TRIBECA TV® FESTIVAL RETURNS TO BRING THE SMALL SCREEN TO THE BIG SCREEN WITH ICONS, FAN FAVORITES AND NEW VOICES

Season Premieres of HBO’s Tracey Ullman’s Show; Showtime’s Ray Donovan; NBC’s 20th Season of Law & Order: SVU; and a Special Presentation of CNN’s Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown

Talks with Bryan Cranston, Rosario Dawson, and a Look Back at 10 Years of Dealmaking on ABC’s Shark Tank  
Series Premieres of CNN’s American Style; National Geographic’s Valley of the Boom; and YouTube Premium’s Wayne

Calling all TV fans, the Tribeca TV Festival is back on the big screen bringing audiences together to discover new series and be the first to see favorite new season premieres. The 2nd Tribeca TV Festival will celebrate unforgettable storytellers who have shaped what ‘peak TV’ is today and introduce new voices in episodic storytelling. Over four days at Spring Studios in New York City, each event will feature a conversation with the stars and creators of favorite and soon-to-be-favorite shows. The 2018 Tribeca TV Festival will take place September 20-23. Tickets go on sale today, August 22, at 11am ET at tribecafilm.com/TVFestival.

“TV reaches audiences anywhere--in their homes, on their tablets, on their phones--but it’s also special to experience them on the big screen with others at the Tribeca TV Festival,” said Robert De Niro.

Tribeca TV celebrates the pioneers who have broken boundaries in episodic storytelling and those who will continue to do so this fall and beyond. Programming highlights include the 20th season premiere of NBC’s Law & Order: SVU with star and executive producer Mariska Hargitay and executive producer Dick Wolf, longtime co-star Ice-T, and current cast; a look back at 10 years of dealmakingon ABC’s Shark Tank’s with the Sharks; new season premieres from Emmy®-nominated Tracey Ullman’s Show with star and executive producer Tracey Ullman interviewed by Meryl Streep; Showtime’s Emmy®-nominated Ray Donovan with producer and star Liev Schreiber; CBS’s Madam Secretary with star Téa Leoni, Sony Crackle’s Startup with Ron Perlman, Adam Brody, and more.

The Festival will host the world premiere of the first episode of season 12 premiere of CNN’s Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknownwith Bourdain and W. Kamau Bell in Kenya. This special presentation will be an extended cut of the final episode finished with Anthony Bourdain’s full involvement, and the last to feature his narration. The screening will be followed by a conversation with Bell as well as Bourdain’s closest collaborators.

Tribeca will world premiere the zany limited series Valley of the Boom from National Geographic which mixes scripted and unscripted storytelling to chart the rise and burst of the dot-com boom. The writers of Deadpool, Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, will debut their teenage edgy comedy dramedy Wayne from YouTube Premium.

The program will include Tribeca Talks: A Conversation with Bryan Cranston and the latest installment of the Tribeca Talks: The Journey, inspired by TUMI, series with Rosario Dawson. Both conversations will be centered on the dynamic careers and indelible characters each have brought to life throughout their careers. 

The Festival has added Fall Pilot Season, a section of indie pilots, showcasing exciting new voices in episodic storytelling. An extension of pilot season from April’s Tribeca Film Festival, these five comedies play with conventions of adulthood, sex and…William Shakespeare. Also premiering is a section of genre stories, Midnight Episodics, that explore the dark side.

"Tribeca has created a platform that lets episodic storytellers experience their stories directly with their audiences,” said Jane Rosenthal, Co-Founder and Executive Chair of Tribeca. “We’re excited to celebrate these cultural icons and new voices with the second annual TV Festival."

“Through episodic storytelling you become deeply invested in characters for years, or even decades. At Tribeca TV we are celebrating the genius of Tracey Ullman and her characters we have loved for 30 years, the 20 anniversary of Law & Order SVU and the creators and characters who have enthralled us, the 6th season of Liev Schreiber’s Ray Donovan, Bryan Cranston’s dynamic performances throughout his career, and finally a decade of Shark Tank and all of the careers they have launched,” said Paula Weinstein, EVP of Tribeca Enterprises.

“With so much incredible work being showcased on TV, the process of discovery can be the most exciting- and the most overwhelming- for audiences. Tribeca TV it here to help!  We hope our guests will discover their newest TV obsession among our series premieres from Valley of the Boom to American Style, or broaden their horizons even further with world premiere indie pilots and digital series.

