The ATX Festival Will Honor James Burrows Plans to Celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the Cheers Final

The 12th season of the ATX TV Festival will take place June 1-4, 2023 in Austin, Texas and has announced its first round of programming.

The festival presents its annual Achievement in Television Excellence Award to director, producer, creator and writer James Burrows. He will attend a talk about his career as co-creator/director of cheersWinner of 11 Emmy Awards and director of over 1,000 television episodes, including hit sitcoms Taxi, Friends, Frasier, Will & Grace, and more.

“James Burrow’s impact on television as a medium is unparalleled and his impact on the lives of so many TV fans – including ours – cannot be overstated,” said Jennifer Morgan, director of programming at ATX. “We are thrilled to have the opportunity to celebrate his indelible career and the joy his work continues to bring to both the industry and viewers.”

Launched in 2014, the Achievement in Television Excellence Award aims to recognize individuals whose careers reflect the best of television through work that is thought-provoking, candid, comprehensive and entertaining. As a 2023 Festival winner, Burrows joins former honorary members Henry Winkler, James L. Brooks, Norman Lear, Marcy Carsey, Phylicia Rashad, Michael J. Fox and Guild of America President Lesli Linka Glatter.

Alongside the awards ceremony, Burrows will join co-creators and longtime collaborators Les and Glen Charles to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the finale of their groundbreaking series. cheers. The retrospective talk will reflect on the decades-long series and its definitive place in television history, offering an inside look at the popular show. Additional panelists will be announced later.

The festival also hosts a talk with the creative team behind the Showtime thriller homeland, which aired the series finale in April 2020. Over the course of its eight-year run home country won five Golden Globes, eight Emmys, the 2011 Peabody Award, two WGA Awards for Best New Series and Episodic Drama, and two DGA Awards for Outstanding Directing Achievement in a Drama Series. Overall, “Homeland” has more than 60 wins and 175 nominations.

Writer/Executive Producers Alex Gansa and Howard Gordon (24) and director/executive producer Lesli Linka Glatter (love and death) come together for a unique look at the scope of the series’ sprawling, international production, which was shot on 10 locations in seven countries. Additional panelists will be announced at a later date.

For ticket sales and program details, visit the festival’s revamped website atxfestival.com. For details on ATX TV’s year-round programming, extra-festival events, its membership program and more, visit the recently launched atxtv.co website.

The festival also opened entries for “The Pitch Competition,” which offers the undiscovered budding television writer a chance to pitch his or her original idea and script to television’s biggest showrunners, producers and executives. ATX TV fulfills its mission to provide aspiring writers with the opportunity, tools, and resources to reach the next level in their writing careers by building a year-round community of support with their panelists, alumni, advisory board members, and contest partners.

Writers have until January 29, 2023 to submit their best 90-second pitch video and writing sample for an original screenplay series, which will be judged by multiple panels of expert judging panels for the chance to perform live at the festival in June.

All finalists will receive one (1) general meeting with one of the Pitch Contest judges, virtual meetings with showrunners, executives and producers throughout the year, and access to additional events The Black List and Sundance Episode Program. The winner will receive mentorship with a pitch competition judge or an ATX TV panelist and the opportunity to pitch their series to one of the festival’s studio/network partners. For complete information on how and where to submit, visit atxfestival.com/pitch.