ATX Announces Final Panels And Programming Leading Into This Year's Festival

ATX ANNOUNCES FINAL PANELS AND PROGRAMMING LEADING INTO THIS YEAR’S FESTIVAL

GLAAD Will Present a “Bury Your Tropes” Panel, Taking on the Recent Conversation
Around Stereotypical Portrayals of LGBTQIA Characters on Television

USA Network’s “Royal Pains” Will Celebrate Its Final Season
With a Screening and Panel Presentation with the Cast and Producers

The Television Academy Will Present “Power(ful) TV,”
A Panel Discussing Television as an Agent of Positive Social Change

Entertainment Weekly Editor-in- Chief Henry Goldblatt Will Sit Down with Shondaland’s
Betsy Beers for “3 Rounds with Betsy Beers: A Look Inside Shondaland”

Hulu’s “The Path” Will Hold a Screening and Panel
Featuring Executive Producers Jason Katims and Jessica Goldberg

Howard Gordon Will Hold a Master Class on His Career

May 4, 2016 — Austin, TX — ATX Television Festival announces the final panels and programming leading in to this year’s festival, which returns for a fifth year June 9-12, in Austin, Texas. The full schedule will be released on Friday, May 6, at www.atxfestival.com.

GLAAD will present a “Bury Your Tropes” panel, which will take on the stereotypical tropes that have led to much discussion recently about the portrayal of LGBTQIA characters and storylines, and the panelists, which include Bradley Bredeweg (“The Fosters”), Javier Grillo-Marxuach (“Lost,” “The 100”), Krista Vernoff (“Shameless,” “Grey’s Anatomy”), Carter Covington (“Faking It”), and Megan Townsend, Entertainment Media Strategist for GLAAD, will take part in a larger conversation about the importance of inclusion and positive representation on television.

ATX will host a special screening of an episode from the final season of USA Network’s “Royal Pains” followed by a panel featuring cast members Mark Feuerstein, Henry Winkler, Paulo Costanzo, Brooke D’Orsay, Reshma Shetty and Ben Shenkman, along with creator and executive producer Andrew Lenchewski, and executive producer Michael Rauch.

The Television Academy will present “Power(ful) TV,” a panel focused on television’s ability to touch viewers’ hearts and minds and power social change. Television Academy President and COO, Maury McIntyre, will lead an energizing discussion with panelists Jason Katims (“The Path,” “Friday Night Lights,” “Parenthood”), Bradley Bredeweg (“The Fosters”), Jennie Snyder Urman (“Jane the Virgin”), Mike Royce (“Men of a Certain Age”) and Jack Amiel (“The Knick”). These dynamic producers will discuss how they organically address storylines of race, religion, the foster care system, immigration, abortion, health care and other topics, with the hope and belief that their programs will spark empathy, greater understanding of the issues and constructive action.

Entertainment Weekly’s editor-in- chief Henry Goldblatt will sit down with Shondaland’s Betsy Beers for “3 Rounds with Betsy Beers: a Look Inside Shondaland,” during which the two will discuss the inner workings of Shondaland over three rounds of drinks, inspired by EW’s “3 Rounds With…” feature in the magazine, which will be themed around the leading ladies of “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Scandal,” and “How to Get Away with Murder.”

Hulu’s critically acclaimed new series “The Path,” which was just picked up for a second season, will hold a screening and panel featuring creator and executive producer Jessica Goldberg, who will be attending ATX as a first time panelist, and executive producer Jason Katims, who will also be part of the previously announced “Friday Night Lights” High School Reunion on Panther Field.

Emmy-winning writer and executive producer Howard Gordon, who was previously announced as part of the panel for FX’s “Tyrant,” will hold a Master Class at this year’s ATX, which will be moderated by Hitfix’s Alan Sepinwall. In an intimate setting, Gordon will reflect on his successes and failures, and mentors and protégés over the years, and the lessons he’s learned throughout his career.

MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell will moderate the previously announced panel, “The West Wing Administration,” which marks the 10 th anniversary of “The West Wing” finale, and Melissa Fitzgerald, cast member and now Senior Director of Justice For Vets, joins the line-up of creator/executive producer Aaron Sorkin, director/executive producer Thomas Schlamme, and cast members Bradley Whitford, Dule Hill, Joshua Malina, Richard Schiff and Janel Moloney on the panel.

Freeform will hold an advance screening and panel their new crime mystery series “Guilt,” which is set to debut June 13, and will feature co-creator/writer/executive producer Kathryn Price ("The Game Plan") and executive producer/writer Todd Slavkin ("Defiance"), along with a to-be- announced cast member. “Guilt” joins the previously announced new Freeform series “Dead of Summer,” which will hold a screening and panel with creators/executive producers Adam Horowitz & Edward Kitsis, and Ian Goldberg (“Once Upon a Time”).

ATX will also host a panel with Matt Hullum and Burnie Burns, the co-founders of the pioneering studio Rooster Teeth, who will join the creative forces behind two of the company’s new feature shows – “Day 5,” with co-creator/executive producer Josh Flanagan and lead actor Jesse Boyd, and “Crunch Time,” with writer/director Andrew Disney and writer Bradley Jackson – as they discuss programming and producing series for an ever-evolving digital landscape, and how they meet the growing demand for high quality programming.

These panels join USA’s “Queen of the South” on Opening Night; “Ugly Betty” 10 year reunion presented by Entertainment Weekly on Closing Night; “The West Wing” Administration panel with Aaron Sorkin and members of the cast; “Rescue Me” reunion with Denis Leary, Peter Tolan, and members of the cast; “The O.C.” Writers Room reunion with creator Josh Schwartz and the show’s writers, along with a script reading of the pilot episode, presented by CW Seed; a “Friday Night Lights” High School Reunion on Panther Field, with surprise guests and events; “The Shield” Writers Room reunion with creator Shawn Ryan and the show’s writers; a “State of Grace” reunion with cast Mae Whitman and Alia Shawkat, along with creators Brenda Lilly and Hollis Rich; a panel of First Time Showrunners and Creators; a panel featuring TV Stunt Performers and Actors; a panel discussion of the (New) American Family with Nahnatchka Kahn, Casey Johnson, David Windsor, Norman Lear and Phil Rosenthal; a Conversation with David Simon and Tom Fontana moderated by Beau Willimon; a Conversation with Norman Lear moderated by Jerrod Carmichael; a Conversation with Kurt Sutter and Katey Sagal; a Conversation with Noah Hawley moderated by Beau Willimon; series panels and screenings for Hulu’s “Casual,” Lifetime’s “UnREAL,” NBC’s “Superstore; TV Land’s “Younger” and “The Jim Gaffigan Show,” FX’s “Tyrant” and “Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll,” AMC’s “Preacher,” Starz’s “Survivor’s Remorse,” WGN’s “Outsiders,” AT&T Audience Network’s “Kingdom,” TBS’ “Search Party,” and Freeform’s “Dead of Summer;” and a script reading of the never-picked- up pilot “Big” with creators Kevin Biegel and Mike Royce, along with surprise cast. Norman Lear will also receive this year’s ATX Award for Achievement in Television Excellence.

For the latest developments, tickets and badges visit the ATX Television Festival official site www.atxfestival.com and follow us on Facebook & Twitter. For co-promotion, please link to @ATXFestival #ATXTVs5 on Twitter.

About ATX Television Festival
ATX’s focus is the celebration of the television medium – looking back at its history, where it is now, and where it is headed. Our weekend consists of events in which attendees can interact with actors, writers, directors, creators, showrunners, music supervisors, casting directors and studio executives involved in all stages of bringing their favorite shows to the small screen. We have all the functionality of a traditional film festival – spotlighting classic shows, never-aired pilots, cancelled too soon series, cult favorites, current hits and premieres of new series. In addition, we feature episode screenings with Q&A’s with the cast and creators, panels focused on industry related topics, and parties, live music, meet-ups, social media events and “super secret happy hours.” ATX’s goal is to serve both the community and industry professionals equally, by giving them the opportunity to discuss and celebrate all aspects of TV.

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