A truly heartrending dynastic saga of poverty, passion and power
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.
A Woman of Substance (1985) is a drama series that premiered on January 2, 1985, spanning 1 season and 3 episodes. It stars Jenny Seagrove, Deborah Kerr, Barry Bostwick and Liam Neeson. Viewers rate it 7.6 out of 10 across 11 ratings.
Watch the official trailer for A Woman of Substance before you start streaming.
Jenny Seagrove
as Young Emma Harte
Deborah Kerr
as Older Emma Harte
Barry Bostwick
as Major Paul McGill
Liam Neeson
as Blackie O'Neill
Miranda Richardson
as Paula McGill Amory
Peter Egan
as Adam Fairley
Peter Chelsom
as Edwin Fairley
Barry Morse
as Murgatroyd
John Duttine
as Joe Lowther
Diane Baker
as Laura O'Neill
John Mills
as Henry Rossiter
Mick Ford
as Frank Harte
Executive produced by Ian Warren and Tom Donald.
Average viewer score of 7.6/10 from 11 ratings.
This is maybe the only thing I’ve ever seen Jenny Seagrove in, in which I thought she was any good. She is the young “Emma” who works as a maid for the wealthy “Fairley” family at their stately home. The youngest son of the house, “Edwin” (Peter Chelsom) and she take a shine to each other but society isn’t ever going to let them marry and so ensuing events sow in her a determination not just to succeed but to…
Reviewed on December 28, 2025
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A Woman of Substance (1985) is available to stream on Britbox Apple TV channel, Acorn TV, BritBox, AcornTV Amazon Channel, BritBox Amazon Channel, Spectrum On Demand and Acorn TV Apple TV channel. Availability comes from JustWatch data and varies by country.
A Woman of Substance has 1 season and 3 episodes in total, starting from its premiere on January 2, 1985.
No. A Woman of Substance is marked as ended, with the final episode airing on January 4, 1985.
A Woman of Substance (1985) stars Jenny Seagrove, Deborah Kerr, Barry Bostwick, Liam Neeson and Miranda Richardson. The full cast list with character names is available in the cast section of this page.
A Woman of Substance (1985) is rated 7.6 out of 10 from 11 viewer votes, and suits viewers who like drama series. Reviews from viewers are collected further down this page.
The official A Woman of Substance trailer is embedded in the trailer section of this page and plays instantly in your browser.
