Matthew Rhys and Anna Maxwell Martin star in “Death Comes to Pemberley”

A 'Masterpiece' murder: The list of things that the British do well is doubtless a long one, but television dramas must surely be near the top of it.

PBS's Sunday night standby "Masterpiece" has a long history of bringing the best of British dramas to this side of the Atlantic, and this autumn's season is no exception. With fan favorites "Miss Marple" and "Inspector Lewis" already behind us -- compared to American television, British shows have notoriously short seasons -- a new, two-part miniseries is next up for the public broadcaster.

"Death Comes to Pemberley" premieres the evening of Sunday, Oct. 26, with the second and final episode airing the following Sunday. Based on the novel by P.D. James, the murder mystery, which aired last year in the U.K. on BBC One, features some big-name U.K. actors who won't be strangers to American audiences.

The star-studded cast counts a number of heavyweights in its corner: Matthew Rhys ("The Americans"), Anna Maxwell Martin ("The Bletchley Circle"), Trevor Eve ("Troy," 2004), Matthew Goode ("The Good Wife"), Jenna Coleman ("Doctor Who") and Eleanor Tomlinson ("Jack the Giant Slayer," 2013).

As a sequel to "Pride and Prejudice," widely acknowledged as one of English literature's greatest works, many of the characters in "Death Comes to Pemberley" will be like family to anyone familiar with that story.

With an acclaimed novel behind it, star-studded cast and a grisly murder to solve, "Death Comes to Pemberley" has the makings of a true masterpiece. The mystery comes to PBS's "Masterpiece" on Sunday, Oct. 26.

Star struck: Until recently, it was an untold story: the tale of the women who stood by America's Cold War-era astronauts as they became the heroes of the West, always standing in their men's earthly shadows as they took to the skies -- and beyond.

Last year's non-fiction book "The Astronaut Wives Club: A True Story," by Lily Koppel, peeled back the darkness that had shrouded the details of these women's lives for decades, and now ABC is bringing their stories to the screen.

"The Astronaut Wives Club" is slated to premiere in early 2015, and with an exceptional cast, it's likely to make a mid-season splash when it comes in for a landing.

Odette Annable ("House M.D."), Kenneth Mitchell ("Jericho"), Yvonne Strahovski ("24: Live Another Day"), Desmond Harrington ("Dexter"), JoAnna Garcia Swisher ("Reba"), Dominique McElligott ("Hell on Wheels") and Bret Harrison ("Breaking In") are just some of the actors who are on board.

Despite the plans for a mid-season launch, ABC has high hopes for "The Astronaut Wives Club." It skipped the pilot stage typical of new shows and was given a 10-episode order out of the box.

Though it was originally planned to premiere this past summer, more time can (hopefully) only mean more polish, and with a few extra months to massage things, "The Astronaut Wives Club" could be as awe-inspiring as a rocket ship sitting ready for takeoff.

Watch for "The Astronauts Wives Club" to premiere early next year on ABC.

Lies and laughs: Marty Kaan's life is about to get even more comedic -- if that's even possible.

The management consultant, played to the hilt by Don Cheadle ("Iron Man 3," 2013) in Showtime's "House of Lies," will be welcoming a friend into his life when the critically loved dramedy returns next year.

Comedian Demetri Martin has signed up to star in a multi-episode arc in the upcoming fourth season. In a show already dripping with hilarity, the funnyman certainly won't be out of place.

Beyond his standup gigs, Martin has long had a presence on both television and in the movies. He was a frequent correspondent in "The Daily Show" for a decade, was a writer for "Late Night With Conan O'Brien" and had his own sketch show on Comedy Central, "Important Things With Demetri Martin," which ran for two seasons. On the big screen, he's been seen in "Contagion" (2011), "In a World..." (2013) and "Analyze That" (2002).

On the set of "House of Lies," he'll be joining a cast that's as funny as it is talented. Kristen Bell ("Veronica Mars"), Ben Schwartz ("Parks and Recreation"), Josh Lawson ("Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues," 2013) and Dawn Olivieri ("Heroes") all star alongside Cheadle. And now, for a few episodes at least, Martin will be counted amongst their ranks.

Watch for season 4 of "House of Lies" next year on Showtime.