Fortitude

Top TV picks: 27th December

Morecambe & Wise in America 

Gold, 8.00pm

Jonathan Ross hosts new documentary Morecambe & Wise in America, which will focus on the comedy double act’s attempt to break America.

Iconic duo Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise’s working relationship is explored in this three-part series, which features over an hour’s worth of footage never seen before in the UK. Morecambe & Wise in America follows the pair on a series of trips they made to appear on one of the USA’s largest variety show, The Ed Sullivan Show.

Details of Fortitude's final season revealed

Fortitude (Credit: Sky)

The drama follows two police officers who are sent to Fortitude, a fictional settlement in Arctic Norway, to help its citizens fight off dark and supernatural forces.

Richard Dormer returns as Sheriff Dan Anderson, who still suffers the effects of parasitic wasps from series one.

Anderson (Dormer) struggles to retain his emotional personality and his grip on reality.

Following on from series two, citizens of Fortitude rally around to protect both the town and Anderson from an outside investigation into the lynching of governor Erling Munk.

Fortitude creators: "Bristol is the ideal place to make great drama"

(Credit: Justin Yockney)

Twenty-four local writers attended a writer’s workshop with Fortitude creator/writer Simon Donald; executive producer and managing director of Fifty Fathoms Patrick Spence; and script producer Ben Stoll.

After discussing how the project moved from idea to script to screen, the execs each hosted a round table with the writers to answer questions, and provide insights and career advice.

Sky orders new dramas starring Helen Mirren and Sean Bean

Multi-award-winning actress Helen Mirren will star in new four-part drama Catherine the Great. The  series will explore the politically tumultuous and sexually charged court of the most powerful female monarch in history.

She wielded supreme power throughout Russia for nearly half of the 18th century. “She rewrote the rules of governance by a woman, and succeeded to the extent of having the word Great attached to her name, Catherine the Great,” said Mirren.