A Woman of Substance renewed for season 2 after strong response on Channel 4

Channel 4 has officially renewed A Woman of Substance for a second season following the success of its first installment. According to Deadline, the drama has become the network’s most-streamed series since It’s a Sin.Based on Barbara Taylor Bradford’s bestselling 1979 novel, the series follows the remarkable journey of Emma Harte, a determined young maid from Yorkshire who rises to become a powerful businesswoman. The story was first adapted in 1984 and remains Channel 4’s most-watched programme ever.The upcoming second season will once again feature Brenda Blethyn and Jessica Reynolds as the older and younger versions of Emma Harte.

Spread across eight episodes, the new chapter will see Emma navigating life after World War I and building her future in the rapidly changing world of the 1920s. At the same time, another timeline set in the 1970s will follow her efforts to regain control of the business empire she spent her life creating.The first season attracted an average audience of three million viewers per episode, making it one of Channel 4’s biggest drama successes in recent years.

However, the original adaptation starring Jenny Seagrove drew an impressive 14 million viewers when it aired in 1984, a record that still stands today.

Writer Katherine Jakeways is returning for season 2 alongside Roanne Bardsley. The series will once again be produced by The Forge.Meanwhile, season 1 is set to launch in the United States although there has been no announcement yet regarding the platform’s plans for season 2.