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Atlanta (TV series)

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Atlanta
GenreComedy-drama[1]
Created byDonald Glover
Starring
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes10 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
Production locationAtlanta, Georgia
Camera setupSingle-camera
Running time23–26 minutes
Production companiesRBA
343 Incorporated
MGMT. Entertainment
FXP
Original release
NetworkFX
ReleaseSeptember 6, 2016 (2016-09-06) –
present

Atlanta is an American comedy-drama television series created by and starring Donald Glover. The series is about two cousins navigating their way in the Atlanta rap scene in an effort to improve their lives and the lives of their families. FX ordered the pilot to a 10-episode season in October 2015.[2] Two weeks after the series premiered on September 6, 2016,[3] FX announced that Atlanta had been renewed for a second season.[4]

Plot

The series follows Earn (Donald Glover) during his daily life in Atlanta, Georgia, as he tries to redeem himself in the eyes of his ex-girlfriend (the mother of his daughter), his parents, and his cousin, who raps under the stage name "Paper Boi". Having dropped out of Princeton University, Earn has no money and no home, and so he alternates between staying with his parents and his girlfriend. Once he realizes that his cousin is on the verge of stardom, he desperately seeks to reconnect in order to improve his life and the life of his daughter, Lotti. The series is inspired by Garage Band: The Legend of Dookie Harris[5] written by Michael Tavon (Cousin)

Cast and characters

Main

  • Donald Glover as Earnest "Earn" Marks, a young Princeton dropout turned manager trying to get his cousin Paper Boi's rap career off the ground
  • Brian Tyree Henry as Alfred "Paper Boi" Miles, an up-and-coming rapper trying to understand the line between real life and street life. He is Earn's cousin.
  • Keith Stanfield as Darius, Alfred’s right-hand man and visionary
  • Zazie Beetz as Vanessa "Van" Keefer, Earn’s best friend and mother of his daughter

Recurring

  • Harold House Moore as Swiff
  • Griffin Freeman as Dave
  • Emmett Hunter as Ahmad White
  • Cranston Johnson as Deshawn
  • Myra Lucretia Taylor as Mrs. Marks
  • Isiah Whitlock Jr. as Raleigh Marks

Episodes

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateProd.
code		U.S. viewers
(millions)
1"The Big Bang"Hiro MuraiDonald GloverSeptember 6, 2016 (2016-09-06)XAA010011.08[7]

The series opens with a confrontation between local rapper Alfred "Paper Boi" Miles and a man who breaks off the side view mirror of Alfred's parked car. Alfred's cousin Earn tries to mediate the situation while stoned sidekick Darius has a sensation of déjà vu. Working a deadend job and trying to co-parent with Vanessa "Van", Earn approaches Alfred about managing the rapper since he has connections. Though Alfred sees Earn as a leech, Earn finds a way to get his song played on the radio. But just as they listen to the song on Alfred's car radio, a man walking by suddenly snaps off the side view mirror, resulting in the incident at the opening (hence the déjà vu) which ultimately culminates with a gunshot.

Opening song: "No Hook" by OJ Da Juiceman[6]

Closing song: "Paper Boi" by Paper Boi
2"Streets on Lock"Hiro MuraiStephen GloverSeptember 6, 2016 (2016-09-06)XAA010020.955[7]

Issues like police brutality, mental illness, and transphobia are addressed as Earn awaits bail after the boys get arrested for their shooting incident.

Opening song: "Law" by Yo Gotti[6]

Closing song: "Grandma's Hands" by Bill Withers
3"Go for Broke"Hiro MuraiStephen GloverSeptember 13, 2016 (2016-09-13)XAA010031.07[8]

Earn goes on a date with Van even though he's broke; Paper Boi proves he might have what it takes to hustle. Migos guest star.

Opening song: "Skrt" by Kodak Black[6]

Closing song: "Spray the Champagne" by Migos
4"The Streisand Effect"Hiro MuraiDonald GloverSeptember 20, 2016 (2016-09-20)XAA010040.920[9]

Paper Boi deals with a social media troll, internet criticism, and exploitation; While Earn tries to trade his phone for quick cash, Darius sets up an investment for the future.

Opening song: "Philosophers Throne" by Xavier Wulf[6]

Closing song: "Home Again" by Michael Kiwanuka
5"Nobody Beats the Biebs"Hiro MuraiStephen GloverSeptember 27, 2016 (2016-09-27)XAA010050.860[10]

Justin Bieber, who is depicted as an African-American, makes an appearance in Atlanta at a celebrity basketball game, rubbing Paper Boi the wrong way. Meanwhile, Earn sneaks his way into a high-powered agents meeting after being mistaken for someone else, and Darius gets involved in an incident at a shooting range where he is criticized for a controversial choice of a target paper.

Opening song: "Am I Black Enough For You?" by Billy Paul[6]

Closing song: "Forget About It" by Childish Gambino
6"Value"Donald GloverDonald Glover & Stefani RobinsonOctober 4, 2016 (2016-10-04)XAA010060.827[11]

Van meets her WAG friend Jayde for dinner and they clash over their respective lifestyles. Later, they smoke weed and reconcile, but Van forgets she is scheduled for a drug test the next day. She tries to use her daughter's urine, but spills it and finally admits to her boss that she's smoked, who understands but has to fire her.

