If there’s one thing the ATX TV Festival consistently does well, it’s reminding us why television matters—and their Season 15 lineup is shaping up to be one of their biggest yet.
Set to take over Austin from May 28–31, 2026, the festival just dropped a new wave of programming announcements, and there’s a lot here worth paying attention to.
🔥 Opening Night: Westeros Returns
Let’s start with the headline-grabber.
House of the Dragon is officially kicking things off with an Opening Night conversation—and not just any panel. This includes an exclusive first look at Season 3, ahead of its June premiere.
Showrunner Ryan Condal will be joined by cast members Steve Toussaint, Harry Collett, Bethany Antonia, and Abubakar Salim, representing Team Black.
Expect behind-the-scenes insight, never-before-seen footage, and a deeper dive into what’s coming—including the highly anticipated Battle of the Gullet.
🎤 Bill Lawrence Gets His Flowers (And Brings Friends)
One of the standout moments this year will be honoring Bill Lawrence with the 2026 Showrunner Award.
If you’ve been following TV for any amount of time, you already know his impact—from Scrubs to Ted Lasso to Shrinking (which, yes, we’ve talked about here before).
His session, “Bill Lawrence & Friends,” is exactly what it sounds like: a deep, collaborative conversation with creatives from across his career, digging into comedy, storytelling, and what it means to build a lasting voice in television.
🏆 Warren Littlefield’s Legacy Moment
The festival is also introducing a new honor—the Creative Impact Award—and the first recipient is Warren Littlefield.
And honestly, there’s no better choice.
Littlefield helped define an entire era of television during his time at NBC, with projects like Friends, The West Wing, and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air all falling under that “Must See TV” umbrella.
His conversation at ATX is expected to look at both that legacy and his continued impact through projects like The Handmaid’s Tale and Fargo.
👀 New Series First Looks
ATX is also leaning into what’s next.
- Anna Pigeon (USA Network)
Starring Tracy Spiridakos, this adaptation of Nevada Barr’s novels follows a park ranger solving crimes in national parks while dealing with personal trauma. The panel will include the cast and creatives, along with a first look at the series ahead of its debut. - Agatha Christie’s Tommy & Tuppence (BritBox)
A modern take on the iconic detective duo, starring Antonia Thomas and Josh Dylan. The screening will be followed by a Q&A diving into how they’re reimagining these classic characters for today.
📺 And That’s Not Even All of It…
This is on top of previously announced programming that already had my attention, including:
- A 20th anniversary reunion for Friday Night Lights
- A comedy night with Ray Romano and Phil Rosenthal
- A retrospective on Homicide: Life on the Street
- And a 75th anniversary celebration of I Love Lucy
Plus a mix of industry conversations, indie showcases, and behind-the-scenes panels that really get into how TV gets made—not just what ends up on screen.
BADGES and TV PASSES for ATX TV Festival (May 28-31, 2026) are available now: atxfestival.com/attend
SINGLE TICKETS for Select Events at the Paramount and Stateside Theaters are on sale now: https://www.austintheatre.org/atx-tv-festival/
