''Atlanta'' is an American comedy-drama television series created by Donald Glover. The series follows college dropout and

music manager A talent manager (also known as an artist manager, band manager or music manager) is an individual who guides the professional career of artists in the entertainment industry. The responsibility of the talent manager is to oversee the day-to-day ...

Earnest "Earn" Marks (Glover) and rapper Alfred "Paper Boi" Miles (

Brian Tyree Henry Brian Tyree Henry (born March 31, 1982) is an American actor. He is best known for his role as Alfred "Paper Boi" Miles in the FX comedy-drama series ''Atlanta'' (2016–2022), for which he received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outsta ...

) as they navigate a strange, seemingly otherworldly, Atlanta hip hop scene. ''Atlanta'' also stars Lakeith Stanfield as Darius, Earn and Alfred's eccentric friend, and

Zazie Beetz Zazie Olivia Beetz ( ; ; born June 1, 1991) is a American actress. She stars in the FX comedy-drama series ''Atlanta'' (2016–22), for which she received a nomination for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy ...

as Vanessa "Van" Kiefer, Earn's on-again-off-again girlfriend and the mother of his daughter. The series produced by RBA, 343 Incorporated, MGMT. Entertainment, and FXP and is primarily set and filmed in Atlanta and the surrounding

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

area; the third season features international filming locations. ''Atlanta'' is one of the only American cable television series to feature an all-Black writing staff (featuring Glover as writer, executive producer, and showrunner), with much of the focus set on examining

race Race, RACE or "The Race" may refer to: * Race (biology), an informal taxonomic classification within a species, generally within a sub-species * Race (human categorization), classification of humans into groups based on physical traits, and/or s ...

class Class or The Class may refer to: Common uses not otherwise categorized * Class (biology), a taxonomic rank * Class (knowledge representation), a collection of individuals or objects * Class (philosophy), an analytical concept used differentl ...

identity Identity may refer to: * Identity document * Identity (philosophy) * Identity (social science) * Identity (mathematics) Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Identity'' (1987 film), an Iranian film * ''Identity'' (2003 film), ...

, the American Dream,

existentialism Existentialism ( ) is a form of philosophical inquiry that explores the problem of human existence and centers on human thinking, feeling, and acting. Existentialist thinkers frequently explore issues related to the meaning, purpose, and valu ...

, and modern African-American culture through an Afro-Surrealist lens. It is also notable for its use of

bottle A bottle is a narrow-necked container made of an impermeable material (such as glass, plastic or aluminium) in various shapes and sizes that stores and transports liquids. Its mouth, at the bottling line, can be sealed with an internal stop ...

and

standalone Standalone or Stand-alone may refer to: *Stand-alone DSL, a digital subscriber line without analog telephone service; also known as ''naked DSL'' *Stand-alone expansion pack, an expansion pack which does not require the original game in order to us ...

episodes, which often do not feature the main cast. ''Atlanta'' premiered on September 6, 2016, and was initially exclusively broadcast on cable channel FX in the United States and internationally through the

Fox Networks Group Fox Networks Group (FNG) is a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company that oversees international television assets that were acquired from 21st Century Fox. It produces and distributes more than 300 entertainment, film, sports and factual channe ...

; after the

acquisition of 21st Century Fox by Disney The acquisition of 21st Century Fox by Disney was announced on December 14, 2017, and was completed on March 20, 2019. Among other key assets, the acquisition of 21st Century Fox by the Walt Disney Company included the 20th Century Fox film and ...

in 2017, the series became available internationally on

Disney+ Disney+ is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned and operated by the Media and Entertainment Distribution division of The Walt Disney Company. The service primarily distributes films and television se ...

, and was distributed in the United States by

Disney–ABC Domestic Television Disney–ABC Domestic Television (doing business as Disney–ABC Home Entertainment and Television Distribution, and formerly named Buena Vista Television) is the in-home sales and content distribution firm of Disney Platform Distribution, a su ...

. The fourth and final season concluded on November 10, 2022, with the series containing 41 episodes overall. ''Atlanta'' is often regarded as one of the greatest television series of the 21st century. It has received numerous awards and nominations, including two Golden Globe Awards for Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy; Glover has received the

Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy The Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Television Series Musical or Comedy is a Golden Globe Award presented annually by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA). It is given in honor of an actor who has delivered an outstanding perform ...

, and two Primetime Emmy Awards, one for

Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series This is a list of winners and nominees of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series. The award is presented to the best performance by a lead actor in a television comedy series. Beginning with the 18th Primetime Emm ...

and one

Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series The Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series is presented to the best directing of a television comedy series. Winners and nominations 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s 2020s Total awards by netw ...

