Must-See Programming From the ATX Television Festival
10 nights of TV from the fest's 10th (and virtual) season
By Richard Whittaker, Fri., June 11, 2021
ATX TV + FNL Pep Rally: 10 Festivals Later: Join ATX founders Emily Gipson and Caitlin McFarland as they look back over 10 seasons of the fest, and the decadelong connection with that old Austin favorite, Friday Night Lights. And who knows? Maybe some Dillon Panthers will drop by .... June 11, 5:30pm.
Famously, Ziwe: Spend Saturday night with the brilliantly subversive Ziwe, host of Showtime's hot-take chat show Ziwe, as she breaks down her awesomely awkward interview style. June 12, 7:15pm.
Small Axe: Steve McQueen's format-busting tales of life in London's West Indian community (Was it five seperate films? An anthology series?) for Amazon Prime charted 20 years of the political and social history of Black British people. He'll unpack the show's dynamics with Texas filmmaker Channing Godfrey Peoples (Miss Juneteenth). June 13, 7:15pm.
Oz: A Retrospective: Before The Sopranos, there was Oz, HBO's original one-hour drama. Join creator Tom Fontana, and star Terry Kinney, Lee Tergesen, Dean Winters, Harold Perrineau, and Kirk Acevedo for a trip back to Oswald State Correctional Facility. June 14, 8:30pm.
L.A. Confidential: Unaired Pilot Screening and Q&A: The lost CBS adaptation of James Ellroy's epic of crime and corruption in the City of Angels finally makes its way to the screen, with the producers and star Brian J. Smith (Det. Lt. Ed Exley) exploring what we would have seen in this new take on the noir landmark. June 15, 8:15pm
ATX Award in Television eXcellence: Michael J. Fox: ATX pays tribute to a true TV legend, as the star of Family Ties, Spin City, and so much more sits down with his friend, Rescue Me co-star, and ATX alum Denis Leary for a retrospective of his career so far. June 16, 5:30pm.
Horror Anthologies: From American Horror Story to Shudder's reboot of Creepshow, self-contained tales of terror have got their hooks in us. Horror FX and filmmaking legend Greg Nicotero (Masters of Horror) leads a conversation about the resurrection of the short and not-so-sweet scare. June 17, 9pm.
The Good Fight: A special screening of the season 5 premiere of the Paramount+ legal drama, and stick around for a cross-examination of the creators, Robert and Michelle King, as well as stars Christine Baranski, Audra McDonald, Charmaine Bingwa, and new cast member Mandy Patinkin. June 18, 8:30pm.
The White Lotus: Closing Night World Premiere Screening and Conversation: First look at the new HBO limited series from Enlightened creator and School of Rock writer Mike White, as vacationers in Maui (including eternal honorary Austinite Connie Britton) wreak havoc on the hotel and their own lives. June 19, 7pm.
Walker Music Showcase: When Jared Padalecki decided to relaunch Walker, Texas Ranger, he made sure it would shoot in his new hometown of Austin. The love continues as co-stars Lindsey Morgan and Odette Annable host a tribute to the city, and the music of the show. June 20, 3:45pm.
ATX Television Festival Season 10 virtual edition, June 11-20. Tickets and info at atxfestival.com.
