Vera icon Brenda Blethyn's new Channel 4 remake of classic drama finally confirms release date
The show will mark Blethyn's first role since Vera ended.
Channel 4 has confirmed when fans can expect Vera star Brenda Blethyn’s brand new upcoming period drama A Woman of Substance to land.
The eight-part series is a remake of another Channel 4 adaptation released 40 years ago, stars Vera's Brenda Blethyn and House of Guinness's Jessica Reynolds as two versions of the lead character, Emma Harte, in different time periods.
A Woman of Substance will premiere with its first two episodes on Wednesday 11 and Thursday 12 March at 9pm on Channel 4.
Fans will also be able to watch the entire eight-part series as a boxset following the transmission of the first episode.
A trailer for the series was previously released, showing Blethyn's version of Emma in New York, where she’s desperate to exact revenge.
The footage then takes viewers back to the younger version of the character (played by Reynolds), who’s working in a grand house and warned to be careful of her “ambition”.
The official synopsis for the series, which is based on Barbara Taylor Bradford's novel, read: “1911. Emma Harte, an impoverished ambitious maid in Yorkshire, England goes on a dizzying journey to become the world’s richest woman, gazing down from a sprawling luxury New York penthouse."
It continues: "A rags-to-riches tale of women through the 20th century, Emma defies the expectations of her society, fearlessly challenging the roles she's given, smashing glass ceilings, and never, ever deviating from her masterplan: Get to the top. Whatever it takes."
The cast is rounded out by the likes of Leanne Best (This City Is Ours), Ewan Horrocks (The Last Kingdom), Harry Cadby (In Flight), Niall Wright (Slow Horses) and Robert Wilfort (Gavin & Stacey).
Toby Regbo (Belgravia), Hiftu Quasem (The Witcher), Sophie Bould (Call the Midwife), Georgina Sadler (Silo) and Jo Joyner (EastEnders) also star.
The adaptation comes from a script written by The Buccaneers scribe Katherine Jakeways, along with co-writer Roanne Bardsley (Hollyoaks).
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A Woman of Substance will premiere on Wednesday 11 and Thursday 12 March at 9pm on Channel 4.
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Authors
Molly Moss is a Trends Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest trends across TV, film and more. She has an MA in Newspaper Journalism and has previously written for publications including The Guardian, The Times and The Sun Online.