2018 TRIBECA TV FESTIVAL LINEUP:

PREMIERES

American Style (CNN) – World Premiere

Executive produced by Marty Moe, Chad Mumm, Britt Aboutaleb, and Dan Partland.

American Style examines how America’s changing style through the decades has mirrored the political, social, and economic climate of the time, shaping our unique American identity. Using archival footage and interviews with fashion experts and cultural figures including Donna Karen, Vanessa Williams, Beverly Johnson, Isaac Mizrahi, Andre Leon Talley, John Varvatos, and more, American Style will highlight the most iconic moments from fashion, history, and pop culture, giving audiences a front row seat to the runway of American history. 

·         After the Screening: A conversation with contributor Tim Gunn and more.

• Event time: September 23 at 2:00pm ET

Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown (CNN) – Season 12 World Premiere

Executive Produced by Anthony Bourdain, Christopher Collins, Lydia Tenaglia, Sandra Zweig.

Anthony Bourdain introduces W. Kamau Bell (United Shades of America) to the distinctive sights, tastes, and sounds of Kenya. It is Bell’s first trip to the African continent, and to a country that holds a personal connection for him. Through the eyes of Bourdain and Bell, and their first experiences with this highly dynamic deeply, soulful and beautiful country we ask, what will a future Kenya… for Kenyans…. by Kenyans…look like? In this special presentation, viewers will see an extended cut of the final episode finished with Anthony Bourdain’s full involvement, and the last to feature his narration. The screening will be followed by a conversation with Bourdain’s closest collaborators.

●      After the Screening: A conversation with W. Kamau Bell, Director Morgan Fallon, Showrunner Sandy Zweig and Executive Producer Lydia Tenaglia moderated by CNN anchor John Berman.

○      Event time: September 22 at 7:30pm ET

Law & Order: SVU (NBC) – 20th Anniversary Celebration

Executive produced by and created by: Dick Wolf
Executive Producers: Michael Chernuchin, Julie Martin, Mariska Hargitay, Alex Chapple, Arthur Forney, Peter Jankowski.

Twenty seasons strong, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit is the longest-running primetime drama currently on television. This hard-hitting and emotional series from Dick Wolf’s Law & Order brand chronicles the cases of the Special Victims Unit of the New York City Police Department, an elite squad of detectives who bring justice to the victims of sexual assault, child abuse and domestic violence.  The Tribeca TV Festival is proud to pay tribute to two decades of this iconic and impactful New York City fan-favorite with an exclusive preview screening of the 20th season premiere and a conversation with those both in front of and behind the camera who have madeSVU the institution it is today.

●      After the Screening: A conversation with Creator and Executive Producer Dick Wolf, star and Executive ProducerMariska Hargitay, co-stars Ice T, Kelli Giddish, Peter Scanavino, Philip Winchester, and more.

○      Event time: September 20 at 6:00pm ET

Madam Secretary (CBS) – Season 5 World Premiere

Executive Produced by Barbara Hall, Lori McCreary, David Grae, Eric Stoltz and Morgan Freeman.

Madam Secretary stars Téa Leoni as Elizabeth McCord, the shrewd, determined secretary of state who drives international diplomacy and circumvents protocol as she negotiates global and domestic issues, both at the White House and at home. A college professor and a brilliant former CIA analyst who left for ethical reasons, Elizabeth returned to public life at the request of President Conrad Dalton, who values McCord’s apolitical leanings, deep knowledge of the Middle East, flair for languages, and ability to not just think outside the box, but not even acknowledge there is a box. In the season 5 premiere, Elizabeth McCord seeks advice on a delicate situation from her predecessors, guest stars and former secretaries of state Hillary Clinton, Colin Powell, and Madeleine Albright

●        After the Screening:  A conversation with Téa Leoni and cast.

○        Event time: September 20 at 8:15pm ET

Ray Donovan (Showtime) – Season 6 Premiere

Executive Produced by David Hollander, Mark Gordon, Bryan Zuriff and Lou Fusaro, and created by Ann Biderman.

As season six of Ray Donovan begins, we find Ray (Schreiber) rebuilding his life both personally and professionally in New York City. After being rescued from a plummet into the East River, his savior, a cop named Mac (Domenick Lombardozzi), brings Ray into the fraternity that is the Staten Island Police Department. While exploring this new world of brotherhood and corruption, Ray finds himself once again working for media mogul Sam Winslow (Susan Sarandon). Sam has teamed up with New York City mayoral candidate Anita Novak (Lola Glaudini), a partnership that puts Ray at odds with his new friends out in Staten Island.

