ATX TV Festival & NBCUniversal bring “NBC 100” Celebration to Austin with The Paper, Iconic Procedural Dramas, “Funny AF” Comedy Favorites, and a Conversation with Lisa Katz & Erin Underhill, and more
ATX TV Festival & NBCUniversal
bring “NBC 100” Celebration to Austin with The Paper,
Iconic Procedural Dramas, “Funny AF” Comedy Favorites,
and a Conversation with Lisa Katz & Erin Underhill
Apple TV to host Screening and Q&A for
Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed with Creator and Cast
Casting Directors Sharon Bialy and Sherry Thomas
will receive the festival’s first-ever “Collaborator Award”
“I Love Lucy” Celebrates 75th Anniversary
with Live Script Reading
Plus, Conversations with Casting Society,
Macaroni Art Productions Co-Founders Steve Zahn & Rick Gomez,
and an inside look at the Development Process
Single Tickets Now Available for
Friday Night Lights 20th Anniversary Reunion
and Everybody Loves Raymond 30th Anniversary Celebration
March 11, 2026 – ATX TV Festival has announced additional programming for their Season 15 line-up, taking place May 28-31 in Austin, Texas.
The latest programming joining the 2026 Festival includes:
The Paper – Go behind the scenes of Peacock and Universal Television’s The Paper with the creators and cast of Peacock’s critically acclaimed series. Panelists will talk about the fandom of season 1 and what viewers can expect for season 2.
A Conversation with Lisa Katz & Erin Underhill – Lisa Katz (President, Scripted Content, NBC & Peacock) and Erin Underhill (President, Universal Television) sit down for a cross‑platform look at how NBC, Peacock, and Universal Television build on cornerstone brands—from Dick Wolf’s powerhouse franchises to NBC’s enduring comedy legacy—while celebrating NBC’s 100th anniversary.
Universal Studio Group Presents: Funny AF – This annual must-see, laugh-packed panel celebrates the boldest voices in television comedy. Funny AF brings together top showrunners, creators, and actors from NBCUniversal for an unfiltered conversation about the craft, the business, and the beautiful chaos of making great comedy. Whether you’re an industry insider or a devoted fan, Funny AF delivers a front-row seat to the voices shaping the future of comedy — and the laughs that keep us coming back for more.
NBC 100 Presents: Investigating the Legacy of Procedurals – Procedurals are television comfort food — precise, propulsive, and endlessly watchable. But behind every twist, interrogation, and final reveal is a finely tuned machine of storytelling. Hear from the legendary talent of your favorite NBC procedurals as they share anecdotes from set and what it is like to work on the most iconic shows on television.
Apple TV presents Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed Screening and Q&A with Creator and Cast – The stars and creator of Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed will give fans a special advanced screening of upcoming episodes of the Apple Original series, followed by a Q&A. Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed is the highly anticipated dark comedy-thriller from creator/showrunner David J. Rosen and starring Tatiana Maslany. The series follows Paula (Maslany), a newly divorced mom who falls down a dangerous rabbit hole of blackmail, murder and youth soccer after becoming convinced that she witnessed a crime. Following the screening, creator/executive producer David Rosen and cast members Tatiana Maslany, Murray Bartlett and Brandon Flynn will join for a conversation. The series premieres globally on May 20 on Apple TV.
Collaborator Award: Sherry Thomas & Sharon Bialy – The festival will present its first-ever “Collaborator Award” to casting directors and long-time collaborators Sharon Bialy and Sherry Thomas of Bialy/Thomas & Associates. The award aims to recognize two or more individuals who have made a significant impact on television - and pop culture as whole - through their creative partnership, and who illustrate the ways in which collaboration is essential to the communal nature of television.
For 25 years (and counting), the prolific duo and their team have been responsible for casting some of TV’s most culturally significant and memorable ensembles, including Breaking Bad, The Walking Dead, The Righteous Gemstones, The Handmaid’s Tale, Barry, Better Call Saul, Halt and Catch Fire, The Four Seasons, Pluribus, and The Testaments, among many others.
As part of the award presentation, Bialy and Thomas will be joined by several of their associates and collaborators from across their projects for a conversation about their ongoing partnership, the collaborative process of casting, and their impact on so many iconic series, as well as television as whole.
“I Love Lucy” 75th Anniversary Script Reading – The Festival will feature a live script reading of classic episodes from I Love Lucy, with guest actors stepping into the iconic roles, in celebration of the beloved series’ 75th Anniversary.
The script readings have become a Festival staple, with previous readings featuring episodes and special guests from Dawson’s Creek, The O.C., Suits, Cheers, Maude, Good Times, The Golden Girls, and more. Guest cast for script reading will be announced soon.
How to Cast a Procedural (and Get Away with It) presented by CSA – ATX TV and Casting Society investigate the intricate process of casting your favorite procedural dramas – from the lawyers, doctors, detectives, firefighters, and cops that anchor some of TV’s most-watched and influential series, to the case-of-the-week guest stars who keep these long-running series feeling fresh episode to episode. Confirmed panelists include Eric Souliere, CSA (9-1-1, 9-1-1 Nashville), Veronica Collins Rooney, CSA (Tracker, Fire Country), and Rebecca Mangieri, CSA (Chicago Med, S.W.A.T.), with more to be announced.
Macaroni Art Productions Co-Founders Steve Zahn and Rick Gomez Return to Talk Indie TV and You Belong Here – Following the ATX TV Festival debut of their independent series You Belong Here, Macaroni Art Productions co-founders Steve Zahn and Rick Gomez will take attendees inside the world of indie TV with “The Making of an Indie Series: You Belong Here.” Zahn and Gomez will give viewers a one-of-a-kind look at the process of producing their first independent series, from pre-production, to production, to post – and what comes after.
The pair will also join for a conversation about launching their Macaroni Art Productions banner; their creative goals as actors, directors, producers, and writers; and forging their own unique path to telling the stories they want to tell (and see).
Development In Progress – Texas Monthly executive producer Megan Creydt (Landman), director/executive producer Kat Candler (Little House on the Prairie), and executive producer Dana Honor (Stumble) will discuss the collaboration, highs and lows of the development process – from the earliest stages of developing a series based on IP, to collaborating with an institution like Texas Monthly, to the give and take of getting a new project off the ground and into production.
Friday Night Lights 20th Anniversary Reunion adds Scott Porter and Sarah Aubrey – Friday Night Lights star Scott Porter and executive producer Sarah Aubrey will join the festival’s 20 Year Reunion supported by Austin Film Commission, which will take place Friday, May 29th at the Paramount Theatre. They join cast members Connie Britton, Kyle Chandler, Gaius Charles, Adrianne Palicki, Jesse Plemons, and Aimee Teegarden, showrunner/executive producer Jason Katims, executive producer/writer David Hudgins, executive producer/director Jeffrey Reiner, co-executive producer/writer Liz Heldens, and consulting producer/writer Kerry Ehrin, who will reunite to celebrate the show’s 20th Anniversary and receive the festival’s 2026 “Texas Made Award” presented with Media For Texas. Single tickets for the event are available for purchase HERE.
Everybody Loves Raymond Writers join 30th Anniversary Event – Everybody Loves Raymond creator/showrunner Phil Rosenthal and star Ray Romano will be joined by writers from the iconic sitcom for the festival’s previously announced “Everybody (Still) Loves Raymond” 30th Anniversary event. Confirmed participants include writer/producers Tom Caltabiano, Tucker Cawley, Mike Royce, Lew Schneider, Steve Skrovan, and Aaron Shure. Single tickets for the event are available for purchase HERE.
All Programming and Panelists are subject to change.
BADGES & PASSES ON SALE NOW: atxfestival.com/attend
Previously announced programming includes:
Friday Night Lights 20th Anniversary Reunion Panel and “Texas Made Award” presented with Media for Texas
Everybody (Still) Loves Raymond: A Night of Comedy with Phil Rosenthal, Ray Romano, and Writers
Homicide: Life on the Street Retrospective with Tom Fontana, David Simon, and Kyle Secor
Sweet/Vicious 10 Year Anniversary with Cast & Producers
The Other Bennet Sister Screening and Q&A presented by BritBox
Inside Job: TV’s Non-Writing Producers
A Late Night Show with Greg Iwinski Returns for Another Live Episode
Inaugural “Indie TV Pilot Competition & Showcase”
A Conversation on Medical Accuracy on TV presented by the John Ritter Foundation for Aortic Health
A Nuclear Renaissance on TV: How Atomic Storylines Can Save Us from Armageddon presented by NTI
Around the TV Set with the Television Critics Association
“Lead with Kindness” Vodcast with Melinda Hsu
ABOUT ATX TV FESTIVAL
ATX TV Festival is an annual event produced by ATX TV, kicking off each summer in Austin, TX. As the leading television festival, it brings together fans and industry to celebrate the television medium by looking at its history, where it is now, and where it is headed. The festival consists of screenings followed by Q&As, panel conversations, and events (parties, live music, happy hours, hosted receptions, etc) and is known for reunions of classic series and cult hits. Screenings include never-aired pilots, canceled-too-soon series, current favorites, and world premieres. Panels conversations range from industry deep-dives to fan-focused conversations, along with discussions on representation (in front of and behind the camera) and responsibility in storytelling. The ATX TV audience is comprised equally of consumers and industry professionals, and ATX TV Festival is the only place they come together as one community to discuss and celebrate all aspects of #TVTogether.
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PRESS CONTACT:
Lauren Kelcher Stevenson // atxtv@ssmandl.com