Goodbye Vera, hello Emma Harte A Woman of Substance on Channel 4 is Brenda Blethyns most bingeable role in years

Date:
Mon, 16 Mar 2026 12:02:08 +0000

Description:
A Woman of Substance is the book-to-TV bonkbuster Jilly Cooper fans need to stream before Rivals season 2 and you can binge all 8 episodes now.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Tech Radar Get the TechRadar Newsletter Sign up for
breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. You are
now subscribed Your newsletter sign-up was successful An account already exists for this email address, please log in. Subscribe to our newsletter Remember when Rivals landed on Hulu and Disney+ in 2024 and we all thought it was the most scandalous, sex-filled TV show in years? Well, that was before A Woman of Substance came along.

With all eight episodes now streaming on Channel 4 , the Barbara Taylor Bradford book-to-screen adaptation takes the so-called 'bonkbuster' in an entirely new direction. Vera actress Brenda Blethyn and Jessica Reynolds portray Emma Harte in different stages of her life, a woman so scorned by a wealthy family in her youth that she dedicates her entire life to "bringing them down". Article continues below You may like Vladimir review: new Netflix show is spicy, hot and completely uncomfortable Dont watch Wuthering Heights this Valentines Day, stream this thriller instead The Madison review: easily the best Taylor Sheridan show we've ever had It's a scathing takedown of misogyny, class and power, and an incredibly steamy one at that. If, like me, you cannot wait for Rivals season 2 to return later in the spring, this is a no-brainer binge. Why you need to stream A Woman of Substance on Channel 4 this week A Woman Of Substance | Official Trailer | 4TheDrama - YouTube Watch On Clearly, everybody in the 1980s was desperate to read a book filled with smut. The likes of Jackie Collins, Jilly Cooper (the mind behind Rivals ) and Bradford each made that demand their MO for success, but in entirely opposing ways.

Where Collins focuses on the high-life social scene and Cooper on the equestrian community, Bradford honed in on class dynamics. All three authors have had their work adapted for film or TV, but there's something
particularly special about A Woman of Substance .

Firstly, it's an homage to the original 80s mini-series that remains one of Channel 4's most-watched shows to this day. It was the first of its kind, bringing together dual narratives that ranged from the misty Yorkshire moors in the early 1900s and the glamorous city life of 80s New York. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

When a show is able to seamlessly blend two strands of time without leaving you clueless, you know you've got gold. It's remarkably easy to believe Blethyn and Reynolds are the same person, able to flexibly adapt to the many conscious changes Emma makes to eventually become the world's richest woman.

Then, of course, there's the sex. Nothing is gratuitous a rarity in this day and age but there are no holds barred either. If anything, it all makes Rivals look like an episode of Sesame Street , just without the same moral compass. If youre not watching A Woman of Substance on Channel 4, youre missing out. The best period drama Ive watched in years. Outstanding performances from Jessica Reynolds, Lenny Rush, Leanne Best and many others March 15, 2026 I guarantee you'll be hooked until the very last (emotional) scene, and it's more than enough to tide us over until the arrival of Rivals season 2 in May.

A Woman of Substance is available to stream on Channel 4 in the UK. US and Australian fans have two options: wait to it to hit a national streaming service, or use a VPN . Watch A Woman of Substance on Channel 4 now The best TVs for all budgets Our top picks, based on real-world testing and
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