by Ursula Rogers
Described as ‘TV camp for adults’, the ATX TV Festival is back for its 12th season from June 1-4, 2023. It’s an annual event that is a fun-filled combination of traditional film festival with industry and fan events. Past seasons have showcased reunions with casts of Austin’s Friday Night Lights, Firefly, Teen Wolf, Boy Meets World, Orange is The New Black, Ugly Betty and many more.
Lovers of TV and streaming series will be pleased that this year’s programming will include a Cheers reunion with a conversation about the legacy of the show. Panelists will include Adam Devine (Righteous Gemstones), Ted Danson, Clea Duvall (Housebroken), Harold Perrineau (Claws, Best Man Series, From), Seth Meyers, Whitney Cummings and more.
Manifest will return for its final season on Netflix June 2, 2023. Audiences will see season 4 part 2 premieres on June 1, 2023. There will be a screening, then Q+A panel after the premiere at the Paramount Theatre with the creator and showrunner Jeff Rake as well as other cast and crew members such as: Melissa Roxburgh, Josh Dallas, J.R. Ramirez, and Luna Blaise.
Fans of Mayans MC will have the opportunity to have a discussion with co-creator, showrunner, executive producer, writer, director Elgin James about the series run and how that has built up to the last season as well as cast members JD Pardo. Clayton Cardenas, Emilo Rivera, Sarah Bolger, and JR Bourne. They’ll also have the chance to watch a new episode from the 6th and final season.
A show partially inspired by the legendary HBCU (Historically Black College/University) show a Different World, ABC’s Grownish will have a panel discussion for its last season with executive producer and new showrunner Craig Doyle previous showrunners were Zakkiyyah Alexander Courtney Lily. Stars Marcus Scribner, Trevor Jackson, and Diggy Simmons will attend the panel as well. This show gives a slice of college life with ups, downs, and confusions with a comedic edge.
The Fox animated show Housebroken about the secret lives of pets, will have voice actors Tim Simmons and co-creator Clea Duvall talk with co- creators and executive producer talk about the script to screen process of developing an animated series.
That wacky, greedy and “God” fearing family of televangelists will return with season 3 of The Righteous Gemstones. After the World premiere of the newest season a Q+A will follow with cast members from the sanctimonious HBO hit.
There are so many great panels and conversations, we can’t list them all. But we’re excited about the session with iconic writer, director James Burrows (not to be missed), as is the conversation with Mary Steenburgen and Ted Danson. There’s also a ‘Backstage at Austin City Limits’ about the 50 year history of the show that put Austin on the map and that any music lover should attend. Check out the festival schedule at ATX TV Festival.
As many fans of TV and film are aware there is a writers strike going on. So, the festival will have some additional programming as well as cancellations. As part of that, the Writers Strike Conversation has been added. The panel ‘WGA On Strike’ will include Zoanne Clack (ER, Grey’s Anatomy, Station 19) WGA West, Greg Iwinski (Last Week Tonight With of John Oliver, The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, Game Theory With Bomani Jones) WGA East, Damon Lindelof (Lost, Watchmen) WGA West, Julie Plec (The Vampire Diaries, The Originals) WGA West, and the moderator Beau Willimon (Andor, House of Cards) WGA East. This panel will be more than worth it as it may give a face to issues that spawned the strike and explain what is at risk for not only writers, but other creatives in the entertainment industry.
As the ATX TV Festival Co-Presidents and Founders, Caitlyn McFarland & Emily Gipson stated, “There wouldn’t be television without writers… the stories and characters we care about so deeply would not exist without them, and neither would this festival.”
Get all the details on registration and schedules at ATX TV.
