The new British drama series “A Woman of Substance,” based on Barbara Taylor Bradford’s 1979 novel, debuted as an eight-episode streaming release on BritBox this summer. Set primarily in early 20th century rural England, the series chronicles the rise of Emma Harte, a determined young woman from Yorkshire who begins her journey as a maid in a grand household and embarks on a path to power and influence.

The narrative unfolds across two timelines. Brenda Blethyn portrays Emma in the 1970s during her 80th birthday, a figure reflecting on her life marked by resilience and ambition. However, the majority of screen time focuses on Jessica Reynolds’s portrayal of the teenage Emma in the years leading up to World War I. Reynolds’s Emma faces adversity within the aristocratic Fairley family, whose members are depicted largely as antagonists. The men of the Fairley family—squire Adam and his sons Gerald and Edwin—are portrayed as a blend of malevolence and ineptitude, while the women are characterized by personal turmoil or poor judgment.

The series is noted for its lavish production values, emphasizing meticulously crafted period detail and striking visuals, particularly through the use of Broughton Hall in North Yorkshire as the backdrop for the Fairley ancestral home. The location has previously been featured in productions such as “Outlander” and “House of Guinness.”

Though the adaptation diverges from Bradford’s original novel in several key respects, including a dramatically altered ending hinting at continuation beyond this first season, it retains the core themes of ambition and revenge. Blethyn’s portrayal of the elderly Emma is described as haunting and effective despite relatively limited screen presence, with much of the plot driven by the younger Emma’s early experiences, including a complex and fraught relationship with the household’s butler, Murgatroyd.

This version of “A Woman of Substance” follows a previous successful adaptation from 1985 starring Deborah Kerr and Jenny Seagrove. The source material remains extensive, as Bradford’s original novel is nearly 1,000 pages and the first in a series of seven chronicling Emma and her descendants. While the show does not escape some uneven dialogue and familiar tropes associated with period soaps, it offers a compelling story of class conflict and female empowerment that may appeal to viewers who enjoy series such as “Downton Abbey” and “Dynasty.”