, the latter being the first ever awarded to an African-American.

Plot

The series follows Earn ( Donald Glover) during his daily life in

Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,7 ...

, as he tries to redeem himself in the eyes of his ex-girlfriend Van (

), who is also the mother of his daughter Lottie; as well as his parents and his cousin Alfred (

), who raps under the stage name "Paper Boi". Having dropped out of

Princeton University Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the ...

, Earn has no money and no home and consequently alternates between staying with his parents and his ex-girlfriend. Once he realizes that his cousin is on the verge of stardom, he seeks to reconnect with him in order to improve his life and the life of his daughter. Although there is an overarching story depicting Earn and Paper Boi's struggles as the latter ascends through the hip hop scene, the series has been noted for its lack of emphasis on multi-episode story arcs, instead using a somewhat surrealistic style of episodic storytelling that Glover has likened to

short stories A short story is a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the oldest t ...

, as have some critics.

Cast and characters

Main

* Donald Glover as Earnest "Earn" Marks – a

Princeton Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the ni ...

dropout turned music manager for his cousin Alfred. Earn is intelligent but cynical and often reckless and initially struggles with homelessness and poverty. He is also in an on-again-off-again relationship with Vanessa, with whom he shares a daughter, Lottie. ** Glover also portrays Teddy Perkins in the episode of the same name, a mentally disturbed recluse with bleached skin. ** Glover also portrays Kirkwood Chocolate in the episode " Work Ethic!", a film and television magnate who produces entertainment that exploits black people. *

as Alfred "Paper Boi" Miles – Earn's cousin and a rapper who exhibits signs of depression and moral dilemma as he navigates his newfound fame. * Lakeith Stanfield as Darius – Alfred's and Earn's eccentric

Nigerian Nigerians or the Nigerian people are citizens of Nigeria or people with ancestry from Nigeria. The name Nigeria was taken from the Niger River running through the country. This name was allegedly coined in the late 19th century by British jour ...

-born friend, who often expresses comments on various aspects of the

human condition The human condition is all of the characteristics and key events of human life, including birth, learning, emotion, aspiration, morality, conflict, and death. This is a very broad topic that has been and continues to be pondered and analyzed f ...

. *

as Vanessa "Van" Kiefer – Earn's on-again-off-again biracial

Afro-German Afro-Germans (german: Afrodeutsche) or Black Germans (german: schwarze Deutsche) are people of Sub-Saharan African descent who are citizens or residents of Germany. Cities such as Hamburg and Frankfurt, which were formerly centres of occupatio ...

girlfriend, Lottie's mother, and former grade school science teacher. Van often struggles with the pressure of raising her daughter.

Recurring

* Harold House Moore as Swiff (season 1) – Earn's friend and co-worker *

Khris Davis Khristopher Adrian Davis (born December 21, 1987), nicknamed “Khrush”, is an American professional baseball left fielder and designated hitter who is currently a free agent. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Milwaukee Bre ...

as Tracy (season 2; guest season 4) – Alfred's recently paroled friend who often clashes with Earn. * RJ Walker as Clark County (season 2), an egotistical, commercialized rapper that Alfred befriends. Darius and Earn view him as an

industry plant Industry plant is a pejorative used to describe musicians who ostensibly become popular through their connections to the music industry yet present themselves as Independent music, independent and self-made. Artists described as industry plants a ...

. The series also features guest appearances by celebrities who portray fictionalized versions of themselves. Offset,

Quavo Quavious Keyate Marshall (born April 2, 1991), known professionally as Quavo (), is an American rapper, singer, and actor. He is best known as the co-founder and former frontman of hip hop group Migos. Quavo is the uncle of late fellow Migos m ...

, and

Takeoff Takeoff is the phase of flight in which an aerospace vehicle leaves the ground and becomes airborne. For aircraft traveling vertically, this is known as liftoff. For aircraft that take off horizontally, this usually involves starting with a ...

portray Alfred's drug suppliers. Gunna and

Jai Paul Jai Paul is an English songwriter, record producer and recording artist. His early demo "BTSTU" led to his online discovery and a subsequent recording contract with XL Recordings. Together with its follow-up "Jasmine", these songs have been reg ...

appear as a partygoer and a poker player, respectively. Lloyd and Jaleel White feature as participants in a charity basketball game. Jane Adams plays an agent who confuses Earn for someone else.

Michael Vick Michael Dwayne Vick (born June 26, 1980) is a former American football quarterback. Regarded as having transformed the quarterback position with his rushing abilities, he is the NFL leader in quarterback rushing yards and was the league's firs ...

portrays a quarterback who challenges club-goers to foot races.

