A Woman of Substance

★ 8.8•2026•1 Seasons•ANIME

Drama

The life of Emma Harte, from kitchen maid at the beginning of the 20th-century, to respected businesswoman and grandmother in the 1980s. From humble beginnings, Emma Harte starts her business with a small shop, but over the next twenty years, she expands her stores and invests in the growing textile industry in Leeds.

Top Cast

Jessica Reynolds

Young Emma Harte

Brenda Blethyn

Older Emma Harle

Emmett J. Scanlan

Adam Fairley

Lydia Leonard

Olivia Wainwright

Toby Regbo

Jim Fairley

Leanne Best

Adele Fairley

Ewan Horrocks

Edwin Fairley

Lenny Rush

Frank Harte

Will Mellor

Jack Harte

Jo Joyner

Elizabeth Harte Ainsley

Harry Cadby

Gerald Fairley

Episodes

Season:

1. Episode 1

47m

Set in early 1900s Yorkshire, ambitious maid Emma Harte is torn between her dreams of a better life and a forbidden romance with Edwin Fairley. Meanwhile, in 1970s New York, a plot threatens the empire she's built.

Aired: 3/11/2026

2. Episode 2

47m

As young Emma and Edwin fall deeper in love, Emma struggles to picture their future together. Adam and Olivia embark on an affair. And in the 1970s, Emma reckons with her children’s plan to oust her.