Downey, Trustee of The Barbara Taylor Bradford Trust, added: “Emma Harte is a woman who refuses to be defeated by poverty, by betrayal and by the limitations others place upon her. That story has resonated with readers for nearly five decades, and it is clear from the response to the new TV adaptation that audiences feel exactly the same connection. There is so much more of Emma's world to explore, and we are thrilled that Channel 4 is bringing the next part of Emma's extraordinary life to the screen.”
