As the longest January in history finally comes to an end, February is looking bright with the hugely anticipated launch of Sky Atlantic - a channel showcasing the finest in American drama, sitcom and comedy. Opening with the much hyped Broadwalk Empire, this isn’t a channel packed with dreary old repeats but iconic and award-winning series and one-off dramas. Later in the year the channel will be showing British drama and comedies too. Get your drama fix with our pick of the TV treats in store over the coming months

Broadwalk Empire

1st February sees the debut of Martin Scorsese and Terence Winter’s award-winning jazz age drama. The lavish period piece is set in prohibition-era Atlantic City and centres around corrupt city official Enoch ‘Nucky’ Johnson (Steve Buscemi) who has close links with the criminal underworld. British actress Kelly Macdonald plays a vulnerable Irish widow who turns to him for help. Broadwalk Empire means business. The pilot alone cost $18 million. Watch an exclusive clip from the pilot now.

Treme

If you loved The Wire, don’t miss David Simon’s latest drama, Treme. Set in New Orleans in the raw aftermath of the devastating Hurricane Katrina, the action is set in the neighbourhood Treme, pronounced truh-MAY, famous for music and, in some cases, for crime. The drama follows the eclectic lives of the local characters, among them a trombone player, a civil rights lawyer, a DJ and a Mardi Gras chief as they all try and rebuild their lives in the wake of the Hurricane. Boasting an amazing soundtrack this is one to watch.

Temple Grandin

Coming soon is Temple Grandin, Claire Danes’ recent Golden Globe winning TV movie, following the extraordinary life story of Temple Grandin – bestselling author, ground-breaking cattle behaviour expert and arguably world’s most famous and successful autistic person. The film chronicles Temple’s struggles with her diagnosis of autism; as a child her father wanted her institutionalised. A chance summer spent with her relatives in the country led to her discovering that she could literally talk to animals. Visually stunning, the film offers an insight in Temple Grandin’s world, from childhood to the beginning of her career and beyond.

Madmen Series 5

The fifth season of super-stylish 60s-set Madison Avenue saga is set to be screened on Sky Atlantic. Set in 1960s New York, Mad Men chronicles the lives of a bunch of savvy-minded ad men and their colleagues, wives, girlfriends and mistresses. After picking up a plethora of awards at the Emmys and Golden Globes, expectations are riding high for the explosive fifth season.

Mildred Pierce

With a star-studded cast including Oscar winner Kate Winslet, Guy Pearce and Evan Rachel Wood is the sumptous adaptation of James M Cain’s 1941 novel Mildred Pierce. A dissection of class and ambition in Depression-era California, the drama follows single mother Mildred’s efforts to make her daughter’s dreams come true.