A Woman of Substance was a hit for Channel 4 when it premiered earlier this year, and wrapped up with a cliffhanger that just begs to be followed up on. So, with all that said, what's happening with a potential second season?
TV Zone is reporting that the series, which sees Brenda Blethyn and Jessica Reynolds play social climber Emma Harte across different time periods, has been renewed for a follow-up season.
The report states that filming is set to commence in November, with the aim of airing in 2027. However, Channel 4 has not officially announced a second season at the time of writing.
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Digital Spy has reached out to the broadcaster for comment, and will update once we know more.
The end of the first season saw young Emma get her revenge by buying Fairley Hall, and evicting its inhabitants after she learned that they had planned to rip her off. Her former lover Edwin, however, warned that their feud was only just beginning.
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The action then cut to the older Emma, who similarly punished her own children for their perceived betrayals. To stick the knife in further, Emma told Edwina that she's the child of Edwin Fairley, which is why she isn't to be trusted.
But Paula, who had just been named as the person who would inherit Emma's fortune, then proved that she shouldn't be trusted either. She revealed that she had secretly eloped with Jim Fairley... and is pregnant with his child.
Based on Barbara Taylor Bradford's classic 1979 novel of the same name, the series is the second adaptation of the author's work following a three-part drama in 1985, which saw Jenny Seagrove and Deborah Kerr portray Emma.
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As well as being a hit with viewers, the latest telling of the classic tale was lauded by critics, with Rotten Tomatoes currently reporting an impressive approval rating of 89% from nine reviews.
The Independent praised Reynolds's "extraordinary" performance, writing that she was "full of coiled intensity" and "the most interesting person in the room", before adding that Blethyn was "just as magnetic" as the older version of Emma.
A Woman of Substance is available to stream on Channel 4.
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Joe Anderton is a freelance news writer at Digital Spy, having worked there since 2016. In his time, he's covered a host of live events and interviewed celebrities big and small. A big fan of TV and movies both mainstream and obscure, Joe also enjoys video games and in particular PlayStation. Joe currently does not use Twitter, but he only ever used it to tell people to watch the film Help! I'm a Fish.














