The series, described as a dark adult drama which mixes multiple genres, is set in the sleepy Arctic town of Fortitude, whose close-knit community is shaken up by the brutal murder of a British research scientist. Leading the investigation is local Sheriff Dan Anderssen, who is joined by British detective DCI Milton Caldwell.
The series marks the hundredth anniversary of the world's most famous maritime disaster, the sinking of the Titanic, that happened in April 1912. The series follows an entire society as the ship travels towards the iceberg.