ATX TV Fest 2023
ATX TV Festival just added another wave of programming to its 2026 lineup, and honestly, this year’s schedule is starting to look dangerously packed for anyone planning to sleep that weekend.
The festival’s 15th season runs May 28 through May 31 across Austin, with new additions ranging from prestige drama conversations to reality TV casting deep dives and behind the scenes stunt breakdowns.
One of the biggest additions is a featured conversation for Acorn TV’s upcoming mystery series You’re Killing Me, hosted by Brooke Shields and co star Amalia Williamson. The event will include a themed happy hour with drinks, bites, and giveaways, which feels very ATX TV Festival. Come for the panel, accidentally stay for two extra hours talking about television with strangers.
The six episode mystery series premieres May 18 and follows a bestselling novelist and aspiring podcaster investigating the murder of a close friend in a quiet New England town.
Reality television fans are also getting a major addition with an unscripted casting conversation featuring Rob Mariano, better known to most people simply as Boston Rob. The panel, alongside NBCUniversal casting executive Christine Cowan, will break down how familiar personalities become recurring fan favorites across franchises like Survivor, The Traitors, Bravo series, and Peacock reality programming.
Hallmark fans are getting one more emotional stop before the end of The Way Home, as stars Chyler Leigh, Evan Williams, and Sadie Laflamme-Snow return to the festival ahead of the show’s final episodes. The series finale arrives in June, which means this panel is probably going to become an accidental group therapy session for fans.
PBS is also making its ATX TV Festival debut with a panel dedicated to All Creatures Great and Small. The long running series, based on the stories of veterinarian James Herriot, has already been renewed through seasons seven and eight, and the panel will offer fans an inside look at filming the animal heavy period drama.
One of the more interesting additions to the schedule is Grit, Guts & Stunts: Inside CBS’s Marshals, featuring showrunner Spencer Hudnut, actress Arielle Kebbel, and stunt coordinator Matthew Taylor. The conversation will focus on practical stunt work, choreography, and the production side of building large scale action for television. Which, frankly, sounds way more interesting than another generic “here’s a clip package and some polite applause” panel.
The festival is also adding a Mystery Screening event this year, keeping the featured series completely secret until attendees walk into the theater. Considering ATX TV Festival’s track record with surprise guests and premieres, that one could end up becoming one of the weekend’s hottest tickets.
Additional programming includes a “Rise of the Mini Studio” panel examining the growing influence of boutique production companies and development houses shaping the modern television landscape.
Badges and TV passes for ATX TV Festival 2026 are available now, along with select single event tickets for screenings and panels at the Paramount and Stateside Theatres in downtown Austin.
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