1997. Prison drama reaches new poetic highs while depicting terrible, violent lows when the first episodes of Oz marked the beginning of what would be called prestige TV.
2002. The depiction of war on TV is revolutionized when Band of Brothers arrives on HBO.
2011. ABC reignites the flame under the classic prime-time potboiler with Revenge, ABC’s reimagining of The Count of Monte Cristo transplanted from France to the monied elites of the modern Hamptons.
Three big anniversaries that will be celebrated next June 3-6 as part of the 16th season of the ATX TV Festival, which just filled in the first blanks on next year’s schedule.
Set in the fictional Oswald State Correctional Facility but grounded in dire reality, Oz was HBO’s first ever one-hour drama and became an international smash, picking up multiple awards for its look at life behind bars. ATX will be reuniting cast members Rita Moreno (Sister Peter Marie Reimondo), Lee Tergesen (audience avatar Tobias Beecher), and Dean Winters (the vicious and conniving Ryan O’Reily, the series’ own Iago), as well as series creator Tom Fontana, who said, “I’m always thrilled to be involved in the festival, but the chance to be reunited with a number of the Oz cast members makes this visit to Austin extra special.”
Just as Oz was pivotal for HBO to raise the game for weekly drama, so Band of Brothers was a turning point for limited series, allowing producers Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks to bring the scale of their collaboration on Saving Private Ryan to the small screen. Panelists for this retrospective have yet to be announced but expect new insights into the heroics and horrors of the mission of Easy Company.
As for Revenge, a full call sheet of cast members will be present, including Emily VanCamp, Josh Bowman, Henry Czerny, Ashley Madekwe, Gabriel Mann, Connor Paolo, and Nick Wechsle. “How stoked am I for a Sweet 16 ATX TV Revenge party? Infinity x Infinity!” series creator/writer/executive producer Mike Kelley wrote. Kelley will also be in attendance, and added that he was “still amazed at how fiercely our show’s fans continue to love these diabolically messy characters after all these years.”
The love for fan favorites doesn’t end there, as ATX TV Festival announced that the subject of this year’s live script reading will be the classic case of canceled too soon, Freaks and Geeks. The show that arguably launched the careers of creator Paul Feig, executive producer Judd Apatow, and cast members including Linda Cardellini, Seth Rogen, Jason Segel, and Martin Starr now joins legendary shows like The Golden Girls, I Love Lucy, and Good Times in getting this ATX honor with a special to-be-announced cast. Plus, fans of the show will also want to check out the first one-on-one event of the fest, a career conversation with casting director Allison Jones, who not only helped Feig assemble his freaks and geeks, but also was essential in putting together memorable ensembles on Parks and Recreation, the American remake of The Office, Veep, Arrested Development, The Good Place, and most recently comedy-horror smash Widow’s Bay.
However, the fest isn’t just about celebrating our favorite shows from yesteryear. 2027 will see a new season of the Indie TV Pilot competition. Returning with Rick Gomez and Steve Zahn’s Macaroni Art Productions as strategic partners and advisors, the competition will have both scripted and unscripted categories, and winning entrants will have a chance to be screened at the festival. For information about how to submit your pilot, visit atxtvfestival.com.
