Must-See TV ... Festival

Cast of beloved NBC drama heading to Texas for very special family reunion

The Bravermans are coming to Texas.

ATX Television Festival has a penchant for pulling off epic reunions of bygone TV shows such as Gilmore Girls (before the Netflix special series!), Friday Night Lights, Felicity, and Veronica Mars. When it returns to Texas on June 4-7, 2020, however, the festival is going all in on everybody's favorite show to cry about — Parenthood.

The NBC drama ran from 2010-2015 and told the story of the Braverman clan, a Southern California family just trying to get through all of the many, many, many hurdles that life and the show's writing staff threw their way. It was also famous for sob-inducing moments long before Dan Fogelman decided to break hearts every week with This Is Us.

Scheduled to attend next year's ATX Television Festival in downtown Austin is nearly the entire cast, including Peter Krause, Lauren Graham, Monica Potter, Erika Christensen, Mae Whitman, and Craig T. Nelson. Noticeably absent is Dax Shepherd, but the release did tease that additional participants will be announced at a later date.

The cast will join creator/executive producer Jason Katims and writer/executive producer David Hudgins for "a live script reading and panel conversation celebrating 10 years since the series premiere," says a release.

Along with the Parenthood cast reunion, ATX Television Festival will also reuinite the writers of Justified; feature a retrospective of HBO's groundbreaking Oz with series creator/executive producer Tom Fontana and cast members Lee Tergesen and Dean Winters; and screen the unaired pilot for L.A. Confidential, a show that was not picked up during the 2018 pilot season.

Other exciting additions include a panel on women in the television industry hosted by NBC. The panel will discuss, among other things, the network's Female Forward program, which helps women break into television directing.

The festival is also bringing back its popular The Pitch Competition, now in its eighth year. The competition gives undiscovered writers the opportunity to pitch ideas directly to network executives.

“The Pitch Competition is often the highlight of the festival for us,” said festival co-founders and co-directors Caitlin McFarland and Emily Gipson in a release. “Over the last seven years, our winners have received mentorship, gained representation, pitched to top networks, and even sold their pitch to a major studio." Writers interested in taking part must submit a 90-second video pitch and writing sample for an original scripted series by January 17.

For those just looking to revel in all things television, badges and day wristbands are on sale now. Badges begin at $295, and can be purchased here.

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New Parks

Texas to open massive new state park in the Hill Country

Photo from property listing by Icon Global

Silver Lake Ranch adds 54,000 acres to Texas' public lands.

Texans will soon have a massive new state park to explore, second only to Big Bend Ranch State Park in size. Silver Lake Ranch, the 54,000-acre plot of land spanning Edwards and Kinney counties, was owned by the Moody Foundation, and now, largely thanks to a major philanthropic gift, it's headed into public hands.

The Moody Foundation gifted its 87.5 percent ownership interest in the ranch to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD), with TPWD purchasing the remaining interest for $11.85 million. The funds come from the Centennial Parks Conservation Fund and Sporting Goods Sales Tax — both approved by Texas voters.

“The Moody Foundation is proud to help preserve this remarkable stretch of Texas Hill Country and make it accessible for generations to come,” said Ross Moody in a press release. “Silver Lake Ranch represents the natural beauty, history, and spirit of our state, and we are honored to make this gift to Texas Parks and Wildlife to ensure it remains protected and enjoyed by all Texans for years ahead.”

The property will officially become Silver Lake State Park, named for the spring-fed 30-acre lake at its heart. Nestled between Rocksprings and Uvalde, the land is home to some beautiful Hill Country wildlife and nature, about two hours from San Antonio.

Currently the park is in its most rugged and undeveloped form: steep limestone canyons drop into rolling hills lined with live oaks and juniper trees, with miles of river frontage tracing the West Nueces River. Several creeks wind through the property, including Sycamore Creek, Lost Creek, and North Spring Creek, along with Blue Waterhole and Dutch Waterhole.

Caves and other landmarks dot the landscape, and wildlife includes white-tailed deer, turkey, javelina, and dove. Portions of the property have even been identified as a potential habitat for the endangered golden-cheeked warbler.

According to the press release, this land, previously used for sheep and cattle ranching, will be developed in phases over the next several years, also using the Centennial Parks Conservation Fund. Initially, access to the park might look like guided tours and limited day-use opportunities while planning and infrastructure are underway. Later, trails and basic visitor facilities will be added, and ultimately, the park will include expanded recreational amenities like camping and paddling access.

Now that the acquisition is complete, TPWD staff and private contractors plan to gather feedback from the public and surrounding communities to help map out recreational opportunities. This may take "many months to complete," says the press release. TPWD will communicate any upcoming milestones, including a potential opening date, at TexasStateParks.org

"This is an exciting addition to our state park system, and we are grateful to our partners at the Moody Foundation for their philanthropy and for bringing this slice of the hill country to the people of Texas," TPWD Executive Director David Yoskowitz says in the press release.

And as folks are pointing out on TPDW's reel announcing the new park: it's "Better than any subdivision."

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