ATX TV Fest: Lea Thompson Introduces Us to ‘Anna Pigeon’ and Grizzly Bears

The ATX TV Festival, which ran in Austin from May 28-31, gave a sneak preview of USA Network’s upcoming drama series Anna Pigeon. Directed by Lea Thompson (Back to the Future, Switched at Birth) , the series, which will premier in August, takes its inspiration from best-selling novels by Nevada Barr.

The festival brought together Thompson, star Tracy Spiridakos, and showrunner/executive producer Morwyn Brebner in a panel moderated by Variety’s Emily Longeretta.

Anna Who?

Anna Pigeon, the main character of the TV show, and over a dozen novels, leaves her city-slicker lifestyle, after a devastating personal loss, and takes a job as a park ranger. Trying to leave her demons behind, she becomes dedicated to law and order in a world of trees and grizzlies.

Longeretta asked the panel how they got connected to the story,

Thompson explained, “I got turned on to the books, and I thought I would like to make this. After eleven years the amazing dream of making the show came true. Brebner made this show happen.”

Brebner added, “The books are great. The character is so bad ass and true. It’s how you want a character to be. I wanted to keep the essence of the books. I took the second book and stuck it in the middle, and the show has become more topical as we went along.”

Making It Real

Longeretta asked Spiridakos, who plays Anna, how she discovered the story.

Spiridakos said, “I read the pilot. I wasn’t familiar with the books. I fell in love with Anna.”

Longeretta wondered if Thompson, besides directing, was also acting in the series.

Thompson shook her head “no.” “I have been working on this for a long time, and I love to direct and it was really, really fun to see things all the way through. There were a lot of things I had to learn. The studio and network gave us a lot of kindness and understanding.”

Longeretta asked, “And where did you shoot this?”

Brebner recalled, “It had such awe. In Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Such beautiful, beautiful vistas.”

Thompson explained, “The ranger station was like this shed. So, we cut trees and took the bark off and made them part of the set.”

Spiridakos said, “The cabins were beautiful.”

Creative Decisions

Before taking on the role of Anna Pigeon, Tracy Spiridakos has been best known for her role as Detective Hailey Upton. She began playing Upton in 2017, primarily on Chicago PD, but also with cross overs to Chicago Med, Chicago Fire, and one episode of FBI.

Longeretta asked, “Were you concerned stepping out of such a long running role?”

Spiridakos shared, “I was nervous to go out in the world. But I landed with the most incredible group of people you could ask for. Everyone just wanted to make the best show. My old character was kind of controlled, but Anna is so free.”

Longeretta asked, “Did you learn how to be a park ranger?”

Spiridakos said, “I did some research before we started. I didn’t want Anna to feel like the same character as Hailey.”

Thompson interjected, “People who are drawn to be park rangers live in small towns, and they are there for a reason. So, it’s a cool environment to create a story in.”

Longeretta asked Brebner if she had the season all mapped out.

Brebner said, “Anna is a cat of nine lives. You start and you build on it. I don’t know where it will end, and Anna is such a strong protagonist, it can evolve.”

Longeretta turned to Thompson: “And what did you learn?”

Thompson replied, “These beautiful producers taught me a lot. I’ve directed Picard. I have been lucky in my career to direct different styles of things. To work with so many people who could get along. We only had one person we wanted to play Anna Pigeon and we got so lucky.” She looked at Spiridakos. “You are perfect. What a blessing. Sometimes things come together and sometimes they don’t. This time they did.”

More ATX TV?

ATX TV Festival brings TV fans and industry together to celebrate their favorite moments in TV as one community. Deep dives into show creation, revisiting past favorites, and discovering something new at “TV Camp for Grown Ups” highlight the Austin event.

For more information on the Austin TV Festival and opportunities for year long participation, check their website or social media sites: Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok.