‘Alias’ Reunion, ‘Parks and Recreation’ Screening Party Highlight New Additions to ATX Television Festival
If you’ve been missing Sydney Bristow, better book a ticket to Austin, TX. The ATX Television Festival announced today it will be hosting an “Alias” writers’ room reunion featuring many of the show’s long-time scribes, including Ken Olin, Lawrence Trilling, Sarah Caplan, Monica Breen, Jeff Pinkner, Andre Nemec, and Josh Appelbaum.
Creator J.J. Abrams has yet to be confirmed, but additional panelists will be announced at a later date. Last year, the ATX Festival hosted a writers’ room reunion for “The O.C.” that included creator Josh Schwartz.
Also announced this afternoon was a “Parks and Recreation” community screening. For the first five seasons of the festival, the Austin-based event celebrated an Austin-based show: “Friday Night Lights.” But last year marked the final tailgate party / community screening for the beloved series, and festival programmers found a more than fitting replacement in “Parks and Recreation.”
Featuring live music (Mouserat, perhaps?), food and drink from local vendors, and additional activities inspired by Pawnee’s annual Harvest Festival, the screening will be open to both ATX badgeholders and the general public. Last year’s gathering featured “Friday Night Lights” cast members Connie Britton, Gaius Charles, Scott Porter, Adrianne Palicki, Matt Lauria, Brad Leland, and Jesse Plemons performing alongside his Crucifictorious bandmates. Guests have not yet been announced, so one can only hope for a similar performance from Chris Pratt & Co. The screening will take place at the Hotel San Jose on Friday, June 9.
Additional panelists for presentations throughout the festival include Mara Brock Akil, the creator and executive producer behind “Being Mary Jane” and “The Game”; “Sweet/Vicious” creator Jennifer Kaytin Robinson, along with showrunner Amanda Lasher; David Hudgins (“Shut Eye”), Liz Tigelaar (“Casual”), Graham Yost (“Sneaky Pete,” “Justified”), Michael Rauch (“Royal Pains”), and Kathleen McCaffrey, the Vice President of Programming at HBO.
Previously announced panels include a 30th Anniversary Reunion of “Designing Women,” including creator and executive producer Linda Bloodworth-Thomason and stars Delta Burke, Annie Potts, Jean Smart, Gerald McRaney, Hal Holbrook, and Douglas Barr. There will also be a “Northern Exposure” reunion with cast members Rob Morrow, John Corbett, Barry Corbin, Janine Turner, and Darren Burrows, along with creator Joshua Brand.
Retrospectives and “cancelled-too-soon” panels offer additional highlights, including Burt Reynolds talking about “Evening Shade,” Paul Haggis and Jonathan Tucker discussing the one-hit wonder “The Black Donnellys,” and Natalie Morales sitting down for “The Middleman.”
The star-studded ATX Advisory Board will also be showcased throughout the fest, featuring former “House of Cards” showrunner Beau Willimon and the very busy Glen Mazzara (“Damien,” “The Shield,” “The Walking Dead”). Mazzara will present a panel titled “The Antihero: History of an American Myth” and focus the conversation on pop culture’s “revered and reviled male antihero.”
Finally, “Friends” co-creator Marta Kauffman is set to return to the festival for a discussion with the creative team behind her original Netflix series, “Grace and Frankie.”
The sixth season of the ATX Television Festival will take place from June 8 – 11 in Austin, TX. For the latest developments and information on how to attend, visit the official site and follow the fest on Facebook and Twitter.
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