Oprah Winfrey, Trevor Noah Added To Tribeca TV Festival Inaugural Lineup
The Tribeca TV Festival has added more to its lineup of speakers and sneak peeks for the new television-centric event. Additions include the series premiere from OWN’s Released as well as a special conversation Trevor Noah & writers of The Daily Show.
The festival, which is set for September 22-24 in New York City expands its lineup of storytellers whose voices are making an impact on everything from social issues to pop culture. The OWN docuseries Released chronicles formerly-incarcerated men and women restarting their lives. The premiere will be followed by a conversation with Executive Producer Oprah Winfrey and the creators. Trevor Noah and writers of The Daily Show will also be on hand to talk about the role of comedians in today’s mercurial political landscape. Also added to the lineup are the season premiere of Blackpills’ sex comedy web series Pillow Talk as well as, the world premiere of YouTube Red’s cop comedy Ryan Hansen Solves Crimes on Television.
The fest will also feature a celebration of NBC’s Will & Grace revival, TruTV’s At Home With Amy Sedaris, ABC’s Ten Days In The Valley with Kyra Sedgwick, and a preview of shows such as FX’s Better Things and Fox’s Gotham.
Read the expanded lineup below:
Released (OWN) – New York Premiere
In a country with the highest rate of incarceration in the world, what does it take to succeed in the crucial first 90 days after being released from prison? Intimately following the stories of former inmates from the moment they walk out the prison doors, OWN’s new documentary series Released examines the realities and challenges of life after incarceration. Following the New York premiere of the series’ first episode, Executive Producer Oprah Winfrey will be joined by the series creators for an in-depth conversation about their powerful show and the nationwide issue of mass incarceration. Event time: September 22 at 5:30 PM
Trevor Noah & the Writers of The Daily Show – Exclusive Special Conversation
In today’s mercurial political landscape, where the news can change on a dime, how does The Daily Show stay current with just 24 hours to write and execute each episode? Offering a sneak peek behind the show’s iconic news desk, host Trevor Noah will be joined by some of his writers to shed light on what goes into the day-to-day making of The Daily Show — from the writers’ room to the live studio audience. At a moment in history when more audiences than ever are turning to late-night comedy for their news, what is the responsibility of comedians to fill the role of traditional news broadcasters? And how do they find the right balance of incisive commentary, factual news reportage, and good old-fashioned jokes? Event time: September 24 at 2:30 PM
Pillow Talk (Blackpills) – Season 2 – World Premiere
Ryan enjoys the plentiful sex and commitment-free life he has built as an LA bachelor, but when a shocking event threatens to upend his casual, freewheeling lifestyle, his entire life is thrown out of balance. Seeking meaning and guidance, Ryan turns to the eccentric cast of characters in his life—a wayward old friend, his sexually empowered Mom, a stern meditation teacher and even a pet bunny. Or does the answer lie in his caustically flirtatious relationship with “Slutty Emma”? Starring Patrick J. Adams (Suits), Britt Lower (Casual), Ryan Hansen (Party Down), Brenda Strong (Desperate Housewives) and Luka Jones (People of the Earth), executive produced by Sharon Horgan (Catastrophe) and produced by Pulse Films. Writer-director and Tribeca Film Festival alum Mike Piscitelli (God Bless Ozzy Osbourne), Writer Rachael Taylor (Jessica Jones), and Star Patrick J. Adams (Suits) will premiere the entire second season of Pillow Talk, this short form digital series meets indie sex comedy. Following the screening, Tribeca will host a conversation with the creative team about bringing an indie aesthetic to short form content and Pillow Talk’s masterful balance of humor and emotional heft. Event time: September 23 at 5 PM
Ryan Hansen Solves Crimes on Television (YouTube Red) – Series World Premiere
NYPD Blue, Cagney & Lacey, Law & Order: television has a long history of procedurals filled with the ups and downs of tumultuous cop duos. But how would those famously cranky detectives feel about a (ridiculously vain) Hollywood actor as their partner? Enter Ryan Hansen Solves Crimes on Television*, a riotous spoof on classic police dramas starring—spoiler alert—Ryan Hansen (Veronica Mars, Party Down) as a hilariously exaggerated version of himself. Struggling to keep his career alive by becoming the latest recruit for an LAPD program pairing actors with homicide detectives, YouTube Red’s newest original series pairs Hansen with Emmy-nominee Samira Wiley (The Handmaid’s Tale, Orange Is The New Black) as prickly detective Jessica Mathers, as they attempt to solve murders without killing each other first. After the world premiere of the first two episodes of the series, join Hansen, Wiley, series creator, writer, director and executive producer Rawson Marshall Thurber and Executive Producer Beau Bauman for a moderated conversation as they discuss the creation of the uproarious comedy that turns both the cop genre, and the impact of digital streaming, on its ear. Event time: September 23 at 8:30 PM.