●      After the Screening: A conversation with Showrunner David Hollander and cast members Liev Schreiber and Jon Voight.

○        Event time: September 23 at 5:00pm ET

StartUp (Sony Crackle) – Season 3 World Premiere

Executive Produced by Ben Ketai, Gianni Nunnari, Shannon Gaulding, Tom Forman, Andrew Marcus, Ray Ricord and Anne Clements.

Back for 10 thrilling new episodes, StartUp premieres Season 3 of this internationally acclaimed series at the 2018 Tribeca TV Festival. Following the professional and personal travails of Araknet, a tech darknet company, and its ruthlessly ambitious staff,StartUp builds with high stakes tension as the team fights their most threatening adversary to date—the U.S. Government. Get in on this buzzed about and provocative original drama.

●        After the Screening: A conversation with creator, writer and Director Ben Ketai and cast members Edi Gathegi, Ron Perlman, Adam Brody, and Otmara Marrero.

○      Event time: September 21 at 6:30pm ET

Tracey Ullman’s Show (HBO) – Season 3 International Premiere

Executive Producer: Tracey Ullman.

Celebrated British actress/comedian Tracey Ullman returns for a third season of her three-time Emmy®-nominated HBO sketch-comedy series, reprising her takes on beloved real and fictional characters from seasons' past, including a devilish Dame Judi Dench; long-suffering German Chancellor Angela Merkel; spunky Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall; newly-minted stepmother Jerry Hall; ever-optimistic spinster Kay Clark; and many more. This season, Ullman introduces an entertaining and razor-sharp set of new impersonations, including British Prime Minister Theresa May and French First Lady Brigitte Macron, among others.

●        After the Screening: A conversation with star and executive producer Tracey Ullman interviewed by Meryl Streep.

○        Event time: September 21 at 5:45pm ET

Valley of the Boom (National Geographic) – New Series World Premiere

Executive Producers: Arianna Huffington, Matthew Carnahan, Jason Goldberg, Brant Pinvidic and David Walpert.

Valley of the Boom takes an adrenaline-fueled ride through the culture of speculation, innovation and disruption during Silicon Valley’s unprecedented tech boom and subsequent bust in the 1990s. It’s a timely and captivating story, starring two-time Emmy® award-winning actor Bradley Whitford, Steve Zahn, and Lamorne Morris, told through an irreverent blend of drama, comedy and pathos. While most of the show is scripted, Showrunner/Director Matthew Carnahan weaves in select documentary elements that help tell the true inside story of the internet’s fascinating formative years.

●      After the Screening: A conversation with creator Matthew Carnahan, cast members Bradley Whitford, Steve Zahn,Lamorne Morris, and real-life subject Stephan Paternot, founder of TheGlobe.com.

○        Event time: September 21 at 7:45pm ET

Wayne (YouTube Premium) – New Series World Premiere

Executive Produced by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, and created by Shawn Simmons.

From the writers of Deadpool and Zombieland, Wayne is a gritty, hilarious, and sometimes bloody roadtrip adventure tale of young love and reckless youth. When the titular teenage renegade’s 1978 Pontiac Trans Am is stolen from his father on his deathbed, Wayne sets out with nothing but a dirt bike and his new crush Del to take back his rightful inheritance. From Southie to South Florida, it is Wayne and Del against the world in this propulsive new must-watch show.  

●      After the Screening: A conversation with series creator Shawn Simmons, stars Mark McKenna and Ciara Bravo,director Iain B. MacDonald, and writer and executive producers Greg Coolidge, Kirk Ward, Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick.

○      Event time: September 23 at 4:30pm ET

TRIBECA TALKS

Tribeca Talks: A Conversation with Bryan Cranston

Marking the 10th anniversary since Breaking Bad premiered, the remarkable Bryan Cranston will discuss his illustrious career as one of the most versatile performers over the last three decades. First making waves as affable dad, Hal on Malcolm in the Middle and Dr. Tim Whatley on Seinfeld, Cranston drew worldwide acclaim playing high school teacher - turned drug kingpin, Walter White, for which he won numerous awards including four Emmys. In 2014, Cranston won the Tony Award for his portrayal of Lyndon B. Johnson in the Broadway’s All the Way, for which he reprised the role for the HBO adaptation of the same name. Cranston’s production company, Moonshot Entertainment produced All The Way and has developed various television series including Sneaky Pete, The Dangerous Book for Boys, and Philip K. Dick’s Electric Dreams for Amazon, as well as the Emmy-nominated animated series SuperMansion for Sony/Crackle. Most recently, Cranston was nominated for a 2018 Emmy for his guest-starring role as Larry’s therapist on Curb Your Enthusiasm, and this November, he brings to Broadway his Olivier Award-winning performance as the "Mad as Hell" Howard Beale, in Paddy Chayefsky’s Network. Tribeca is proud to host the accomplished and multi-hyphenate Mr. Cranston for a rare opportunity to understand the career that has come to epitomize the golden age of television.

