Inside C4's Bold Reboot of TV's Most Provocative Drama: Expect Even More Steamy Scenes Than Bridgerton!

LONG before we had Bridgerton and the reboot of Rivals, the world of bonkbuster novels was ruled by a single book – Barbara Taylor Bradford’s A Woman Of Substance.

With its racy mixture of sex, scheming and revenge, the rags-to-riches tale of a servant girl who became the world’s richest woman set the bar for the writers of naughty novels who followed her.

Channel 4’s new adaptation of Woman of Substance is set to be one of the raunchiest shows on TVCredit: PA Emma Harte, in her younger years, is played by Derry Girls actress Jessica ReynoldsCredit: Channel 4 The show’s producer has said viewers should expect: ‘More romance, more sex, more betrayal’Credit: Channel 4

Published in 1979, it went on to sell 30million copies. And when it was first turned into a TV drama in 1985 it set the record for Channel 4’s most-watched show, with 14million viewers — which is still unbroken.

That is why there is so much riding on the channel’s latest adaptation of the book, which launches tomorrow night with in the lead role as tycoon Emma Harte.

As well as being a cherished book adored by millions of fans around the globe, the show arrives at a time when Regency romance on and the Disney+ adaptation of Jilly Cooper’s 1988 novel both have huge established audiences.

Although vying with those other shows, it is obvious from the first episode of the eight-parter that there really is no competition.

A Woman Of Substance’s show- runner Katherine Jakeways said: “You get all this story, the epic romance, passion and excitement and the old-fashioned joy of the big themes and whole life you get to see with Emma Harte.

“We all want to experience that fantasy of being able to say to some teenage boy who’s betrayed you, ‘I’m going to spend the rest of my life proving to you I’m better than you are’ — and then doing it and becoming the richest woman in the world.”

When asked what viewers should expect from episode two, she simply replied: “We’re going to see more romance, more sex, more betrayal.

“It’s just really great fun — you get the joy of seeing a woman at both ends of her life.”

She added: “The whole team would be conscious of not upsetting the die-hard fans. Hopefully we’ve kept them happy while also making it feel fresh and relevant, with a modern sensibility.”

The drama begins at the turn of the 20th century, with central character Emma — played in her younger years by actress Jessica Reynolds — working in the stately home of the wealthy Fairley family.

Beneath the family’s veneer of respectability lies a darker reality. Adam Fairley, the head of the household, is seen visiting his wife Adele’s bedroom, where they make passionate love.

She clearly suffers from severe mental health problems, and is largely confined to her room, but young Emma helps her to overcome the worst of her crippling anxieties.

However, as Adele struggles to recover, her husband is seen trotting down the hall to her sister Lydia’s room, where they have a steamy clinch too.

Meanwhile, Emma is in- volved in her own tryst with Adam’s son Edwin, and the two strip off and make love on a clifftop as the sun sets over the Yorkshire moors.

The action spans more than 60 years, and we see the elderly Emma in 1970 in , where she has achieved her ambition of becoming a super-wealthy businesswoman.

Now running her own department store, she is the target of a dirty tricks campaign that sends her company’s share price tumbling.

But then comes an unlikely saviour in the form of Jim Fairley — a younger member of the Yorkshire dynasty which Emma had vowed to ruin.

At that point she starts to explain to him why she has sought vengeance against them, and the action jumps back to 1905 when she was working for the Fairleys to support her impoverished family.

But the reason Emma feels such hatred for the family is only revealed in episode two — and is best kept a secret from newcomers to the story.

Emma Harte’s current-day character is played by Vera star Brenda BlethynCredit: Channel 4 / Sam Taylor Love rival Adele is played by Leanne BestCredit: Channel 4 / Sam Taylor The original adaptation of A Woman of Substance, with Jenny SeagroveCredit: ITV

The first TV version of A Woman Of Substance was a phenomenon when it aired in January 1985, starring as the young Emma, and legend Deborah Kerr as her older self. Glasgow-born Deborah, who died in 2007 aged 86, had a long, esteemed movie career, earning six Best Actress nominations.

The challenge of filling the shoes of such a legend was something that Brenda, star of long-running crime drama , was very aware of when she took on the role.

She wanted to ensure that her performance would not be influenced by Deborah, who had starred in such Hollywood classics as The King And I and From Here To Eternity.

Brenda said: “I knew about the drama. I didn’t see it at the time, but I did buy the DVD and I was about to watch it and I thought, ‘No, if I do that I’m going to be playing Deborah Kerr and not playing Emma Harte.

“I love Deborah Kerr but I’m going to save it until after I’ve seen all of this.” Brenda, who recently turned 80, believes she shares characteristics with her screen character Emma.

She said: “I’ve always been someone with imposter syndrome, for most of my life. Only now is that leaving me, finally.

“My mum used to instil in us — we were very poor, growing up — you’re as good as anybody else and if you work hard, you can achieve it.

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“That’s the work ethic that Emma’s mum instils in her.

“My mum actually started life as a skivvy in a big house in Kent.

“It’s where she met my dad, who was a chauffeur, and she used to tell me loads of stories about how hard the work was and for very little pay.”

Brenda’s approach to the show’s 1985 original was similar to Jessica’s, as she also got hold of a copy of the drama to prepare for the role.

She said: “I watched the first half and was quite taken by Jenny Seagrove in it that I had to stop myself.

“I was thinking, ‘I’m going to pinch what she’s doing, genuinely’. She’s very sparkly in it and endearing and loveable.

“It’s Eighties , so that’s one thing in itself. But I can see the appeal — there is something special about it. I can see why people fell in love with it.”

But it may be harder to appreciate just how much people fell for the drama the first time around. The three episodes of the series occupy the first, third and fifth positions in Channel 4’s all-time chart of most watched programmes.

It beat some of the channel’s most successful shows, including a episode in July 2001, which was watched by 13.74million viewers, the 1995 network premiere of the movie , with 12.4million watching, and final during lockdown which had more than 11million people tuning in.

The new adaptation of A Woman of Substance will soon face fresh competition, with the second series of Rivals launching on Disney+ as soon as the drama ends in AprilCredit: Channel 4 Viewers have been promised one of the raunchiest shows yetCredit: Channel 4 Brenda Blethyn is stepping into the iconic role once played by Hollywood legend Deborah Kerr, who earned six Best Actress Oscar nominations during her careerCredit: Splash

How well the new adaptation does, and how it fairs against its latterday competitors, remains to be seen. But we won’t have to wait long to find out, because as soon as A Woman Of Substance ends in April, the second series of Rivals starts on Disney+.

The good news for fans of the Emma Harte stories is that after made the original mini- series, a sequel was made, Hold The Dream, based on the second book in the collection of Emma Harte novels.

And with eight volumes to choose from by Leeds-born Barbara, who died in 2024 aged 91, producers will never be short of material if they want to continue the saga on the small screen.

• A Woman Of Substance starts on Channel 4 Wednesday at 9pm and the entire series drops online immediately afterwards.