Though yours truly has been attending the ATX Television Festival since season one, this is the first time ATXgossip has had a team covering, dare I say it, the best festival Austin has to offer. Of course, this TV loving pop culture savant may be just a little bit biased.

Kerri Russell at ATX Television Festival 2018.

Taking part in ATXgossip team coverage of ATX Television Festival this year is Lola, our DFW correspondent, and Sofia, our newest addition who is also new to the biz.

Before I tell you what these lovely ladies are looking forward to, let me me start by breaking down the panels I am most excited to check out.

Dani’s Top ATX Television Festival Picks

Fear the Walking Dead: Duh. If you follow me here, on the ATXgossip IG account or over at Austin.com, you know that FTWD makes me happy. And how could it not? It’s shot right here in the ATX. Not only will we get to see the second episode before everyone else, but we’ll also be treated to a Q&A with producers and cast, which includes Maggie Grace, Rubén Blades, Karen David, Alexa Nisenson and Lennie James.

Good Trouble: I am a huge fan of Freeform. What’s that you say? I’m a little old to watch Freeform?! Not true! There is some high quality TV happening over on that network and I am loving it! Speaking of loving it, I can’t wait for the return of Good Trouble. The series continues the story of Callie and Mariana from the series The Fosters, which I watched from the beginning. In fact, very early on I interviewed cast member Jay Ali who went on to star on Netflix’s Daredevil.

Drunk History: I’ve been a hold out on jumping on the Drunk History band wagon, which really makes no sense since I am a history buff who loves drunken antics. I think perhaps the first episode I saw was a stinker and so it put a bad taste in my mouth. Well, I’ve spit out that first taste and I’m ready to down a glass of goodness. I can’t wait to attend this extra special Drunk History event with creator, host and actor Derek Waters along with special guests, including Colin Hanks!

Sofia’s Top ATX Television Festival Picks

As this year will be her first time attending the ATX TV Festival Sofia has no idea what to expect. She says she’s ecstatic about the talent that she’s going to encounter as she’s been following many of the actors that will be in attendance for years.

Here are just a few of the events she said she’s looking forward to.

Euphoria: As someone who grew up watching most of my television programs on the Disney Channel I was over the moon when I found out that Zendaya was going to be a panelist at this years festival for her new show Euphoria, premiering June 16. I’ve followed Zendaya pretty much throughout her entire career so I’m excited to see her take on a more edgy role playing a 17-year-old recovering drug addict searching for a new identity.

Good Trouble: Over the past few months I’ve gotten into a show that has been on my watchlist ever since it started re-airing on Netflix and that is The Fosters. I’ve yet to finish the show, however, when I heard that the spin-off series Good Trouble, would be featured at the TV Fest this year, I couldn’t contain my excitement. We all know that feeling of watching a show and getting swept up in the characters so much so, that when you’re not watching it you’re counting down the minutes until you can cozy up on your couch again and binge. The Fosters has been that show for me so I can’t wait to begin Good Trouble; and I’m looking forward to getting a taste for the show this upcoming weekend.

James Lafferty and Stephen Colletti of Everyone is Doing Great.

Everyone is Doing Great: This year will be the second time Everyone is Doing Great is at the ATX Television Festival. The crowd-funded series stars James Lafferty and Stephen Colletti who both previously starred on the hit TV show One Tree Hill. I’ve watched One Tree Hill two times through and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t thinking about watching it again for the third time. Last year, I was so close to buying tickets to the Everyone is Doing Great panel, however, I was unable to attend due to conflicting dates. So when I was given the opportunity to attend as part of the press at this years ATX TV Fest I felt like I was dreaming. Needless to say, I’m eager to attend!

Lola’s Top ATX Television Festival Picks

Lola and I actually met at the ATX Fest, bonding over our love of angsty teen dramas and Nico Tortorella. Over the past year, I slowly convinced Lola to join the ATXgossip team. I may or may not have bribed her with lots of tequila and surprise dance parties with Danielle Brooks and Olivia Wilde.

Not her first rodeo, Lola know exactly what to expect from this one-of-a-kind festival. Overall She loves that this years lineup is a healthy mix of shows she loves and people from shows I love talking about subjects that matter.  Here’s what she has to say about the panels she’s most looking forward to at this year’s fest.

Lola gets a hug from Nico Tortorella at ATX Television Festival 2018.

Veronica Mars: How rare is it that a show gets canceled, then made into a movie – paid for by the fans – then gets picked up as a series… 15 years after its original airing. I can’t wait for the Veronica Mars panel, which will include Austinite Rob Thomas (creator) and some of the original cast! Sadly, no Kristen Bell though!

Grey’s Anatomy: Another panel that I’m really excited about is the Grey’s Anatomy panel where they will be screening their most recent episode called “Silent All These Years.” The episode addresses sexual assault and consents. While I’m not excited about the subject matter, I am excited to hear about how they created an episode that so authentically represents an unfortunate circumstance – one that no one wants to talk about or hear about, let alone be part of.

Carina MacKenzie: The final two panels that I’m very excited to see have something in common and that is Carina MacKenzie! She is the showrunner and writer of Roswell, New Mexico, the Roswell reboot. She’s also on the Resistance, Inclusion, Creating Authentic Muslim Narratives panel which is presented by the Muslim Public Affairs Council. If you’ve ever seen Carina Mackenzie’s work it is very apparent that inclusion is important to her. Not just Muslim inclusion but inclusion for all.

And there you have it! But these aren’t the only things we’re excited about at the fest. There are so many ATX-tra events planned for the weekend. Make sure you’re following ATXgossip on Instagram to keep up with all the fun!

To learn more about the schedule and purchase tickets, click here.

Want more ATX Television Festival fun?
Check out these posts:

• Celebs Attending ATX Fest 2019
• Highlights from ATX Television Festival 2018
• Meet the Ladies Behind the ATX Fest
• One-on-One with Scott Wolf and ATX Fest 2012