Event time: September 22 at 4:00pm ET

Tribeca Talks: The Journey, Inspired by TUMI, with Rosario Dawson

Rosario Dawson’s prolific career has taken her from film and television performer, to comic book writer, producer, singer and activist. Dawson first came to attention with her breakout performance in Larry Clark’s film Kids, and went on to star in a range of films including the Sin City franchise, 25th Hour, and RENT. On the small screen, Dawson first starred as Claire Temple in the Netflix adaptation of Marvel’s Daredevil, and has since reprised her role in the Marvel/Netflix series Luke Cage, Iron Fist, Jessica Jones and The Defenders. Dawson had a recurring role on the hit series Jane the Virgin and starred in and executive produced the acclaimed web series Gemini Division. Dawson is set to produce and star in USA’s upcoming series Briarpatch, written and executive produced by Andy Greenwald (Legion) and executive produced by Sam Esmail (Mr. Robot). As an activist, Dawson lends her time to a myriad of organizations, most notably Voto Latino, which she co-founded in 2004. In 2013, Rosario co-founded Studio 189, a fashion and media lifestyle brand made in Africa that produces African and African-inspired content and clothing. The brand currently operates a store in NY and Accra, Ghana, collaborates with brands including EDUN (LVMH) and Yoox Net a Porter, and has been the recipient of various awards including the Martin Luther King Jr Social Justice award. Tribeca and TUMI are proud to host this remarkable actress as she illuminates her journey from film to television and beyond.

●        Event time: September 22 at 5:45pm ET

Tribeca Talks: Ten Years of Shark Tank (ABC) 
Executive Producers: Mark Burnett, Clay Newbill, Yun Lingner, Max Swedlow, Phil Gurin, Mark Cuban, Barbara Corcoran, Lori Greiner, Robert Herjavec, Daymond John, Kevin O’Leary.
Tribeca is bringing the Sharks to New York to celebrate the 10th season and a momentous 200 episodes of ABC’s Shark Tank, the critically acclaimed and four-time Emmy Award-winning show that reinvigorated entrepreneurship and gave hundreds of aspiring entrepreneurs the chance of a lifetime: to showcase their products to more than 7 million viewers and pitch their business to a panel of potential investors. Shark Tank investors Barbara Corcoran, Lori Greiner, Daymond John, Kevin O’Leary, and Mark Cuban – all titans of industry who made their own dreams a reality and turned their ideas into lucrative empires – will take you behind the scenes as they discuss the legacy and impact of the show, the dozens of careers and products they’ve launched, and what methods of storytelling are used in order to sell a great pitch. Tribeca is thrilled to host the Sharks and executive producers Clay Newbill and Yun Lingner as they provide a rare glimpse at the show that has given hundreds of people a shot at the American dream.

●        Event time: September 23 at 3:00pm ET

INDIES & MIDNIGHT 

FALL PILOT SEASON

Tribeca TV Festival presents a truly eclectic block of Indie Comedy Pilots that play with conventions of adulthood, sex and…William Shakespeare.

●        Event time: September 22 at 7:45pm ET

Great Expectations – World Premiere

Created by Pip Swallow and Executive Produced by Stefan Georgiou.

Having lost her job, flat, and boyfriend in London, Pip heads back home to the Brexit Britain countryside. Confronted with corrupt care homes, dodgy local councils, and gentrification, Pip's journey to representing social inequality as a member of parliament has now begun. Reimagining the Charles Dickens’ novel from a modern, female perspective, Great Expectationsis a fresh, darkly humorous journey of a woman trying to find her place in a world where she feels ill at ease. With Pip Swallow, David Hemsted, Fred Fergus, Will Hislop, Andy Gathergood, and Katie Stevenson.

I Was a Teenage Pillow Queen – World Premiere

Executive Produced by Bridget Moloney, Claire Coffee.

