A Woman of Substance brings Barbara Taylor Bradford’s iconic bestseller to life in a sweeping new period drama led by Brenda Blethyn (Vera, Little Voice) and breakout star Jessica Reynolds (House of Guinness, Outlander). Spanning decades of ambition, betrayal and reinvention, the series follows Yorkshire maid Emma Harte as she defies the limits placed upon her in a relentless rise to power and revenge. A Woman of Substance premieres on BritBox June 24.
The Other Bennet Sister – now streaming – reimagines Jane Austen’s world through the eyes of Mary Bennet (Ella Bruccoleri, Call the Midwife), placing the often-overlooked sister at the centre of a fresh Regency-era story of love, ambition and self-discovery. A breakout hit in the UK, the series became the BBC’s biggest new drama launch in the past year, and is steadily gaining traction in North America on BritBox. Already ‘Certified Fresh’ at 97% on Rotten Tomatoes, the finale of The Other Bennet Sister premieres June 24.
Season 2 of Queens That Changed the World arrives with six new episodes spotlighting some of history’s most formidable female rulers, including Mary Queen of Scots, Marie Antoinette and Queen Charlotte – wife of the infamous King George III. Blending expert analysis, archive footage and stylized recreations, the acclaimed documentary series offers a fresh, modern look at the women who reshaped history and redefined power. Queens That Changed The World S2 premieres on BBC Select June 25.
ICYMI
- May 6, 2026: The Other Bennet Sister | North America Premiere, BritBox Original, BritBox Exclusive, | 10 x 30′ | Released 3x on Premiere, Then Weekly
Ella Bruccoleri (Ludwig, Call the Midwife) stars as one of Jane Austen’s most unassuming characters: Mary Bennet – the seemingly unremarkable and overlooked middle sister in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. The series follows Mary as she steps out of her sisters’ shadows in search of her own identity and purpose – finding herself in the middle of an epic love story along the way. Her journey will see her leave her family home in Meryton for the soirees of Regency London and the peaks and vales of the Lake District, all in search of independence, self-love and reinvention. The season finale of The Other Bennet Sister premieres June 24.
BritBox June Listings
- June 1, 2026: Vicious S1 | New to BritBox | 6 x 30′ | Released All at Once Vicious tells the story of partners Freddie (Ian McKellen, Lord of the Rings) and Stuart (Derek Jacobi, Last Tango in Halifax), two men who have lived together in a small central London flat for nearly 50 years. Constantly picking each other apart and holding on to petty slights for decades, we can still see that underneath all their vicious co-dependent fighting they have a deep love for each other.
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June 1, 2026: Vicious S2 | New to BritBox | 6 x 30′ | Released All at Once
Season 2 returns with Freddie and Stuart still surrounded by their long-term friends: Violet (Frances de la Tour, Outlander) who recently married and is still as feisty as ever; Ash (Iwan Rheon, Game of Thrones), their attractive, young neighbour, who now has a new girlfriend although not deterring Violet from showering him with inappropriate affection; Penelope (Marcia Warren, The Crown) who is as dotty as ever and Mason (Philip Voss, Four Weddings and a Funeral) who has somehow become even more acerbic.
