The Battle of the Gullet is coming to Austin! ATX TV Festival (May 28-31) has just announced a first look at the eagerly awaited season 3 of House of the Dragon, the first expansion series from the blockbuster Game of Thrones, will be part of this year’s opening night lineup.
It’s been a long two years since the last clashes leading up to the civil war among the Targaryens appeared on TV screens. Now showrunner and series co-creator Ryan Condal will be giving ATX TV audiences a glimpse of what’s to come in the Dance of Dragons. Not only that, but he’ll be joined by cast members Steve Toussaint (the Sea Snake, Lord Corlys Velaryon), Abubakar Salim (Corlys’ illegitimate son, Alyn of Hull), Harry Collett (heir apparent to the Iron Throne, Jacaerys Velaryon), and Bethany Antonio (Jacaerys’ betrothed, Lady Baela Targaryen).
As ATX TV enters its 15th season, the celebration of all things small screen had already announced major reunions for the Austin-created Friday Night Lights, groundbreaking cop drama Homicide: Life on the Streets, and Everybody Loves Raymond (which is now on vintage station MeTV alongside Perry Mason and The Andy Griffith Show and so we’re now all officially old). There’ll also be an I Love Lucy table read, and a look at the new show with She-Hulk and Orphan Black star Tatiana Maslany, Maximum Pleasure.
Those first looks continue with exclusive previews of two more eagerly anticipated new shows. First, fans of Nevada Barr’s Anna Pigeon books get to see their favorite wilderness detective stories come to life. In the new show from USA Network, Tracy Spiridakos plays Anna Pigeon, a former New Yorker who finds there’s more crime in the countryside when she becomes a park ranger. The preview will be followed by a conversation with Spiridakos, showrunner/EP Morwyn Brebner, and director Lea Thompson.
For those of you that love a little bit of entertainment from across the pond, there’ll be a special sneak look at upcoming BritBox Original Agatha Christie’s Tommy & Tuppence. While maybe not as famous as some other creations of the grand dame of mysteries, the detective duo headlined her second published novel, 1922’s The Secret Adversary. In the new series, Thomas “Tommy” Beresford (Josh Dylan) and Prudence “Tuppence” Beresford (Antonia Thomas) have their exploits of derring-do updated for modern audiences. Stick around after the screening, as the stars will be in attendance.
Of course, it’s not ATX TV without Bill Lawrence. The festival fixture behind so many of your favorite shows (Spin City, HBO’s new series Rooster, Ted Lasso, Shrinking, Bad Monkey, and, of course, Scrubs) is back for the umpteenth but still unmissable time with Bill Lawrence & Friends. Oh, and did we mention that he’ll also be receiving the 2026 Showrunner Award for his massive impact on TV?
He’s not the only award winner announced, as another sitcom powerhouse gets some recognition. From Golden Girls to Fresh Prince of Bel Air, Friends, Seinfeld, and Fargo, Warren Littlefield has been one of the most influential figures on TV for decades and now will be the inaugural recipient of the festival’s Creative Impact Award.
The 2026 ATX TV Festival takes place May 28-31 in Downtown Austin. Find badge and pass info here, and catch up with the Chronicle’s decade-and-a-half of festival coverage here.