Our goal at Talk Nerdy With Us is to keep you, the lovely readers, informed of what’s happening in the world of TV, music, and movies. Today ATX Festival announced some additions to Season 5.
The O.C. meets ATX with a Writers Room Reunion
+ Pilot Script Reading featuring creator Josh Schwartz
Continuing our tradition of TV’s seminal teen dramas (see 2015’s Dawson’s Creek Writers Room Reunion), we are thrilled to announce that creator Josh Schwartz, Stephanie Savage (Gossip Girl), and Leila Gerstein (Hart of Dixie) will be joining ATX for a reunion of THE O.C. Writers Room this June, with more writers to be announced in the coming weeks!
In addition to the Writers Room Reunion, ATX will also present a script reading of The O.C.pilot, featuring Schwartz and TBD guest cast from ATX Season 5 series! (For those of you already sing-crying the chorus to Phantom Planet’s “California,” don’t forget you can re-watch the entire series on CW Seed!)
PLUS: sophomore series Casual, Younger, andUnREAL; a Conversation with David Simon & Tom Fontana; and first time panelists: showrunners Kurt Sutter and Jennie Snyder Urman
Joining the line-up for #ATXTVs5 are panels and screenings featuring cast & creatives from critically acclaimed sophomore hits Younger (TV Land), UnREAL (Lifetime), and the Golden Globe® nominated Casual (Hulu). Panelists for these series are TBA – so be sure to check ourwebsite for updates!
ATX will feature a conversation with prolific writer/creators David Simon (The Wire, Treme) & Tom Fontana (Oz, St. Elsewhere) as they discuss their storied careers and professional relationship, which began with the groundbreaking procedural Homicide: Life on the Street.The conversation will be moderated by ATX Advisory Board member and two-time alum Beau Willimon (House of Cards).
We are thrilled to have showrunners Kurt Sutter (Sons of Anarchy) join the previously announced reunion of The Shield Writers Room (as well as additional TBA panels); and Jennie Snyder Urman (Jane the Virgin) who will discuss a variety of topics, including her widely-acclaimed/award-winning hit Jane the Virgin.
JUST ADDED: State of Grace Retrospective Screening + Q&A with creators Brenda Lilly & Hollis Rich, and co-stars Mae Whitman and Alia Shawkat
ATX Ambassador Mae Whitman, alum Alia Shawkat, and creators Brenda Lilly & Hollis Rich will be joining us at the festival for a retrospective screening + Q&A of Cancelled-Too-Soon series State of Grace.
The coming-of-age series featuring two best friends in the 1960’s was short-lived, but made a lasting impression on its audience and cast/crew.
“State of Grace was probably the most important experience of my whole adolescence,” said ATX Ambassador Whitman. “I met my best friend and became a woman in one of the most loving, supportive, and incredibly creative environments, and I have remained forever grateful. I love every single episode of it and everything related to it, and I can’t wait to bring two of my favorite things — State of Grace and ATX Festival — together!”
For the complete list of announced programming (so far) click HERE, and check out the following for more on our recent announcements:
Texas Forever:
a Friday Night Lights Tailgate & Pep Rally
at Panther Field
presented in association with Texas Monthly
FNL fans, prepare yourselves — we are going bigger than ever with a full-fledged Friday Night Lights Pep Rally presented in association with Texas Monthly and hosted on Panther Field(yes, you read that right). We’ve done this every year of ATX, so to mark our 5th (and FINAL) time hosting our Panthers (and Lions), plus 10 years since the series premiere, we’re going big (and going home). On Friday, June 10, join us for the ultimate Dillon, TX experience, featuring a pep rally, live music (featuring TBA special guests), tailgate activities, Texas eats (i.e. tacos, bbq, and anything with cheese), and surprise special guests (remember, we rarely announce who is coming, so you’re just gonna have to trust us), and – of course – a very special screening of a fan-favorite episode on the field where it all took place.
Who can attend?
Both Badgeholders and Non-Badgeholders (i.e. the general public) are welcome to attend —though badgeholders will have priority access to Panther Field and accompanying activities for this year’s event. And as always, please keep in mind that all venues are subject to capacity (though admittedly, this is our first year filling a football field, so we plan to accommodate as many Panther & Lions fans as possible!).
NOTE: There are currently no plans to make single tickets available for this event.
Why give Badgeholders priority? You’ve never done that before!
Good question! We want this event to be as accessible as possible, and it remains absolutely a community event — but because this is our last and biggest FNL celebration for the foreseeable future, there will be no counter-programming on Friday, June 10. Due to this fact, we want to make sure that as many badgeholders are able to attend as possible!
Will cast & crew be in attendance?
Of course! As always, you can expect to see FNL favorites in person — though they may not be announced beforehand. We know this is a deciding factor for some, but you’re just going to have to trust us. Plus, we want to be clear that, more than anything, this year’s Tailgate is about coming together on Panther Field to celebrate FNL in the most Texas way we know how, and to share the love for a series that has been (and continues to be) at the heart of ATX.
You’re going to be ON Panther Field. It has been untouched for 5 years. It’s still called, “Panther Fieldhouse.” Isn’t that reason enough? Cue tears now.
Will there be other Friday Night Lights events at this year’s festival?
At this time, the Tailgate/Pep Rally is our only confirmed FNL event, but additional FNL panels/programming may be announced at the later date — so stay tuned. We promise to keep you all updated with regular announcements & additions from now through the festival!
For updates on the FNL Tailgate/Pep Rally, please keep an eye on our Events page. For additional questions about the festival in general, please reference our FAQ or contactTV@atxfestival.com.
Badgeholder Update: New Venue (Registration Location), Panels Beginning on Thursday 6/9
For those of you have attended before (as well as first-timers beginning the planning process), we wanted to let you in on a few things that will be new to Season 5:
NEW Venue (Registration Location): In addition to the Stephen F. Austin Intercontinental, Alamo Drafthouse, Google Fiber Space, and State/Paramount Theaters, we’ll be adding Trinity Hall to this year’s list of ATX venues! Located at 5th & Trinity St. (right in the heart of our ATX footprint), Trinity Hall will serve as both a panel space and the new home of Registration and Merch, making it your first stop as an ATX attendee. (Registration times & details can be found on our FAQ.)
Panels beginning on June 9th (Opening Day): This year, panels will begin mid-day on Thursday, June 9th — so plan travel accordingly! (Note: Festival events will end approx. 3-4 PM CT on Sunday, June 12th as in previous years.)
REMINDER:
Badge Prices to increase soon!
We still have a TON of #ATXTVs5 programming coming your way (more than half! We’re just getting started with current and premieres!), but don’t forget — badge prices increase as the festival gets closer, so take advantage of our $225 price level while you can! (Please note our full terms and conditions.)
Reminder, we do offer a 15% discount on Weekend Badges for all active college/university students & military with proof of valid ID. If you qualify, please contact TV@atxfestival.com to receive your discount code!
