Beginning Sunday, Sept. 8, It's the Leading Ladies of KCET!

KCET has been graced with more than its fair share of strong, British female characters -- from the mystery-cracking Brenda Blethyn character on "Vera" to the unflappable Helen Mirren character on "Prime Suspect." (And there's always Louisa of "Doc Martin," the only woman in pop culture who's tough enough to put up with Martin.) Starting Sunday, Sept. 8, KCET is celebrating those characters a new Sunday event, The Leading Ladies of KCET!

(And before you ask, no -- this won't interfere with the Sunday broadcast of "Foyle's War." It's staying put in its regular 8PM timeslot.)

First up, at 9PM, it's "Scott & Bailey," an ITV detective series featuring Detective Contsable Rachel Bailey (Suranne Jones -- "Coronation Street") and DC Janet Scott (Lesley Sharp -- "Clocking Off"). The show is gritty and may remind viewers of series such as "DCI Banks."

Immediately following "Scott & Bailey" is the longtime favorite "Rosemary & Thyme" -- perhaps the only series that combines beautiful gardens with murder mysteries. Join Laura Thyme (Pam Ferris -- "The Darling Buds of May," "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban") and Rosemary Boxer (Felicity Kendall -- "The Camomile Lawn," "The Good Life") as they see some of the greatest gardens of England and Europe and then solve mysteries while they're admiring the scenery. Sept. 8 kicks off with the first episode in the series.

And finally, get ready for "Miranda," a 30-minute BBC sitcom starring Miranda Hart, a talented comedienne whose had her hand in British laughers as wide-ranging as "Call the Midwife," "Smack the Pony" and, yes, one episode of "William & Mary." The 6-foot-1-inch Miranda repeatedly stumbles into one awkward situation after another, and Hart's award-winning performance will delight any fans of off-beat British comedy.

Check out the schedule for KCET's new Leading Ladies of KCET Sundays!

Sept. 8, 2013

9PM: Scott & Bailey (#101)

9:4PM: Rosemary & Thyme (#101)

10:39PM: Miranda (#101)

Sept. 15, 2013

9PM: Scott & Bailey (#102)

9:47PM: Rosemary & Thyme (#102)

10:37PM: Miranda (#102)

Sept. 22, 2013

9PM: Scott & Bailey (#103)

9:48PM: Rosemary & Thyme (#103)

10:38PM: Miranda (#103)

Sept. 29, 2013

9PM: Scott & Bailey (#104)

9:48PM: Rosemary & Thyme (#104)

10:38PM: Miranda (#104)