The season launches with British actor Hugh Laurie ("House") leading audiences on a musical journey in "Let Them Talk — A Celebration of New Orleans Blues" Sept. 30.

On Oct. 11 PBS will begin airing the five-part miniseries "Women, War & Peace," about international conflicts, which will be narrated by Geena Davis, Matt Damon and Tilda Swinton.

The Fall Arts Festival will begin with Gilbert and Sullivan's HMS Pinafore, premiering Oct. 14. The series of diverse arts programming will run Fridays through Dec. 16.

On Oct. 28 Great Performances will offer "Miami City Ballet Dances Balanchine & Tharp," including performances of George Balanchine’s "Square Dance" and "Western Symphony" and Twyla Tharp’s "The Golden Section."

The four-part miniseries "America In Primetime," centering on the minds behind popular television series, will include Larry David, Alan Ball, Diablo Cody, Alec Baldwin, Steven Bochco, Hugh Laurie, David Chase, Matt Weiner and Norman Lear. It launches Oct. 30. Tony Award-winning Fela! creator and Spring Awakening choreographer Jones will be celebrated on American Masters' "Bill T. Jones: A Good Man," which will trace the creation of his Lincoln-inspired work Fondly Do We Hope... Fervently Do We Pray Nov. 11.

The upcoming season of Masterpiece Contemporary's "Page Eight," premiering Nov. 6, will feature Bill Nighy, Michael Gambon and Rachel Weisz. Christopher Reid's poem "The Song of Lunch" will come to life Nov. 13 with Alan Rickman and Emma Thompson, who play a book editor and his former lover.

On Nov. 18 PBS will air "Women Who Rock," tracing artists from Bessie Smith to Janis Joplin to Lady Gaga; on Nov. 25 the opera based on the film "Il Postino," starring Placido Domingo, will air; and the San Francisco Ballet presentation of "The Little Mermaid" will be presented Dec. 16.

American Masters will look into the life of iconic filmmaker Woody Allen on Nov. 20, with "Seriously Funny – The Comic Art of Woody Allen."

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