Alexander Skarsgård Alexander Johan Hjalmar Skarsgård (; born August 25, 1976) is a Swedish actor. Born in Stockholm, he began acting at age seven but quit at 13. After serving in the Swedish military, Skarsgård returned to acting and gained his first role in th ...

portrays a sexually-depraved cannibal.

Liam Neeson William John Neeson (born 7 June 1952) is an actor from Northern Ireland. He has received several accolades, including nominations for an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and two Tony Awards. In 2020, he was placed 7th on ''The I ...

and Soulja Boy make appearances that reference their 2019 controversial comments and "Crank That" dance, respectively.

Brian McKnight Brian Kelly McKnight (born June 5, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, actor, record producer, radio host and multi-instrumentalist. He is most recognized for his strong head voice, high belting range and melisma. McKnight is known for h ...

, Sinbad and

Jenna Wortham Jenna Wortham is an American journalist. They work as a culture writer for ''The New York Times Magazine'' and co-hosts ''The New York Times'' podcast '' Still Processing'' with Wesley Morris. In 2020, with Kimberly Drew, Wortham published '' Bl ...

appeared in the mockumentary about Thomas Washington. In the series finale, Cree Summer was a customer Darius talked to at the drugstore.

Episodes

Production

FX first began developing the show in August 2013, and then the pilot was ordered to series by FX Networks in December 2014. It was directed by Hiro Murai and shot in Atlanta. It got picked up to series with a 10-episode order in October 2015. Glover, who grew up in Atlanta and also works as a musician, stated that "the city influenced the tone of the show". The series is also notable for having an all-Black writing staff, which is virtually unheard of in American television. The writer's room consists of Glover himself, his brother Stephen Glover, and members of his rap collective 'Royalty' including Fam Udeorji (Glover's manager), Ibra Ake (Glover's longtime photographer), and Jamal Olori.

Stefani Robinson Stefani Robinson is an American screenwriter. She is best known for her work on FX (TV channel), FX's ''Atlanta (TV series), Atlanta'', for which she won two Writers Guild of America Awards, and was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outsta ...

, a writer for ''

Man Seeking Woman ''Man Seeking Woman'' is an American surrealist romantic comedy television series that aired for three seasons on FXX from January 14, 2015, to March 8, 2017. The series is set in Chicago, about a naïve and soft-spoken man in his 20s named Josh ...

'', and Taofik Kolade round out the writer's room. During an interview with ''

The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American weekly magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. Founded as a weekly in 1925, the magazine is published 47 times annually, with five of these issues ...

'', Glover stated the characters smoke

cannabis ''Cannabis'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cannabaceae. The number of species within the genus is disputed. Three species may be recognized: '' Cannabis sativa'', '' C. indica'', and '' C. ruderalis''. Alternative ...

because "they have

PTSD Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental and behavioral disorder that can develop because of exposure to a traumatic event, such as sexual assault, warfare, traffic collisions, child abuse, domestic violence, or other threats on ...

— every Black person does". The show is shot in 2K resolution, produced and edited by Kyle Reiter and Isaac Hagy, and broadcast on FX in

720p 720p (1280×720 px; also called HD ready, standard HD or just HD) is a progressive HDTV signal format with 720 horizontal lines/1280 columns and an aspect ratio (AR) of 16:9, normally known as widescreen HDTV (1.78:1). All major HDTV broadcast ...

. In January 2017, the series was renewed for a second season; however, FX announced the series would not return until 2018 due to Glover's busy production schedule. Glover revealed that the second season takes inspiration from ''

Tiny Toon Adventures ''Tiny Toon Adventures'' is an American animated comedy television series that was broadcast from September 14, 1990, to December 6, 1992. It was the first collaborative effort of Steven Spielberg's Amblin Television and Warner Bros. Animation ...

'', specifically '' How I Spent My Vacation.'' The series was renewed for a third season in June 2018, which was originally planned for a 2019 premiere, but was delayed due to scheduling conflicts. In August 2019, FX renewed the series for a fourth season and announced that the third and fourth seasons would begin filming in early 2020, with each season consisting of eight episodes. In January 2020, FX announced that the third season's episode count was increased to 10 episodes, and that both seasons were planned to air in 2021–season 3 in January and season 4 later that year. Both seasons were also planned to be shot together and that one of the seasons would be filmed outside the United States. However, production was postponed in March 2020 due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...

. In September 2020, it was reported that the third season would not be able to make the January 2021 premiere date that was originally planned. Filming for the third and fourth seasons began in early April 2021, in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

, with additional filming in

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the capital and most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population of 907,976 within the city proper, 1,558,755 in the urban ar ...

and

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...

