Television highlights of 2015: Sue Perkins and Mel Giedroyc's chat show and Mad Men finale

Your guide to the shows that will have you glued to your sofa this year

Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins' chat show begins in January (Princess Productions)

Fortitude

Any Nordic noir fan will recognise this as a dream come true. It’s a murder mystery set in a close-knit Arctic Circle community, with an impressive ensemble cast. Stanley Tucci, Michael Gambon, Christopher Eccleston and The Killing’s Sofie Grabol star.

Sky Atlantic, January

Better Call Saul

Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan has several projects in the pipeline, but this prequel is the one he’s closest to. Corrupt lawyer Saul was one of the show’s beloved characters – and the other, P.I. Mike Ehrmantraut, appears too.

Netflix, February

Mel & Sue

Remember Light Lunch? That was the under-appreciated Channel 4 daytime series that launched the TV careers of comedy duo Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins, so their new daily chat show feels like coming home. But will they be looser than ITV’s Loose Women?

ITV, January

Cucumber/Banana

Sixteen years after Queer as Folk, Russell T Davies returns with two interlinked series about gay life in Manchester. The Thick of It’s Vincent Franklin appears in both, as a 40-something who leaves his long-term relationship and moves into a shared accommodation.

Channel 4, Spring

Wolf Hall

Damian Lewis plays Henry VIII, Hilary Mantel says it has “exceeded” all her expectations and special technology enabled the BBC to film in authentic Tudor candlelight. There’s no doubting this adaptation of the Booker Prize-winning novel will be spectacular.

BBC2, January

Mad Men, Series 7, Part II

It’s the end of an era as Mad Men screens its last – very last – seven episodes, set in 1969 (and maybe later?). Will Don Draper (Jon Hamm) meet with triumph or tragedy? And what about those other characters we’ve grown to love?

Sky Atlantic, Spring

Dementiaville

Dementia is a ticking time-bomb predicted to affect one in three of us. This series of documentaries explores both the heart-breaking experiences of those with dementia and a ground-breaking new approach to their care.

Channel 4, Summer

Morning Has Broken

More than a decade since Nighty Night established Julia Davis’s reputation for caustic character comedy, she’s back with a new creation. In this six-part series, we meet TV presenter Gail Sinclair – a female Alan Partridge?

Channel 4, Autumn