Atlanta (TV series)

Atlanta
Company type	Television series
Industry	Entertainment
Founded	September 6, 2016; 10 years ago
Founder	Donald Glover
Headquarters	Atlanta, Georgia, United States
Products	Television series
Parent	FX Networks
Website	www.fxnetworks.com/shows/atlanta

Atlanta is a surrealist comedy-drama series from the United States, developed by Donald Glover for the FX network. The storyline centers on Earnest "Earn" Marks (portrayed by Glover), a college dropout turned music manager, and his cousin Alfred "Paper Boi" Miles (Brian Tyree Henry), an emerging rapper navigating the distinctive hip hop culture of Atlanta. The ensemble also features LaKeith Stanfield as Darius, an unconventional friend to Earn and Alfred, alongside Zazie Beetz who plays Vanessa "Van" Kiefer, Earn’s intermittent girlfriend and mother of his child.

The production companies behind the show include RBA, Gilga, 343 Incorporated, MGMT. Entertainment, and FXP. Filming predominantly occurs in Atlanta and the surrounding areas of Georgia, with the third season expanding its setting internationally. A significant aspect of Atlanta is its exclusively Black writing team led by Glover as showrunner. The series explores themes such as race, class, identity, the American Dream, existentialism, surrealism, and African-American culture through an Afro-Surrealist perspective. It is also noted for its use of bottle episodes and standalone stories that occasionally exclude the principal cast members.

Debuting on September 6, 2016, on FX domestically and worldwide via Fox Networks Group, Atlanta ran for four seasons comprising 41 episodes before concluding on November 10, 2022. Distribution in the United States was managed by Disney–ABC Domestic Television.

Widely praised by critics and regarded as one of the most outstanding television series of the 21st century by various outlets, Atlanta has garnered multiple accolades including two Peabody Awards and two Golden Globe Awards for Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy. Donald Glover received a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Television Series Musical or Comedy. The show also earned two Primetime Emmy Awards: one for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series and another for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series—the latter marking a historic first for an African American recipient.

Premise

Set in Atlanta, Georgia, the narrative follows Earn (Donald Glover) as he attempts to rebuild his relationship with his ex-girlfriend Van (Zazie Beetz), who is also the mother of their daughter Lottie. Simultaneously, he seeks to reconnect with Alfred (Brian Tyree Henry), his cousin who is gaining recognition as the rapper "Paper Boi." After leaving Princeton University, Earn experiences homelessness and financial hardship, often moving between his parents’ residence and Van’s home. Recognizing Alfred’s rising potential in music, Earn decides to manage his career in hopes of improving their circumstances.

Although focusing on Earn and Paper Boi’s experiences within Atlanta’s hip hop environment, the series emphasizes episodic narratives rather than continuous story arcs and employs a surrealistic approach that Glover and critics have likened to a collection of short stories.

Main

Donald Glover as Earnest "Earn" Marks – a former Princeton student who becomes his cousin Alfred’s music manager. Intelligent yet frequently impulsive, Earn initially grapples with poverty and unstable housing. He maintains an on-and-off relationship with Van while raising their daughter Lottie.
- Glover additionally portrays Teddy Perkins, a reclusive individual with mental health issues and bleached skin.
- He also appears as Kirkwood Chocolate in "Work Ethic!", depicting a media tycoon exploiting Black culture.
Brian Tyree Henry as Alfred "Paper Boi" Miles – Earn’s cousin and rapper confronting depression and ethical challenges amid his growing fame.
LaKeith Stanfield as Darius – an eccentric Nigerian-born friend to both Alfred and Earn who provides distinctive insights on various situations.
Zazie Beetz as Vanessa "Van" Kiefer – Earn’s biracial Afro-German ex-partner, mother to their daughter Lottie, and former science educator managing the demands of motherhood.

Recurring

Harold House Moore portrays Swiff (season 1) – a friend and colleague of Earn
Khris Davis appears as Tracy (season 2; guest in season 4) – Alfred's recently released friend who frequently conflicts with Earn
RJ Walker takes on the role of Clark County (season 2), a self-important, commercial rapper whom Alfred befriends, while Darius and Earn consider him an industry plant
Tobias Segal plays Earnest Marks (season 3), a white individual sharing the protagonist's name, appearing intermittently and suggested to be a “white counterpart” to Earn

The show includes cameo roles by celebrities portraying fictionalized versions of themselves. Offset, Quavo, and Takeoff act as Alfred’s drug dealers. Gunna and Jai Paul are seen during recording sessions and social events. Lloyd and Jaleel White participate in a charity basketball game. Jane Adams plays an entertainment agent; Michael Vick features as a quarterback confronting club patrons; Alexander Skarsgård embodies a sexually deviant cannibal. Appearances by Liam Neeson and Soulja Boy reference their 2019 controversies and viral dance moves, respectively. Brian McKnight, Sinbad, and J Wortham appear in a mockumentary segment, while Cree Summer is cast as a customer in a drugstore.

