Channel 4 has announced an ambitious new eight-part adaptation of Barbara Taylor Bradford’s landmark novel “A Woman of Substance,” four decades after the original series became the channel’s most-watched drama.
The new version, produced by The Forge Entertainment (“National Treasure,” “Help”), will be written by Katherine Jakeways and Roanne Bardsley, known for their work on “The Buccaneers.” The series promises to reimagine the rags-to-riches tale for contemporary audiences while maintaining its feminist core.
Set in 1911, the story follows Emma Harte’s remarkable journey from an impoverished Yorkshire maid to becoming the world’s richest woman. The series traces her defiance of societal expectations as she builds a global business empire, eventually ruling her domain from a New York penthouse.
“I was a child in the ’80s, when A Woman of Substance was on every bookstand,” says showrunner Katherine Jakeways. “The original Channel 4 adaptation was packed full of rolling Yorkshire hills, hairspray, shoulder pads and heaving bosoms… It’s an incredible thrill to be bringing this blockbusting, epic saga back to exactly where it belongs.”
The announcement comes just months after author Barbara Taylor Bradford’s passing in November 2024. Her original novel, published in 1979, sold over 82 million copies worldwide and spawned seven sequels. The Barbara Taylor Bradford Trust, which now manages her literary estate, expressed enthusiasm for the adaptation, noting that the author had always dreamed of seeing her work reimagined for a new generation.
Channel 4’s Drama Director Ollie Madden praised the project’s contemporary relevance, highlighting how the story of Emma Harte “weaponizing the degree to which men underestimate her” remains as pertinent today as when it was first written.
The series will be directed by John Hardwick (“The Buccaneers,” “One Day”) with casting announcements expected in the coming months.
