Actresses Brenda Blethyn and Jessica Reynolds have been seen as Emma Harte for the first time for the Channel 4 adaption of Barbara Taylor Bradford’s A Woman Of Substance book. The show will follow Emma Harte, an impoverished ambitious maid in Yorkshire in 1911, who goes on a journey to become the world’s richest woman. Jessica Reynolds as a young Emma Harte in A Woman Of Substance (Sam Taylor/Channel 4/The Forge/Sam Taylor)Channel 4 describes the story as a “rags-to-riches tale of women through the 20th century”, as Emma “defies the expectations of her society, fearlessly challenging the roles she’s given”. Filming for A Woman Of Substance has already began in Yorkshire, with a transmission date set to be announced in due course. The show will be produced by The Forge Entertainment, written by Katherine Jakeways and co-written by Roanne Bardsley.