Production

FX initiated development of the series in August 2013, commissioning the pilot episode in December 2014. It was directed by Hiro Murai and filmed in Atlanta. The network ordered ten episodes in October 2015. Glover, who grew up in Atlanta and is also a musician, noted that the city significantly shaped the show's atmosphere.

The writing team is notably composed entirely of Black writers—a rarity in American television—including Glover, his brother Stephen Glover, members of the rap collective such as Fam Udeorji, Ibra Ake, Jamal Olori, along with writers Stefani Robinson and Taofik Kolade. Glover has explained that the characters’ cannabis consumption symbolizes widespread PTSD within Black communities. The series is captured in 2K resolution, with Kyle Reiter and Isaac Hagy serving as producers and editors, and it airs on FX in 720p.

In January 2017, FX renewed the show for a second season but postponed its release to 2018 due to Glover’s commitments. The second season draws creative influence from Tiny Toon Adventures, particularly the episode How I Spent My Vacation.

The third season was greenlit in June 2018 with an initial launch planned for 2019 but was delayed because of scheduling issues. FX renewed the series for a fourth season in August 2019; both seasons were scheduled for filming early 2020 with eight episodes each. In January 2020, the third season’s episode count increased to ten; both seasons were planned to air during 2021—season three premiering in January and season four later that year—with one season filmed outside the United States. Production was halted in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

By September 2020, the third season did not meet its January 2021 premiere target. Filming for seasons three and four commenced in April 2021 across London, with additional shoots taking place in Amsterdam and Paris. By August 2021, production on season three wrapped up while season four began filming in Atlanta. Season three debuted on March 24, 2022. As of February 2022, filming for both seasons had concluded; FX announced that season four would serve as the series finale.

International broadcast

The debut season was broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC Two from May 13 through June 17, 2018.

Home media

The Complete First Season became available on DVD in Region 1 on March 6, 2018, followed by The Complete Second Season (Robbin' Season) released on December 17, 2019.

Critical response

Atlanta has been met with extensive critical praise. The initial season boasts a 98% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, averaging 8.6/10, celebrated for its distinctive fusion of comedy and relevant social insights. On Metacritic, it earned a score of 90 out of 100 based on 37 reviews from critics.

Reviewers such as David Wiegand from the San Francisco Chronicle emphasized the show's intricate writing and engaging characters, while Sonia Saraiya of Variety described it as a "cinematic, beautiful production" and among the finest new series.

The second season upheld its 98% Rotten Tomatoes rating with an improved average score of 9.1/10 and achieved an almost flawless Metacritic rating of 97. It was recognized for continuing to challenge viewer expectations while delivering outstanding content.

In 2019, Atlanta was ranked tenth on The Guardian’s compilation of the greatest TV shows of the 21st century. The Writers Guild Foundation honored the first season episode "Streets on Lock" as one of the decade's top scripts due to its sharp combination of humor and social commentary.

The third season received a Metacritic rating of 93 and a Rotten Tomatoes approval rating of 96%, earning acclaim for preserving its unique style while broadening its scope beyond Georgia.

With a Metacritic score of 82 and maintaining a high Rotten Tomatoes approval of 98%, the fourth season was noted for refocusing on its main characters through insightful and unconventional storytelling techniques.

In 2022, Rolling Stone placed Atlanta ninth among the greatest television shows ever produced.

Season 1

Award

Season 2

Award	Category	Nominees	Outcome	Ref.
American Cinema Editors Awards	Best Edited Comedy Series for Commercial Television	Isaac Hagy (episode "Alligator Man")	Template:Nom	^[1]
American Cinema Editors Awards	Best Edited Comedy Series for Commercial Television	Kyle Reiter (episode "Teddy Perkins")	Template:Won	^[1]
American Film Institute Awards	Top 10 TV Programs of the Year	Atlanta	Template:Won	^[2]
Critics' Choice Television Awards	Best Comedy Series	Atlanta	Template:Nom	^[3]
Critics' Choice Television Awards	Best Actor in a Comedy Series	Donald Glover	Template:Nom	^[3]
Golden Globe Awards	Best Actor in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy	Donald Glover	Template:Nominated	^[4]
People's Choice Awards	The Comedy TV Star of 2018	Donald Glover	Template:Nominated	^[5]
Primetime Emmy Awards	Outstanding Comedy Series	Atlanta	Template:Nominated	^[6]
	Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series	Donald Glover (episode "Teddy Perkins")	Template:Nominated
	Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series	Brian Tyree Henry (episode "Woods")	Template:Nominated
	Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series	Zazie Beetz (episode "Helen")	Template:Nominated
	Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series	Donald Glover (episode "FUBU")	Template:Nominated
	Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series	Hiro Murai (episode "Teddy Perkins")	Template:Nominated
	Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series	Donald Glover (episode "Alligator Man")	Template:Nominated

Award	Category	Nominees	Outcome	Reference

'Atlanta'	'Template:Nominated'
'Donald Glover'	'Template:Nom'

'Khris Davis, Donald Glover, Brian Tyree Henry, and LaKeith Stanfield'	'Template:Nom'