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- June 9, 2026: Beyond Paradise S4 | BritBox Original, BritBox Exclusive, North America Premiere | 6 x 60′ | Released Weekly
The hit spin-off from Death in Paradise returns, with DI Humphrey Goodman (Kris Marshall, Sanditon) and the Shipton Abbott team facing a fresh wave of mind-boggling crimes. Mystery, humour and heart combine in this popular crime drama series set against the breath-taking landscapes of Devon and Cornwall. Fact and folklore blur when a witness claims a mermaid wrecked a local seaweed farm, while a missing treasure map sparks a hunt for deeply buried truths. Beyond the station, the team face their own personal challenges and newlyweds Humphrey and Martha (Sally Bretton, Not Going Out) launch into married life – until their houseboat starts taking on water. Can they find a new place to call home? And can Humphrey resolve an impossible dilemma to save his team. -
June 15, 2026: 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown S14 | New to BritBox | 13 x 45′ | Released All at Once
Hosted by Jimmy Carr (Last One Laughing: UK), the panel show is the perfect mashup of topical hit “8 Out of 10 Cats” and the cerebral words-and-number game “Countdown” as the anarchic comedians of the former take on the brainbox format of the latter. -
June 18, 2026: Trigger Point S3 | BritBox Original, BritBox Exclusive, US Premiere | 6 x 60′ | Released 2x on Premiere, Then Weekly | *US Only
Explosives Officer Lana Washington (Vicky McClure, Line of Duty) and her team are called to investigate a suspected bomb threat – an iconic, London Black Cab that’s been abandoned in an industrial park. However, they soon realise they’re at the site of something far more sinister – a man is held captive in the cab, and a note issuing him with an ultimatum: Confess or Die. Working alongside fellow EXPO Hass (Nabil Elouahabi, Blue Lights), and Metropolitan Police Counter Terror Officers DS Helen Morgan (Natalie Simpson, Outlander) and newly promoted DCI Amar Batra (Maanuv Thiara, Landscapers), the team race to find out what the person behind this unique bombing campaign wants, who he is, and who he might be targeting next… -
June 18, 2026: Blue Lights S3 | BritBox Exclusive, CA Premiere | 6 x 60′ | Released 2x on Premiere, Then Weekly | *CA Only; already available to stream in US
Two years into their jobs as response officers, Grace (Sian Brooke, Sherlock), Annie (Katherine Devlin, The Day of the Jackal) and Tommy (Nathan Braniff) are accustomed to life under the blue lights. But their work will take them into a sinister world hidden behind the veneer of middle-class life, the world of the accountants and lawyers who facilitate organised crime. The old political and criminal order has gone and a new global gang rule Belfast, bringing danger closer to home for our officers than ever before. -
June 24, 2026: A Woman of Substance S1 | BritBox Original, BritBox Exclusive, North America Premiere | 8 x 60′ | Released 2x on Premiere, Then Weekly
A Woman of Substance stars Brenda Blethyn (Vera, Little Voice) and Jessica Reynolds (House of Guinness, Outlander) as the two versions of the iconic character Emma Harte – a housemaid turned-mogul, daughter, mother, lover, fighter and a 20th century feminist icon who refused to know her ‘place’. The series finds Emma in 1911, an impoverished ambitious maid in Yorkshire, England, who goes on a dizzying journey to become the world’s richest woman, gazing down from a sprawling luxury New York penthouse. A rags-to-riches tale of women through the 20th century, Emma defies the expectations of her society, fearlessly challenging the roles she’s given, smashing glass ceilings, and never, ever deviating from her masterplan: Get to the top. Whatever it takes.
BritBox 2026 Sneak Peek
- Coming soon: Gone S1 | BritBox Original, BritBox Exclusive, North America Premiere | 6 x 60′
David Morrissey (Sherwood) and Eve Myles (Torchwood) star in this gripping drama. When his wife disappears, an inscrutably composed headmaster finds himself under mounting suspicion.
BBC Select Monthly Listings
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May 31, 2026: Believe in Magic: The Mother of All Cons | North America Premiere | 3 x 60′ | Released All at Once
A teenage girl’s charity for sick children brings fairytales to life and wins celeb-backing from One Direction. But when some parents turn detective, a darker truth comes to light. -
June 4, 2026: America: 1000 Years of History | Available in North America | 1 x 120′
America’s defining historical moments, from its indigenous roots to its dominance as a world superpower, are revealed in this compelling documentary. It details the incredible story of how this remarkable country was formed and grew to become the powerhouse we see today, home to 327 million people, a major player in culture worldwide and the centre of global capitalism. -
June 4, 2026: Dolly: The Sheep that Changed the World | Available in North America | 1 x 60′
The revelatory story of the men and women who created the cloned sheep that caused scientific stir and moral panic around the world. Who was Dolly, how did she come to be, and what is her legacy today? -
June 11, 2026: The Real Unforgotten: The Unsolved Murder of Carol Morgan | North America Premiere | 2 x 60′ | Released All at Once
In 1981, Carol Morgan was murdered in the storeroom of her corner shop. A beloved local figure and mother of two young children, this murder has haunted the community ever since. Filmed across six years and with full access to the police investigation, this true crime documentary shadows real cold case detectives as they attempt to unravel the mystery surrounding Carol’s death. -
