Reunions, screenings and industry panels, oh my! Nothing excites me more than programming announcements for ATX Television Festival aka “TV Camp for Grownups.” As per usual, this year’s lineup is already filled with diverse series and thought-provoking panels and there is still many more announcements to come.
Here’s the list of programming so far for season 8:
SERIES:
Greek reunion: Creator Patrick Sean Smith will be joined by cast members Spencer Grammer, Amber Stevens West, Jacob Zachar, Dilshad Vadsaria and Paul James and executive producers Shawn Piller and Lloyd Segan. Additional panelists to be announced.
Atypical: Creator/showrunner Robia Rashid discusses the hit Netflix show alongside executive producer Mary Rohlich and cast members Brigette Lundy-paine, Michael Rapaport, and Nik Dodani.
Perpetual Grace, LTD: Pilot screening of the upcoming Epix series and Q&A with executive producers Steve Conrad and Bruce Terris. Additional panelists to be announced.
Tremors: An inside look at the pilot of the 2018 reboot that didn’t make it to series, featuring a partial script reading and discussion with writer/exec producer Andrew James Miller, executive producer Jessica Rhoades and cast members Toks Olagundoye, P.J. Byrne and Haley Tju. Additional panelists to be announced.
Men in Trees reunion: Creator Jenny Bicks, writer/co-executive producer Anna Fricke, writer/producer Chris Dingess, producer Antonia Ellis and cast members James Tupper, Emily Bergl, Suleka Mathew, Cynthia Stevenson and Lauren Tom of the hit 2006-08 ABC dramedy reunite.
Everyone Is Doing Great: The indie series from former One Tree Hill stars James Lafferty and Stephen Colletti makes it’s return to ATX. In addition to screening a new episode, Lafferty and Colletti will discuss their successful crowdfunding efforts and the making of season 1.
Good Trouble: Attendees will get an early look at season two of The Fosters spinoff with showrunner Joanna Johnson, stars Maia Mitchell and Cierra Ramirez. More panelists to be announced.
Dare Me: The pilot of the upcoming USA Network series based on Megan Abbott’s novel about the cutthroat world of competitive high school cheerleading will be screened followed by a Q&A with showrunners Abbott and Gina Fattore. More panelists to be announced.
Sherman’s Showcase: Premiere screening of the IFC sketch-comedy series and Q&A with creators Diallo Riddle and Bashir Salahuddin. More panelists to be announced.
Alternatino: Screening of the Comedy Central sketch series followed by Q&A with creator, writer, EP and star Arturo Castro.
City on a Hill (Closing Night Screening): Set in the early 1990s Boston, rife with criminals emboldened by local law enforcement agencies in which corruption and racism was the norm, City on a Hill stars Kevin Bacon, Aldis Hodge, Jonathan Tucker, Mark O’Brien, Hill Hennessy, Lauren E. Banks, Amanda Clayton, Kevin Chapman, and Jere Shea with Kevin Dunn and Sarah Shahi recurring. Panelists to be announced.
Inside The Terror: Infamy: A conversation with the creative team behind the AMC anthology, taking viewers inside the production of the upcoming second season. The panel will include co-creator/showrunner/executive producer Alexander Woo (True Blood) and consultant/star George Takei (Star Trek). More panelists to be announced.
Los Espookys: The premiere screening for HBO’s upcoming primarily Spanish-language comedy from Julio Torres and Ana Fabrega, alongside Fred Armisen and Lorne Michaels. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with creators Fred Armisen, Ana Fabrega and Julio Torres, who also star in the series.
David Makes Man: The pilot screening of OWN’s new original series that centers on a 14-year-old prodigy from the projects who’s haunted by the death of his closest friend and relied on by his hardworking mother to find a way out of poverty. The screening will be followed by a Q&A conversation with showrunner/executive producer Dee Harris-Lawrence and cast members Phylicia Rashad and Akili McDowell.
Grand Hotel: Based on the Spanish series of the same name, Grand Hotel is a provocative drama set at the last family-owned hotel in multicultural Miami Beach, following owner Santiago Mendoza, his glamorous second wife, Gigi, their adult children, and the hotel’s loyal staff in a contemporary fresh take on an upstairs/downstairs story. The screening of the pilot will be followed by a Q&A with showrunner/executive producer Brian Tanen, executive producer Ben Spector, and stars Demián Bichir and Roselyn Sánchez.
Archer: An advance screening of an episode from the series’ upcoming tenth season, Archer: 1999. The screening will feature a once-in-a-lifetime, never-to-be-seen-again special version of an upcoming episode — with an element added exclusively for the ATX audience. The screening will be followed by a conversation with the creative team behind Archer, including executive producer Matt Thompson, actor H. Jon Benjamin (“Sterling Archer”), producer/art director Chad Hurd, and lead storyboard artist Taylor Parrish.