'Atlanta'	'Template:Nom'
'Template:Nom'
'Donald Glover'	'Template:Nom'

'Ibra Ake, Donald Glover, Stephen Glover, Taofik Kolade, Jamal Olori, Stefani Robinson, and Paul Simms'	'Template:Nom'

Season 3

Award	Category	Nominees	Outcome	Reference
American Society of Cinematographers Awards	Exceptional Cinematography in a Half-Hour Television Episode	Stephen Murphy (for "New Jazz")	Template:Nominated	^[7]^[8]
Black Reel Television Awards	Outstanding Comedy Series	Atlanta	Template:Nom	Cite error: The opening `<ref>` tag is malformed or has a bad name
	Outstanding Actor, Comedy Series	Donald Glover	Template:Won
	Outstanding Supporting Actor, Comedy Series	Brian Tyree Henry	Template:Nom
	Outstanding Supporting Actor, Comedy Series	Lakeith Stanfield	Template:Nom
	Outstanding Supporting Actress, Comedy Series	Zazie Beetz	Template:Nom
	Outstanding Guest Actress, Comedy Series	Adriyan Rae	Template:Nom
	Outstanding Directing, Comedy Series	Donald Glover (for "Tarrare")	Template:Nom
	Outstanding Directing, Comedy Series	Donald Glover (for "Rich Wigga, Poor Wigga")	Template:Nom
	Outstanding Writing, Comedy Series	Stephen Glover (for "Three Slaps")	Template:Nom
	Outstanding Writing, Comedy Series	Donald Glover (for "Rich Wigga, Poor Wigga")	Template:Nom
	Outstanding Music Supervision	Jen Malone	Template:Nom
Hollywood Critics Association TV Awards	Best Cable Series, Comedy	Atlanta	Template:Nom	Cite error: The opening `<ref>` tag is malformed or has a bad name
	Best Actor in a Broadcast Network or Cable Series, Comedy	Donald Glover	Template:Nom
	Best Supporting Actor in a Broadcast Network or Cable Series, Comedy	Brian Tyree Henry	Template:Nom
	Best Supporting Actress in a Broadcast Network or Cable Series, Comedy	Zazie Beetz	Template:Nom
	Best Directing in a Broadcast Network or Cable Series, Comedy	Hiro Murai (for "New Jazz")	Template:Nom
	Best Writing in a Broadcast Network or Cable Series, Comedy	Donald Glover (for "Rich Wigga, Poor Wigga")	Template:Nom

Award	Category	Nominees	Outcome	Reference
Primetime Emmy Awards	Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series	Donald Glover (for "Sinterklaas Is Coming to Town")	Template:Nom
	Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series	Hiro Murai (for "New Jazz")	Template:Nom
	Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards	Outstanding Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series (Half-Hour)	Christian Sprenger (for "Three Slaps")	Template:Won
Set Decorators Society of America Awards	Excellence in Décor/Design of a Half-Hour Single-Camera Series	Lisbeth Ayala, Timothy David O'Brien, and Jonathan Paul Green	Template:Nom
Television Critics Association Awards	Excellence in Comedy Achievement	Atlanta	Template:Nom

Season 4

Award	Category	Nominees	Outcome
Golden Globe Awards	Best Actor in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy	Donald Glover	Template:Nominated
NAACP Image Awards	Outstanding Comedy Series	Atlanta	Template:Nominated
	Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series	Donald Glover	Template:Nominated
	Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series	Brian Tyree Henry	Template:Nominated
	Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series	Angela Barnes	Template:Won
American Society of Cinematographers Awards	Achievement in Cinematography for an Episode of a Half-Hour TV Series	Christian Sprenger (for "Andrew Wyeth. Alfred's World.")	Template:Nominated
Black Reel Television Awards	Outstanding Comedy Series	Atlanta	Template:Nominated
	Lead Performance, Comedy Series	Donald Glover	Template:Nominated
	Supporting Performance, Comedy Series	Zazie Beetz	Template:Nominated
		Brian Tyree Henry	Template:Nominated
		LaKeith Stanfield	Template:Nominated
	Directing, Comedy Series	Donald Glover (for "The Goof Who Sat By the Door")	Template:Won
	Writing, Comedy Series	Donald Glover (for "It Was All a Dream")	Template:Won
	Writing, Comedy Series	Stephen Glover (for "The Most Atlanta")	Template:Nominated
Hollywood Critics Association TV Awards	Best Cable Comedy Series	Atlanta	Template:Nominated
	Supporting Actor in a Broadcast Network or Cable Comedy Series	Brian Tyree Henry	Template:Nominated
	Supporting Actress in a Broadcast Network or Cable Comedy Series	Zazie Beetz	Template:Nominated
Primetime Emmy Awards	Outstanding Cinematography for a Single-Camera Series (Half-Hour)	Christian Sprenger (for "Andrew Wyeth. Alfred's World")	Template:Won
Peabody Awards	Entertainment	Atlanta	Template:Won

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