June 11, 2026: How the Victorians Built Britain S2 | Available in North America | 8 x 60′ | Released All at Once
Michael Buerk returns to continue his exploration of the Victorian era and the incredible effect it had on Great Britain and the world. This time, Michael investigates how the railway network changed the nation, the technology that Britain used to expand its empire, how the power of the law was used on Victorian citizens and the importance of culture in this transformative time. -
June 15, 2026: Rethinking King George III: In Ten Portraits | Available in North America | 1 x 60′
Through ten iconic portraits, historians re-examine the legacy of King George III, providing a fuller picture of the monarch often remembered by history as a mad tyrant. From the American War of Independence to his struggles with mental illness, the story of George III’s life is retold in the paintings and images that defined his reign. -
June 18, 2026: Walking with Dinosaurs | Available in North America | 6 x 50′ | Released All at Once
Six dig sites. Six stories. Six prehistoric heroes. Discover the incredible lives of dinosaurs unearthed from real-world excavations in a reimagining of the iconic series. -
June 25, 2026: Queens That Changed the World S2 | North America Premiere | 6 x 60′ | Released Weekly
The lives of six more formidable female rulers are explored, revealing what drove them, how they asserted their authority, and how, sometimes, being a woman proved to be a secret weapon. Season 2 queens include Charlotte of Great Britain, Marie Antoinette, Mary Queen of Scots, Lakshmibai the Rani of Jhansi and more. -
June 25, 2026: Murder in Concrete | North America Premiere | 2 x 60′ | Released All at Once
When a French-speaking man contacts local police confessing to killing his housemate several years earlier, two detectives set out to discover the truth. Featuring compelling interviews with the investigators and the victim’s devastated family, this gripping true crime documentary reveals every twist and turn of an almost unbelievable story featuring betrayal, deception and brutal murder. -
June 29, 2026: 1776: American Independence | North America Premiere | 6 x 60′ | Released All at Once
In this incredible six-part retelling, we go far beyond the 13 original colonies and the clash between American Patriots and British colonial troops. We traverse the Atlantic and plunge deep into the American West to discover a multi-front war that engulfed a diverse cast of characters – Indigenous people, enslaved Africans, American Loyalists, women of all social classes – and changed the face of world history.
On the Box: The BritBox Podcast
Hosted by award-winning British radio and television personality Edith Bowman and American comedian, presenter and proud Anglophile Michelle Collins, On the Box: The BritBox Podcast is created in partnership with BBC Studios Audio and delivers exclusive cast interviews, behind-the-scenes stories and sharp, lively takes on the best of British television. With new episodes released every Monday, the weekly series is available wherever listeners enjoy their podcasts.
- May 25, 2026: 1×12: Daniel Mays
Edith and Michelle are joined by English screen and stage actor Daniel Mays (Lynley, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story).
- STREAMING NOW: 1×11: Sophie Skelton ON Massive Dogs In Tiny Apartments
Edith and Michelle are joined for a hilarious and surprising episode of On The Box as Outlander star Sophie Skelton drops by for an entertaining and insightful chat. Sophie shares what it’s like to say goodbye to Brianna after 10 years, as well as how her faithful dog can sometimes feel like a boyfriend, how she briefly worked as a nurse, and how she’s still to be convinced about whether stones can let you travel through time, regardless of what Edgar Allen Poe says.
- STREAMING NOW: 1×10: Alfred Molina ON A Coked-Up Drug Dealer on a Shotgun Rampage
Calling all cinephiles for a legendary episode of On The Box as Alfred Molina joins Edith and Michelle on the show. The star of Spiderman 2 shares how Paul Thomas Anderson used firecrackers and cotton wool to help him get truly erratic on the set of Boogie Nights, revisiting the Doc Ock character in the age of CGI, his new role in the upcoming Duffer Bros series The Boroughs, and whether his new role in Remarkable Bright Creatures could mean he’s being typecast… as an octopus.
- STREAMING NOW: 1×09: Ruth Jones ON Mrs Bennet as the Greatest Villain
The Gavin & Stacey star joins Edith and Michelle to talk about her experience working with the magnetic new star Ella Bruccoleri, the awesome power of a costume corset, her writing process with James Corden as they work on upcoming Apple TV show The Choir, and how to perfect the lunchtime nap on set.
Do not miss this brilliant episode as the fantastic Ruth Jones stops by On The Box to talk about playing Mrs Bennet in the new BritBox original The Other Bennet Sister.
- STREAMING NOW: 1×08: Hugh Bonneville ON Where’s Paddington?
A VERY special episode joined by bonafide A-lister and British national treasure, Hugh Bonneville! The star of Paddington sits down with Edith and Michelle to discuss the secret sauce that made Downton Abbey so popular around the globe, the return of Ian Fletcher to our screens in Twenty Twenty Six and he also reveals the one question that all school children always ask him. You do not want to miss this one.