A Woman of Substance by Barbara Taylor Bradford
book published 1979
original TV series Channel 4 1985
new TV series Channel 4 2026
The book was an iconic bestseller of the 1980s - and ever since. The original series, starring Jenny Seagrove and Deborah Kerr was for years Channel 4's most-watched programme ever. And now there is a new version for us all to enjoy...
I watched both series and re-read the book for the i newspaper, and you can find my piece here, looking at different aspects of this key cultural artefact - from Margaret Thatcher to dismissive male critics:
I re-read A Woman of Substance after 45 years – I was shocked, but not by the sex
It is the kind of book that is beyond criticism, and has given enormous pleasure to many people. In the article I say
if you don’t long to know how Emma will get her gleeful revenge, then you are dead inside
Brenda Blethyn and Jessica Reynolds do a great job as the older and younger Emma Harte, and the 1980s settings and clothes, in particular, are wonderfully authentic. The plot has been tweaked somewhat, plainly to leave the way open for further series. It's the modern way.
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