Nora Nelson was a bestselling sex essayist, but now she's grown up and settled down. Rather than feeling grounded, she finds herself adrift.  After her husband has a health crisis that effectively ends their sex life, he suggests opening up their relationship. Nora agrees and finds that casual sex is just what she needs to get all her juices (creative included) flowing. She starts grappling with questions about objectification, aging, commitment and creative fulfillment—all through the lens of staying committed emotionally to one person while banging many others. With Claire Coffee, Josh Pais, Wayne Wilderson, Anne-Marie Johnson, Camille Chen, and Peter Cellini.

Livin’ on a Prairie – World Premiere

Created by Pamela Bob.

Meet Pamela. A 30 something single woman in the city, who longs for the simple things in life: connection, the spirit of community of family. Of being unconditionally loved. All of these values have been instilled in her since childhood from the single most important influence of her life—The 1970’s NBC classic, Little House on the Prairie. But, is Pamela getting more out of this show then she is out of her real life? With Pamela Bob, Matt W. Cody, Paul Moon, Susan G. Bob, Alison Arngrim, Charlotte Stewart.

My Friend Will – World Premiere

Executive Produced by Elijah Guo.

Jake, a depressed writer in New York City, is increasingly fed up with his life and the meaninglessness of art. Enter William Shakespeare himself, who, by some strange anomaly, appears in Jake's apartment. Through their exploration of the city, Jake learns from the famous bard that some things should not be taken too seriously. Will struggles to appreciate this strange new era that has idolized his work, discovering himself—and burritos—in the process. With Elijah Guo, William John Austin, Peter O'Connor, Osh Ghanimah, James Lurie, Kate Vos. 

Shrimp – World Premiere

Created by/Executive Produced by Zelda Williams and EP Joshua Thurston.

Shrimp is a comedy/drama about the equal parts strange and mundane daily lives of the women of professional dominance. Contrary to popular belief, professional dominatrices don’t sleep with their clients, but that doesn’t mean that their job is any easier to explain to the ‘vanilla’ world. While they’re hired to make the wealthy and powerful feel anything but, out of latex and away from work they’re stuck navigating the same shit as the rest of us as they struggle to figure out just what the hell a normal life even is, let alone how to live one. With Conor Leslie, Zelda Williams, Paulina Singer, Frances Fisher, Jake Abel, Jacob Zachar.

MIDNIGHT EPISODICS

Explore the dark side in this triptych of late-night pilots.

●      Event time: September 21 at 8:45pm ET

Deadwax (Shudder)

Created by/Executive Produced by Graham Reznick and EP Peter Phok.

DEADWAX is a mind-bending neo-noir set in the obsessive world of vinyl collecting.  Etta Pryce, a vinyl tracker, is hired by a rich collector to hunt a legendary rare record that has driven its owners mad and killed anyone that has dared to play it. With Hannah Gross, Evan Gamble, Ted Raimi, Dohn Norwood, Chester Rushing, Yuki Sakamoto, James Ransone. 

Pagan Peak – World Premiere

Created by Cyrill Boss and Philipp Stennert.

When a gruesomely staged body is found, propped up on a mountain pass in the Alps close to the German-Austrian border, two detectives are sent to investigate. For German detective Ellie, this is the first real challenge in her career; her Austrian counterpart Gedeon though seems to have lost any ambitions in his job. Very soon, they discover more crime scenes with symbolically posed victims, reminiscent of pagan rituals. It all seems to be part of a bigger, sinister plan. Ellie finds herself under increasing pressure to understand the deranged killer’s motives so she can stop him. The hunt leads them ever deeper in the dark valleys and archaic Alpine customs—and the paranoid world of the killer. With Julia Jentsch, Nicholas Ofczarek, Franz Hartwig, Hanno Koffler, Lucas Gregorowicz.  
 

Patricia Moore (Blackpills)

Created by Blake Fraser and produced by Chris Thompson.

In the harsh Australian outback resides the Moore family, travelling in a converted bus, living off the flesh of men who are lured by their 16-year-old daughter Patricia. After an accident breaks the freezer that stores their meat, they’re forced to relocate to a small town to fix their bus and lay low. The rerouting introduces Patricia to Toby, a town resident who happens on Patricia during one of her ‘hunts’. Patricia starts to waver in her alliance to her family’s way of life. As their surroundings fall apart. Patricia is then forced to choose between Toby and her family. With Marlo Kelly, Danielle Cormack, Les Hill, Jack Ruwald, Joe Kloceck.

Festival partners include Spring Studios, Generous Film, TUMI, and media partners Complex Networks, Gothamist, The Hollywood Reporter, iHeartRadio, New York Magazine, Variety, Vulture, WNYC.