. By August 2021, filming for the third season was completed and production began on the fourth season in Atlanta, and it was confirmed that the third season would premiere in early 2022. The third season premiered with two episodes on March 24, 2022. By February 2022, both seasons three and four had completed filming, and it was announced that the fourth would be the final season.

Reception

Critical response

''Atlanta'' has received widespread acclaim from television critics. The review aggregation website

Rotten Tomatoes Rotten Tomatoes is an American review-aggregation website for film and television. The company was launched in August 1998 by three undergraduate students at the University of California, Berkeley: Senh Duong, Patrick Y. Lee, and Stephen Wang ...

gives the first season an approval rating of 97% based on 123 reviews, with an average rating of 8.6/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Ambitious and refreshing, ''Atlanta'' offers a unique vehicle for star and series creator Donald Glover's eccentric brand of humor—as well as a number of timely, trenchant observations." On

Metacritic Metacritic is a website that aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted average). Metacritic was created by Jason Dietz, Marc ...

, the first season has a score of 90 out of 100, based on reviews from 36 critics, indicating "universal acclaim". David Wiegand of the ''

San Francisco Chronicle The ''San Francisco Chronicle'' is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of Northern California. It was founded in 1865 as ''The Daily Dramatic Chronicle'' by teenage brothers Charles de Young and Michael H. de Young. The ...

'' gave it a highly positive review, writing: "The scripts for the four episodes made available to critics are as richly nuanced as anything you'll see on TV or, to be sure, in a movie theater. You will not only know these characters after only one episode, you'll be hooked on them, as well. In so many areas, ''Atlanta'' sets the bar exceptionally high." Sonia Saraiya of ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' also praised the series, declaring it a "finished, cinematic, and beautiful production that may be one of the best new shows of the fall." The second season received further critical acclaim. On Rotten Tomatoes, it has an approval rating of 98%, based on 200 reviews, with an average rating of 9.1/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Donald Glover continues to subvert expectations with a sophomore season of ''Atlanta'' that proves as excellent as it is eccentric." On Metacritic, the second season has a score of 97 out of 100, based on 28 critics, indicating "universal acclaim". In 2019, ''Atlanta'' was ranked 10th on ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

''s list of the 100 best TV shows of the 21st century. The Writers Guild Foundation listed the season 1 episode "Streets on Lock" as having one of the best scripts of 2010s film and television, writing, "The story features fully realized supporting players and miscreants, but right when we start laughing, everything takes a sour turn, causing us to reflect on what we’re really laughing at". The third season has a score of 93 out of 100 on Metacritic, based on 24 critics, indicating "universal acclaim". On Rotten Tomatoes, it has an approval rating of 97%, based on 130 reviews, with an average rating of 8.8/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "''Atlanta'' takes Paper Boi and his entourage out of Georgia, but this inspired third season proves that the more things change, the more they stay weird." The fourth season has a score of 82 out of 100 on Metacritic, based on 10 critics, indicating "universal acclaim". On Rotten Tomatoes, it has an approval rating of 96%, based on 98 reviews, with an average rating of 9.0/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Foregrounding its characters and namesake again after an anthological sojourn in Europe, ''Atlanta'' closes out in its sweet spot: funny, insightful, and weird as hell." In 2022, ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...

'' ranked ''Atlanta'' as the ninth-greatest TV show of all time.

Accolades

Season 1

Season 2

Season 3

International broadcast

The first season was broadcast in the UK on

BBC Two BBC Two is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network owned and operated by the BBC. It covers a wide range of subject matter, with a remit "to broadcast programmes of depth and substance" in contrast to the more mainstream an ...

, from May 13, 2018, to June 17, 2018.

Home media

''The Complete First Season'' was released on

DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kin ...

in Region 1 on March 6, 2018, and ''The Complete Second Season (Robbin' Season)'' was released on DVD on December 17, 2019.

References

External links

* * {{Authority control Atlanta (TV series) 2010s American comedy-drama television series 2010s American surreal comedy television series 2010s American black television series 2016 American television series debuts 2022 American television series endings 2020s American comedy-drama television series 2020s American surreal comedy television series 2020s American black television series American black television series Best Musical or Comedy Series Golden Globe winners Culture of Atlanta English-language television shows FX Networks original programming Hip hop television Peabody Award-winning television programs Primetime Emmy Award-winning television series Television shows filmed in Atlanta Television shows filmed in France Television shows set in Atlanta Television shows shot in London Television series by 20th Century Fox Television