Drunk History: A special Drunk History event with creator, host and actor Derek Waters, plus special guests!
Euphoria (Opening Night Screening): Euphoria follows a group of high school students as they navigate drugs, sex, identity, trauma, social media, love and friendship. The screening will be followed by a panel conversation with creator/executive producer Sam Levinson, and cast members Zendaya, Hunter Schafer, Barbie Ferreira, and Eric Dane.
Fear The Walking Dead: A sneak peak at episode 5×02, followed by a Q&A with cast and producers. Panelists to be announced.
Grey’s Anatomy: A screening of the season 15 episode “Silent All These Years,” written by Elisabeth R. Finch and directed by Debbie Allen, which marks one of the series’ most riveting and emotional hours yet. The screening will be followed by a Q&A conversation with showrunner & executive producer Krista Vernoff, co-executive producer & writer Elisabeth R. Finch, and stars Camilla Luddington and Kim Raver.
grown-ish: A screening of an all-new episode, followed by a Q&A with cast & creatives, including cast members Yara Shahidi, Trevor Jackson, Francia Raisa, Chloe Bailey, Halle Bailey, Emily Arlook and Jordan Buhat, and executive producer and writer Craig Doyle.
Into the Dark: Culture Shock: Culture Shock is a dystopian horror film following a young Mexican woman’s journey across the border into Texas in pursuit of the American Dream, only to find herself in an American nightmare. A screening of a new episode followed by a Q&A with co-writer/director Gigi Saul Guerrero. More panelists to be announced.
One Day at a Time: A screening, conversation, and celebration of the Alvarez’s with the cast and creatives of One Day at a Time. Panelists include creator/executive producer Mike Royce, Justina Machado, Isabella Gomez, Todd Grinnell, and Stephen Tobolowsky.
Letterkenny: A screening of the Canadian comedy followed by a Q&A with director/executive producer/cast member Jacob Tierney, executive producer Mark Montefiore, and cast members Nathan Dales, Michelle Mylett and K. Trevor Wilson.
PANELS:
Scene Partners & Roommates — A Conversation with Margo Martindale and Shane McRae: Join Sneaky Pete’s Margo Martindale and Shane McRae one-on-one discussion about their respective careers and unique friendship as both co-stars and roommates
Presidents of the Guilds: SAG-AFTRA president Gabrielle Carteris, Writers Guild of America, West president David A. Goodman and Directors Guild of America president Thomas Schlamme will discuss the state of television, the ongoing fights for equal pay and equal opportunity, safety standards and the importance of fostering a creative culture.
Inside the Writers Room — Vida: Creator/showrunner Tanya Saracho and writers Jenniffer Gomez and Gladys Rodriguez, members of the Starz series’ all-Latinx writing staff, will discuss their approach to storytelling.
The House That Horror Built: Blumhouse TV co-presidents Marci Wiseman and Jeremy Gold offer a case study in how the company built on its foundation of low-budget horror films to expand its presence into television and other media. More panelists to be announced.
Let’s Talk About Sex (Scenes): Moderated by writer and showrunner Glen Mazzara, the panel, featuring Vida‘s Saracho and actress Nicki Micheaux (Animal Kingdom, Colony), will look at ways to empower writers and actors and ways to create a safe environment when filming intimate scenes.
Casting Anthologies: A look at the challenges and excitement of casting episodic and season-long anthology series presented by the Casting Society of America. Panelists include casting directors Sherry Thomas (The Twilight Zone), Rachel Tenner (Fargo), and Carrie Audino (The Terror).
A League of Their Own: 35 Years of Culture Defining Television on Lifetime: Executives and creatives behind the network’s latest scripted and unscripted content discuss using TV to move the cultural needle, evolving with the medium, and the importance of narratives shaped for and by women. Panelists include Tanya Lopez (EVP, Movies, Limited Series & Original Movie Acquisitions), Gena McCarthy (EVP & Head of Programming, Lifetime Unscripted), Kim Raver (Director/Executive Producer, Tempting Fate), Tamra Simmons (Executive Producer, Surviving R. Kelly), Jamie Denbo (Creator/Executive Producer, American Princess).
Resistance, Inclusion, and Creating Authentic Muslim Narratives presented by MPAC’s Hollywood Bureau: This panel of TV creatives executives, and consultants discuss how they’ve impacted the industry in the last two years by raising the quantity and quality of Muslim characters; their efforts to increase visibility on and off-screen; and the forward-thinking importance of turning this moment into a sustained movement. Panelists to be announced.
