ATX Television Festival Launches New Podcast Series: The TV Campfire
The ATX Television Festival now has even more to offer thanks to its new podcast, The TV Campfire, which launched today.
The annual festival, which takes place next month (June 7-10), has premiered its inaugural podcast series, The TV Campfire, as a part of its ATX TV Podcast Network.
The series is co-produced by Madica Productions and provides an insider’s perspective into the world of television with special guests including Bill Lawrence (Scrubs, Cougar Town), David Simon (The Wire), Jason Katims (Friday Night Lights, Parenthood), Marta Kauffman (Friends), among others. It aims to serve as an extension of the ATX Television Festival.
The new podcast takes a deep dive into the social issues, the seminal moments, and behind the scenes content that captivates television viewers and the people who make it. The first two episodes are already available. Find descriptions for those episodes as well as other upcoming episodes below.
“We’re so incredibly excited to launch our first podcast that is completely and 100% inspired by the festival. Each of our six original episodes are topics taken directly from past festival panels, but have been focused down to 1:1 conversations with some of the most impressive people in TV. We couldn’t have done this without the support of Madica, who said yes before we had even finished asking the question. Producing this series has been a true gift to the two of us, to sit down with TV creators to talk about the past and future of the industry, both from the viewpoint as TV fans themselves as well as the people responsible for our favorite shows,” ATX Festival cofounders Caitlin McFarland and Emily Gipson stated.
“We have been looking for a way to work with Caitlin and Emily on creating content around the ATX brand and think that this podcast series is the perfect vehicle for all types of TV fanatics,” said Madica Productions managing director Jeff Tahler. “We hope this is the first of many ways to share what makes ATX such a unique and dynamic experience.”
Photos from the 2017 ATX Television Festival:
Here’s a look at the descriptions for the new podcast’s upcoming episodes:
Episode 1- A Showrunner Defined (5/23) – “show·run·ner ˈSHōˌrənər/ Noun the person who has overall creative authority and management responsibility for a television program.” Despite its clear and succinct definition, the job of the showrunner is anything but concise. Every series is run differently, and every job has a new set of perks and challenges. In this episode, Carlton Cuse and Kerry Ehrin discuss what their job actually is, swap on-set stories, ask each other for advice, and share a little insight on the lessons they’ve learned along the way.
Episode Guests: Carlton Cuse (Lost, Bates Motel) & Kerry Ehrin (Bates Motel, Friday Night Lights).
Episode 2 – TV Mixtapes (5/23) – Music for television is a distinct language that creates a vivid world for viewers. The music for a show is critical. It can be charming and catchy, subtle and haunting, powerfully cinematic, and even create a story or character. These guests discuss their journeys in the television industry, the relationship music plays in both their work and everyday lives, and how their roles as series creator, music supervisor, and editor combined create the perfect TV mixtape, one that stays with the viewer long after the episode ends.
Episode Guests: Liza Richardson, Jason Katims, Angela Catanzaro (Friday Night Lights, Parenthood, Rise).
Episode 3 – Complex, Not Complicated (5/30) – The powerhouse creator and actor behind One Day At a Time discuss the legacy of female characters on television, the urgency to find and support diverse representation at this particular moment, and why there’s no one way to write or portray a “strong” woman. We explore power dynamics on and off camera, the roles of sex and gender in storytelling, and avoiding the pitfalls of tropes of all types. This episode doesn’t shy away from the white hot sparks of change and the tough questions that go along with it. Listen in as incredible women share their paths forward, and tell us how they create the incredible characters we love onscreen. Episode Guests: Gloria Calderon Kellett (writer/producer, One Day At A Time) & Justina Machado(Six Feet Under, One Day at a Time).
Episode 4: What’s Your Pitch (6/6) – Ever wonder how your favorite series was pitched in the room? How’d they get a studio/network on board with the show that eventually made it to your screen? Did it morph along the way into something new? What never changed? In this episode we’re bringing you the whole journey, including pre-pitch routines, what it’s like to co-create a show with your mother (have Kleenex ready!), and some behind-the-scenes anecdotes of one of the most iconic shows of all time that will have you have laughing as much as the series itself. Episode Guests: Marta Kauffman and daughter and producer Hannah KS Canter (Grace & Frankie).
Episode 5: First Gigs, Big Breaks (6/13) – That elusive moment, that life-changing instant – that big break. Breaking into every industry requires that perfect storm combination of timing, luck, talent, and relationships. In TV it means getting a showrunner to take a risk on a newcomer. This episode explores that moment from both sides: the waiting, the tipping point, the first big gig, and what motivates someone to take a risk on a fresh face. Episode Guests: Bill Lawrence (Cougar Town, Scrubs), Kevin Biegel (Cougar Town).
Episode 6: Politically Minded (6/20) – As real world political issues continue to be a relentless barrage on our Twitter feeds and real lives, filling the role of “reality is stranger than fiction,” TV’s “imaginary” landscape can be difficult to view through an escapist lens. Creatives almost have no choice but to incorporate true political issues into their narratives through fictional worlds and characters. From local activism, to racial tension, to education, to incarceration, series are grounding their politics in issues that incorporate our true cultural climate and hit close to home. The goal becomes to educate and empower viewers without sacrificing entertainment in the process.
Episode Guests: David Simon (The Wire), Robert & Michelle King (The Good Wife, The Good Fight).
To listen to the podcast, visit http://www.atelevisionexperience.com/podcasts/ or find The TV Campfire wherever you listen to podcasts.
You can find out more about the ATX Television Festival here. And stay tuned for our coverage of this year’s festival, which will take place in Austin, Texas from June 7th – June 10th.
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Ashley Bissette Sumerel
Ashley Bissette Sumerel is a television and film critic living in Wilmington, North Carolina. She is editor-in-chief of Tell-Tale TV as well as Eulalie Magazine. Ashley has also written for outlets such as Rolling Stone, Paste Magazine, and Insider. Ashley has been a member of the Critics Choice Association since 2017 and is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic. In addition to her work as an editor and critic, Ashley teaches Entertainment Journalism, Composition, and Literature at the University of North Carolina Wilmington.