A Woman of Substance: Brenda Blethyn returns to our screens, but her fans might be left disappointed

Brenda Blethyn swaps Vera’s raincoat for New York glamour in A Woman of Substance – but is it worth watching?

Brenda Blethyn is back on our screens – but don’t expect the familiar sight of DCI Vera Stanhope in that iconic coat and hat. The beloved actress has traded Northumberland’s windswept coast for high society in DCI Vera Stanhope, but is A Woman of Substance any good?

The 80-year-old star takes on the role of Emma Harte in the new Channel 4 period drama. And Emma’s glamorous New York lifestyle couldn’t be further removed from Vera’s no-nonsense world. For starters, Emma Harte would never be caught dead in Vera’s trusty raincoat.

Based on the bestselling novel by the late writer Barbara Taylor Bradford OBE, A Woman of Substance is an epic story spanning six decades. It follows the extraordinary journey of Emma Harte, who begins life as a penniless Yorkshire maid in the early 1900s before rising to become a formidable businesswoman by the 1970s.

Jessica Reynolds plays the younger Emma, while the older version is portrayed by award-winning actress Brenda Blethyn. But viewers tuning in purely to see Brenda in action might find themselves a little surprised. Here’s our A Woman of Substance review.

A Woman of Substance review: Is it any good?

Yes, A Woman of Substance is an easy watch if you enjoy a sweeping period drama. The story may follow a familiar path, but it’s one that still works brilliantly. There are heroes and villains, heartbreak and passion, plus a revenge story that slowly unfolds over decades. What’s not to enjoy?

As TV adaptations go, it stays faithful to the first book in the Harte Family Saga, published in 1979. It’s a tale that has clearly stood the test of time. Forbidden love, shattered hearts, ambition, courage, betrayal and revenge all combine to make compelling viewing. Emma Harte is exactly the kind of heroine viewers can root for as she steadily rises to the top — proving everyone who doubted her wrong along the way.

With beautiful filming locations and a strong cast to bring the story to life, Channel 4’s eight-part drama has all the ingredients of a quality series. The official synopsis explains: “Betrayed by her aristocratic lover and cast out when she becomes pregnant, young Emma vows a lifelong revenge on the family she once worked for and who underestimated her.

“Through love, loss, war, and unrelenting ambition, Emma amasses power, outwits rivals, and shapes her own destiny. Now, in the 1970s, she approaches her 80th birthday. But betrayal from within Emma’s own family threatens everything she’s fought a lifetime to build.”

It’s easy to imagine that author Barbara Taylor Bradford would be delighted that her story still resonates with audiences today.

Is there lots of sex in it?

There has been plenty of chatter about the sex scenes in the new adaptation of A Woman of Substance. The Independent even described it as a “radical, Rivals-style reboot”, while The Guardian labelled it a “horny revenge drama” — and even a “bonkbuster”.

In reality, things are far more restrained. Episode one features two sex scenes (three at a stretch, if we’re counting), but none are particularly shocking.

This is no Wuthering Heights. Actress Jessica Reynolds, who plays the young Emma Harte, has admitted the series “is not afraid of sex”.

Emma and her aristocratic lover Edwin Fairley do share intimate moments on screen — filmed with the help of an intimacy coordinator — but the scenes lean more towards romance than anything risqué. Anyone expecting something scandalous may well be disappointed.

Woman of Substance review: Casting is key

Many Brenda Blethyn fans will likely be tuning in mainly to see the former Vera star step into Emma Harte’s shoes. But they might be surprised by how briefly she appears.

In episode one alone, Brenda is on screen for roughly five minutes.

But, much like the equally fabulous Dame Judi Dench in Shakespeare in Love — a role that won her an Oscar despite less than eight minutes of screen time — Brenda still manages to make a huge impression. That’s precisely why she was cast.

So while some viewers might wish for more screen time, her performance still lifts the show whenever she appears. And in true Brenda Blethyn fashion, she brings an extra touch of gravitas to every moment.

Personal reason Brenda Blethyn agreed to play Emma Harte

Talking about agreeing to take on the role, Brenda said: “I hadn’t seen the original series, but I had heard of it of course. It reminded me of my mum, who started out in service in a big, posh house, where she met my dad. He was the chauffeur. I’m the youngest of nine children, so when I was born my mum was in her 40s, and dad was in his 50s. I was always fascinated by their early years, and I knew that A Woman of Substance was about that world.

“My mum was a wonderful woman and I used to love listening to her stories of what life was like in those days. She was a kitchen maid, who worked her way up to become lady’s maid, as Emma does. And she would tell me about brushing the lady’s hair.”

Brenda also admits she thinks she looks “uncannily like” actress Jessica Reynolds, who plays the younger Emma Harte. She said: “Funnily enough, I looked through my photos to find a photo of me at that age, and I looked just like Jessica. It’s absolutely uncanny.”

Read more: Why Brenda Blethyn quit hit detective series Vera

A Woman of Substance premieres on Channel 4 on Wednesday, March 11, at 9pm. All eight episodes will be available to stream from 9pm.