Day three of the ATX TV Festival featured some of the event’s most anticipated programming. Apple TV+ showcased the wonderful writer’s room of Bill Lawrence’s Shrinking; Carrie Preston wowed attendees in a discussion about CBS’ Elsbeth; and, Noah Hawley, a member of ATX TV Fest’s Advisory Board, welcomed Jon Hamm and John Slattery to celebrate the 10th anniversary with “Mad Men: Revisited.”

But, before celebrating the Emmy-winning series that debuted nearly 20 years ago, a select few TV campers filled Stephen F’s Bar for a Q&A with a mystery guest. Festival co-creator and co-president Emily Gipson moderated a conversation with The Office and The Paper’s star, Oscar Nunez. The New Jersey native detailed when he fell in love with comedy, his years working and teaching improv, and how that background landed him a regular gig that paid all his bills. The standing-room-only crowd was amazed by his quick wit and incredibly genuine gratitude for a role that originated two decades ago. Now, Nunez brings the same character back for the off-shoot series, The Paper, a mockumentary focusing on a struggling newspaper.

Two hours later in the same venue, Preston sat with IndieWire’s Ben Travers to discuss her breakout lead role in CBS’ mystery procedural, Elsbeth. First appearing in Robert King and Michelle King’s The Good Wife, Elsbeth Tascioni’s legal prowess was just a bit of spice in that universe. Once made a leading lady, Preston worked with the Kings and showrunner Jonathan Tolins on creating a space for that spice to encompass the full dish. Everything from her costuming and decorative totes is specific to this character. The conversation also highlighted the show’s ability to maintain Elsbeth’s hopeful perspective while balancing the honesty of her work; that justice isn’t tidy and won’t always win. This was explored in a second-season arc featuring her real-life husband, Michael Emerson (Fallout, Lost).

Preston sees how all her guest roles on shows like HBO’s True Blood and TNT’s Claws prepared her for a close-up nearly 15 years later. Preston detailed how lucky and grateful she is to be a woman of a certain age in this industry, leading a series on primetime network television.

Later that afternoon, the writing team behind Apple TV+’s Shrinking discussed the popular comedy with The Hollywood Reporter’s Daniel Fienberg. The close-knit seven-member team led by Neil Goldman highlighted the laughs and tears shared to create such an authentic and powerful series. Other writers on the panel were Rachna Fruchbom, Bill Posley, Brian Gallivan, Sofi Selig, Zack Bornstein, and Ashley Nicole Black.

Goldman and the team comically shared how “fucked up” each of them is, and how these experiences shape the honesty in scenes dealing with mental health, guilt, grief, forgiveness, and moving forward. When asked how the team balances darker moments with comedy, Black emphasized that she always laughed the hardest at funerals, showing life’s joys and pains aren’t mutually exclusive. And Selig, diagnosed with OCD, pulled from her own experience with her therapist to pitch the more medically accurate scene between Jason Segel’s Jimmy and a client from season one.

After cycling through the team’s trauma bond, they collectively expressed how equally taxing and incredible it’s been to write for legend Harrison Ford. It is a treat to see the veteran actor not only evoke vulnerability in scenes dealing with his character, Paul’s, Parkinson’s, but teaming up with younger actors in the industry for equally poignant or ridiculous scenes. The team is looking forward to what awaits our host of characters for the third season, which is currently in production. Guest stars will include Michael J. Fox in a return to TV and Jeff Bridges as Segel’s on-screen dad.

As the daytime programming shifted to primetime, hordes of campers and other Mad Men devotees filled Paramount to celebrate a decade since the groundbreaking show aired a new episode. Hamm and Slattery shared detailed memories of an experience that was 10 years of their lives.

Slattery remembered being asked to audition for the role of Don Draper, reading the script three times, before being told Hamm had been cast. However, they knew they wanted him to play Draper’s boss, Roger Sterling. Hamm recalled specific scenes with the incredible Elisabeth Moss, who portrayed his secretary Peggy. He praised her talent and how this role was an early testament to the career she has now.

In a lighter moment, both Hamm and Slattery recalled the number of “cigarettes” they had to consume on set. At one point, Hamm figured his character went through at least 75 in one episode. While the cigarettes were fake, made with a non-nicotine mixture, they still tasted awful. Hamm told how some younger actors on set attempted to smoke the real thing in an attempt to portray method acting. The ritual lasted no more than three months.

As the panel shifted to the Q&A, one member had a very tender moment with Hamm. The gentlemen carried with him a high school yearbook, featuring him and Hamm on their school’s swim team. After the short reunion, he praised Hamm for staying connected to his Missouri roots.

Photo credit: ATX TV Festival