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02/01/1985 Drama 1h 35m
76
User score

A truly heartrending dynastic saga of poverty, passion and power

Overview

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.

Top billed cast

  1. Jenny Seagrove

    Young Emma Harte

  2. Deborah Kerr

    Older Emma Harte

  3. Barry Bostwick

    Major Paul McGill

  4. Liam Neeson

    Blackie O'Neill

  5. Miranda Richardson

    Paula McGill Amory

  6. Peter Egan

    Adam Fairley

  7. Peter Chelsom

    Edwin Fairley

  8. Barry Morse

    Murgatroyd

  9. Jonathan Duttine

    Joe Lowther

  10. View more

Full Cast & Crew

Current Season

Season 1

 1985 | 3 Episodes

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.

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Reviews

A review by CinemaSerf
Written by CinemaSerf on 2025-12-28
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 destroy the “Fairley” dynasty too. She moves away and falls on her feet, becoming an apprentice to a Jewish tailoring family. Having some aptitude for design and learn...read the rest
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Status
Ended

Original Language
English

Original Name
A Woman of Substance

Keywords