The Female Gaze: Conversation will explore the “female gaze” with writers and directors who are reclaiming female agency by )figuratively and literally) shifting viewers’ perspectives, and telling stories that unapologetically place women and their world view at the center. Panelists include Tanya Saracho (creator/EP, Vida) and Kim Raver (Director/Executive Producer, Tempting Fate). More panelists to be announced.
The Power of Female Partnerships presented by Vanity Fair: Explore several amazing friendships between women who partnered up at the beginning of their careers or at some point along the way (temporarily or permanently) to encourage on another, create a culture of empowerment, and produce some great TV. Panelists include Lauren Whitney, Cori Wellings (Partner, WME Scripted Television), and Lisa Katz & Tracey Pakosta (Co-Presidents, NBC Scripted Programming). More panelists to be announced.
A Conversation with Phylicia Rashad: An intimate conversation with Award in Television eXcellence honoree and iconic actress Phylicia Rashad (David Makes Man, The Cosby Show) reflecting on the expanse of her career and what lies ahead.
Grief and the Messiness of Loss: This panel will look at series that have turned their focus to the universal experience of grief, ranging from animated to comedy to horror, and broadcast networks to digital platforms. These creators will discuss their varied approaches to depicting grief, survivors, and a shared catharsis with viewers. Panelists include Sorry For Your Loss creator Kit Steinkellner, The Haunting of Hill House co-showrunner/EP Meredith Averill and Julie Plec. More panelists to be announced.
A Playwright Walks Into a Writers Room…: As networks and studios look to diversify their writers rooms through non-traditional routes, playwrights have quickly become some of TV’s top staffing contenders and most influential show runners. Hear from several writers who made the jump from the theater to the writers room as they discuss what drew them to television, the unique challenges of writing for both stage and screen, and what this trend means both industries moving forward. Panelists include Rachel Rusch (SVP of Television, Bad Robot), Tanya Saracho (Vida), and Beau Willimon (The First). More panelists to be announced.
A Interactive Conversation with Beau Willimon: Every year at ATX, Advisory Board member and writer/creator Beau Willimon conducts an intimate, interactive talk about the creative process in which the audience becomes the panel. This year will be no different and entirely different. During these improvised discussions, neither Beau nor the audience fully knows what to expect. All we can promise is that it will be a one-of-a-kind experience.
Broken News: How VICE News Tonight on HBO Wants to Reclaim the Next Generation of TV Viewers: This panel will explore how VICE News Tonight is engaging the next generation of news consumers, the mechanics behind reaching youth and how networks can defy convention to captivate young viewers successfully in an age of unprecedented media disruption. Panelists include Josh Tyrangiel (Executive Vice President, VICE News) and Arielle Duhaime-Ross (Climate & Environmental Correspondent, VICE News Tonight on HBO). More panelists to be announced.
Making Criminal Justice Matter presented by the ACLU: Writers and producers, along with a criminal law expert from the ACLU, will discuss the importance of working together to ensure authentic representations of current issues surrounding criminal justice, and television’s impact on viewer opinions with regard to issues of police practices, racial profiling, and governmental and police abuses of authority. Panelists include co-showrunner/executive producer Sunil Nayar (The Red Line), showrunner/executive producer Joanna Johnson (Good Trouble), and showrunner/executive producer Anthony Sparks (Queen Sugar), with Twyla Carter, Senior Staff Attorney with the National ACLU’s Criminal Law Reform Project, moderating. More panelists to be announced.
Power(ful) TV presented by the Television Academy: A panel discussion with writers & producers on how series can rise above trends and token characters by weaving in storylines of gender, race, religion, aging, immigration, health care, and more — all with the belief that exposing audiences to a variety of people, experiences, and worlds they might never encounter will foster understanding, empathy, and community. The conversation will be moderated by Television Academy President and Chief Operating Officer, Maury McIntyre. Panelists to be announced.
Resistance, Inclusion, and Creating Authentic Muslim Narratives presented by the Muslim Public Affairs Council’s (MPAC) Hollywood Bureau: This panel will examine the collaborative efforts among consultants at MPAC and creatives and executives in the industry to raise the quantity and quality of Muslim representation on and off-screen. Panelists include showrunner/executive producer Carina Adly MacKenzie (Roswell, New Mexico), actress Nikohl Boosheri (The Bold Type), and Sue Obeidi (Director, MPAC’s Hollywood Bureau). More panelists to be announced.
Veronica Mars: A long time ago, we used to be friends… A panel conversation with the cast and crew of Hulu’s upcoming Veronica Mars revival. Panelists to be announced.
This article will be updated as more programming is announced. This year’s festival takes place June 6-9, 2019. You can purchase a badge here. Follow the festival on Twitter to stay up-to-date on everything happening with the festival.