We’re Obsessed With the ATX TV Festival Lineup

Buckle up, we’re going to ATX TV Festival! As news keeps dropping about awesome panels, premieres, and sneak peeks coming to this year’s festival, we decided to give you the ultimate breakdown of what to expect at ATX TV Festival this year! Whether you’re an Austinite looking for a fun night out, or traveling for the festival, we got you covered!

A Late Night Show with Greg Iwiniski

This event will showcase a late night show hosted by Emmy-winning writer Greg Iwinski with the help of Jim Fagan. Iwiniski is known for his writing for shows including Last Week Tonight and The Late Show and Fagan is known for The Tonight Show. This live show will have guests, music, and some surprises you won’t want to miss!

2025 Achievement in Television Excellence Award for Christine Baranski

Legendary actress Christine Baranski will receive the ATX TV Festival Achievement in Television eXcellence Award this year for her fantastic work in television acting.

Anatomy of an Acorn TV Series Panel

This panel will dive in Acorn TV’s wide slate of programming and talk about what makes their shows a standout amongst so many others.

Andor with Tony Gilroy and Beau Willimon Panel

With the final season of the hit Star Wars show upon us, creator/executive producer Tony Gilroy and writer Beau Willimon will speak after the series finale about world-building, diving into dark storytelling, and Cassian’s story arc.

A Conversation with Cast of Animal Control Panel

The cast of FOX’s hit show Animal Control will join us to talk about their series, the third season, fun memories, comedy, and so much more!

Bill Lawrence & Friends Panel

Join creator and showrunner Bill Lawrence who is known for his spectacular work on Bad Monkey, Shrinking, Ted Lasso, Scrubs, Cougar Town, and more for a super fun conversation diving into the world of comedic storytelling. Word on the street is there might be some special guests to be announced…

Casting a Spotlight: Unsung Actors Panel

TV’s top casting directors shine a spotlight on underrated actors who steal the show in every scene they do. Join Sherry Thomas (Casting Director for Breaking Bad), Jeanie Bacharach (Casting Director for The Bear), Bonnie Zane (Casting Director for Suits), and Felicia Fasano (Casting Director for Better Things) as they talk all things unsung actors.

Elsbeth with Carrie Preston Panel

Emmy Award-winning actress Carrie Preston visits Austin to talk all things Elsbeth, it’s dramedy format, and how the show is making their own iteration of the classic “whodunnit.”

Finding Mr. Christmas Panel

The best (early) Christmas present is an in-depth panel featuring the stars of the Hallmark+ reality competition hit Finding Mr. Christmas! Join Jonathan Bennett, Ben Roy, Melissa Peterman, and contestants Jonathan Wells and Blake Kelley as they discuss their favorite moments from season one and give fans a sneak peek at season two.

King of the Hill Revival Sneak Peek and Backyard BBQ Presented by Hulu

King of the Hill is returning to our TV screens and Austin is ready to give y’all a sneak peek of the revival and conversation with the cast and creators. Following the panel, there will also be Backyard BBQ where fans can go into the world of King of the Hill like they’ve never been able to before!

Ladies of the Law Panel

Pluto TV hosts a discussion with women of your favorite legal dramas and crime procedurals about the long-standing popularity of the genre, ways their shows have challenged the typical format of crime procedurals, and why we love leading ladies in crime. Join Carrie Preston (Elsbeth), Skye P. Marshall (Matlock), Kirsten Vangsness (Criminal Minds: Evolution), and Amy Kuessner (EVP of Programming for Pluto TV) for a conversation you won’t want to miss!

Mad Men Retrospective with Jon Hamm Panel

Ten years after Mad Men’s series finale, actor and producer Jon Hamm will visit Austin for a Mad Men Retrospective to discuss Don Draper, and the hit show’s legacy and influence since the series finale.

Murder & Mystery with Acorn TV

Acorn TV will host “Murder & Mystery!” This Badgeholder event will feature a discussion with Harry Wild star Jane Seymour, and a special screening of Stephen Moyer’s summer series Art Detectives followed by a conversation with writer Paul Powell. There will also be themed drinks, eats, and so much more!

Late Nights, Day Drinking and Closer Looks with Seth Meyers Panel

Award-winning Late Night host, writer, and comedian Seth Meyers will make his ATX TV Festival debut with in-depth discussion about NBC’s Emmy-nominated Late Night with Seth Meyers, his most beloved segments, political satire, and his love for comedy and Late Night TV.

Red Room Pictures Presents… Panel

Creator, showrunner, and director Mike Flanagan and Red Room Pictures will discuss storytelling and filmmaking in the horror film genre.

The Golden Girls and Designing Women Script Readings

Thank you for being a friend! ATX TV Festival will have live script readings of classic episodes from The Golden Girls and Designing Women, with guest actors playing the beloved characters. Following, a conversation will be held to discuss the power of female-led comedies, bold storylines, and bravely facing social issues through sitcoms.

The Leftovers Reunion Panel

The cast and creatives of the beloved HBO drama will reunite to reflect on time spent filming The Leftovers, and its legacy more than 10 years later.

The Long Long Night Screening and Panel

The Long Long Night, an independent comedy from Duplass Brothers Productions, stars Mark Duplass and Barret O’Brien. Be sure to stop by for an advanced screening followed by a conversation with Duplass, Christie Marchese, and other panelists to be announced.

The Waterfront World Premiere with Creator and Cast

ATX TV Festival will feature the premiere of Netflix and Universal Television's The Waterfront, followed by a conversation with prshowrunner Kevin Williamson, and the incredible cast.

TSTV Student Pilot Showcase

ATX TV Festival will screen five pilots created by students of the TSTV Incubator Program, a year-long, student-led program at UT Austin that guides a small group of students through the process of pitching, writing, and producing an half-hour television pilot.

TV Mixtape: Reasonable Doubt

Showrunner Raamla Mohamed will discuss the show’s soundtrack and the vital role that music plays in Hulu & Onyx Collective’s legal drama Reasonable Doubt.

Unreal 10th Anniversary Retrospective Presented by A+E Studios

Join ATX TV Festival for a discussion on UnREAL, the beloved Lifetime original drama that follows the cast and crew behind the scenes of the fictional dating competition show, Everlasting.

Co-creator Sarah Gertrude Shapiro will be joined by the cast (Constance Zimmer, Shiri Appleby, Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman, and Craig Bierko) to discuss show’s commentary on the dark elements of reality television, complex characters, and new audiences discovering the show thanks to its recent debut on Netflix.

Vampires, Witches, and Other Secret Societies: Inside AMC's Anne Rice's Immortal Universe Panel

AMC/AMC+ will host a look inside the supernatural world of Anne Rice’s Immortal Universe with Dan McDermott, President of entertainment and AMC Studios for AMC Networks, and the creators of Interview with the Vampire, Mayfair Witches, and upcoming series Talamasca: The Secret Order.

We Were Liars Sneak Peek and Panel

Fans will be treated to a sneak pee of Prime Video and Universal Television's upcoming series We Were Liars, with executive producers and showrunners Julie Plec and Carina Adly MacKenzie The two will also be joined by author and executive producer E. Lockhart.

Special Screening and Q&A for You Belong Here

You Belong Here is an inside look at Chef Ouita Michel and their world of food. The series celebrates not only food but the community that comes from it. ATX TV Festival will screen the first episode, followed by a panel with executive producers Steve Zahn, Rick Gomez, and Chef Ouita Michel.

All information about attending the festival and in-depth info about the programming can be found here. We can’t wait to attend this festival so stay tuned for all our coverage!