TVE Acquires 'A Woman of Substance' From Banijay
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- TVE acquired "A Woman of Substance" from Banijay Rights, with the deal announced shortly after Channel 4 greenlit Season 2 of the rags-to-riches drama
- The Forge Entertainment produces the series as part of Banijay UK; the show is based on the late Barbara Taylor Bradford's multimillion-selling novel about Yorkshire maid Emma Harte rising to become a business mogul
- Brenda Blethyn, a double Oscar nominee, and Jessica Reynolds (of Kneecap) play the older and younger versions of Harte
- Channel 4 greenlit Season 2 — the show is the UK broadcaster's most-streamed for several years, and an earlier adaptation of the same novel remains Channel 4's most-watched show of all time
- BritBox previously acquired the first season for the U.S., alongside other European broadcasters
- TVE also picked up Italian WWII psychological thriller "Free Women" (Libere Donne) from Endemol Shine Italy and Rai Fiction in a parallel deal through Banijay Rights
- Marion Vergnaud, SVP Sales, Iberia and Italy at Banijay Rights, framed the deal as building on a "long-standing relationship" and reflecting "strong appetite for engaging, character-driven drama across key European markets"
Why it matters: Banijay Rights is monetizing a proven Channel 4 franchise across territories — TVE's Spanish pickup follows prior sales to BritBox (U.S.) and other European broadcasters, and comes with Season 2 already greenlit. The dual deal (the Taylor Bradford adaptation plus Italian WWII thriller "Free Women") shows the distributor packaging multiple character-driven dramas into single territory sales to major European public broadcasters.
