Sky Atlantic

Julianne Moore (Still Alice) and Nicholas Galitzine (Purple Hearts) will play Mary and George, the mother and son who schemed, bribed, and seduced their way from penniless minor gentry to the heart of Britain’s ruling classes.

Mary acts as a puppet master to her handsome and charismatic son, as she marries and murders his way into the English Court. Once there, George works his way into King James VI’s bed, becoming his ‘favourite’ and one of the richest, most trusted, and powerful members of the 16^th century royal court.

Open your Christmas TV guide this year and, amid all the wholesome dramas, jolly comedies and gooey romcoms, you’ll find a glaring anomaly.

I Hate Suzie, Lucy Prebble and Billie Piper’s brutally frank and funny 2020 tragicomedy about the undoing of an actor named Suzie Pickles (played by Piper), is getting the Christmas treatment on Sky Atlantic.

The eight-part series, created by DC Moore, will tell the true story of Mary Villiers, played by Julianne Moore, who coached her son, George, on how to seduce King James I and become his lover. 

Through scheming and deceiving those around them, the pair rose from lowly beginnings to become the richest, most titled and powerful mother and son England had ever seen.

The eight-part series will chronicle the rise of Mussolini from his humble beginnings to the founder of the National Fascist Party.

Based on the book by Antonio Scurati, the series will explore the birth of fascism in Italy, which toppled the government and began an era of brutality and violence.

The series will include the creation of The Fasci Italiani in 1919 and Mussolini’s famous parliamentary speech in 1925 following the murder of socialist MP Giacomo Matteotti. 

The announcement comes after the series opened to record-breaking viewing figures, becoming the biggest drama launch ever for Sky Atlantic.

Based on George R.R. Martin’s Fire & Blood, House of the Dragon is set 200 years before the events of Game of Thrones and tells of the beginning of the end of House Targaryen.

The opening episodes set the stage for the coming civil war as Paddy Considine’s King Viserys I Targaryen was tasked with choosing a successor out of his fiercely competitive heirs.

The six-part series stars Roisin Gallagher (The Fall) as Janet, a potty-mouthed Belfast supermarket worker who couldn’t care less about anything, including her life.

So the last thing she expects is for a handsome political broadcaster living the perfect London life with his celebrity girlfriend, Seamus (Johnny Flynn, Beast), to literally fall into her backyard and, perhaps, in love with her.

Based on the novel of the same name by Audrey Niffenegger, The Time Traveler’s Wife has been adapted into a six-part series by Steven Moffat.

The magical, time-bending love story is between Clare (Rose Leslie) and Henry (Theo James), traversing decades. 

Clare is fiery, clever and has had a secret imaginary friend called Henry since she was six years old. Over the years, Henry’s visits are dazzling adventures that break up the tedium of her childhood. 

Luckily for us, the visually stunning new series Landscapers, written by debut screenwriter Ed Sinclair and directed by Will Sharpe (Flowers), is a welcome departure from the well-trodden genre. 

Following Kendall’s (Jeremy Strong) public betrayal of his father, Logan (Brian Cox), in series two’s explosive finale, the trailer sees the Roy family forced to take sides.

The number one criterion for the Roys has always been personal gain, and true to form, Shiv (Sarah Snook) is seen to be negotiating for the better deal.

Series favourites Tom (Matthew Macfadyen) and Cousin Greg (Nicholas Braun) also feature, and it seems the latter’s part in Kendall’s stunt has soured their already toxic friendship.

Series two of the Sky and AMC co-production will see the stellar cast of Ṣọpẹ Dìrísù, Michelle Fairley, Brian Vernel, Pippa Bennett-Warner, Lucian Msamati, Paapa Essiedu, Valene Kane, Orli Shuka, Narges Rashidi and Asif Raza reprising their roles.

Joining the cast will be Waleed Zuaiter (Baghdad Central), French rapper Jasmine Armando in her debut television role, Salem Kali (Un Prophete), Aymen Hamdouchi (Criminal: UK) and Fady El-Sayed (A Private War).