Opening song: "It's Forever" by The Ebonys

Closing song: "Hit it and Quit It" by Funkadelic
7"B.A.N."Donald GloverDonald GloverOctober 11, 2016 (2016-10-11)XAA010070.770[12]
A satirical episode, Paper Boi features as a guest on a talk show called Montague, being part of a discussion on the media's indictment of Black culture and its intersection with trans people. Commercial parodies play throughout the episode during the breaks of the talk show.
8"The Club"Hiro MuraiJamal OloriOctober 18, 2016 (2016-10-18)XAA010080.948[13]

An NBA star named Marcus Miles is in the same club as Paper Boi, hogging the drinks, women and limelight, which aggravates Paper Boi. Additionally, their promoter is avoiding paying Earn, who attempts to chase him down throughout the night. Eventually, Paper Boi strong-arms him and takes his money. Later, another shooting happens (outside of the club), which the police link to Paper Boi on the news due to his "armed robbery".

Opening song: "Real Sisters" by Future

Closing song: "I Can Dig It, Baby" by Little Beaver
9"Juneteenth"Janicza BravoStefani RobinsonOctober 25, 2016 (2016-10-25)XAA010090.651[14]

Earn wakes up in another woman's bed and Van comes by to pick him up for a Juneteenth-themed party which she believes will help her establish good networking. The luxury home's owner is a rich White man who is shown to know quite a lot about Black culture in an anthropological way and his bourgeois Black wife. To impress the party's attendees, Vanessa and Earnest have to pretend they are a married couple who love fine art. Earn ends up going off on the homeowners when the wife insults Paper Boi and his hip hop management career after he is outed by some valets. On the drive back home, Earn and Van have sex in their car.

Opening song: "Change of the Guard" by Kamasi Washington

Closing song: "Chain Gang" by Sam Cooke
10"The Jacket"Hiro MuraiStephen GloverNovember 1, 2016 (2016-11-01)XAA010100.786[15]

Earn loses his jacket, which has imporant items to him, after a night of partying. The Uber driver, who is a drug and weapons dealer, has it but ends up getting shot by police while wearing it. Later, Paper Boi gives Earn a generous 5% pay which he gives to Van. Earn's coworker Justin comes by and returns the important item he desperately needed—a key which unlocks the storage facility space he is living in.

Opening song: "Broccoli" by D.R.A.M.

Closing song: "Elevators (Me & You)" by Outkast

Production

FX first began developing the show in August 2013,[16] and then the pilot was ordered to series by FX Networks in December 2014.[17] It was directed by Hiro Murai and shot in Atlanta.[18] It got picked up to series with a 10-episode order in October 2015.[2] Glover, who grew up in Atlanta and also works as a musician, stated that "the city influenced the tone of the show".[19]

Reception

Critical response

Atlanta has received widespread acclaim from television critics. Based on the first four episodes, the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes gives the first season an approval rating of 100%, based on 61 reviews, with an average rating of 8.9/10. The site'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."[20] On Metacritic, the first season has a score of 90 out of 100, based on the reviews of 36 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[21]

David Wiegand of the San Francisco Chronicle 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."[22] Sonia Saraiya of Variety also praised the series, declaring it a "finished, cinematic, and beautiful production that may be one of the best new shows of the fall."[23]

Awards and nominations

Season 1

Award Category Nominee(s) Result Ref.
American Film Institute Awards 2016 Top 10 Television Programs Atlanta Won [24]
7th Critics' Choice Television Awards Best Comedy Series Atlanta Nominated [25]
Best Actor in a Comedy Series Donald Glover Won
74th Golden Globe Awards Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy Atlanta Pending [26]
Best Actor in a Television Series - Musical or Comedy Donald Glover Pending
43rd People's Choice Awards Favorite Cable TV Comedy Atlanta Pending [27]
Writers Guild of America Awards 2016 Comedy Series Donald Glover, Stephen Glover,
Stefani Robinson, Paul Simms 		Pending [28]
New Series Pending
Episodic Comedy Stephen Glover
(for "Streets on Lock") 		Pending

References

  1. ^ Grosinger, Matt (August 12, 2016). "Donald Glover Shines in the First Trailer for FX's ATLANTA". Nerdist. Retrieved August 14, 2016.
  2. ^ a b FX press release (October 15, 2015). ""Atlanta" Ordered to Series on FX - Comedy Created by and Starring Donald Glover Picked Up for 10-Episode First Season". The Futon Critic. Retrieved January 22, 2016.
  3. ^ Pedersen, Erik (July 5, 2016). "'American Horror Story', 'Atlanta' & 'Better Things' Get FX Premiere Dates". Deadline. Retrieved July 6, 2016.
  4. ^ Swift, Andy (September 20, 2016). "Atlanta, Better Things Renewed at FX". TVLine. Retrieved September 20, 2016.
  5. ^ Tavon, Michael (March 2, 2014). The Legend of Dookie Harris (1 edition ed.). Michael Tavon. {{cite book}}: |edition= has extra text (help)
  6. ^ a b c d e Lockett, Dee (September 28, 2016). "Opening song titles: A Guide to the Music of Donald Glover's Atlanta". Vulture. Retrieved September 28, 2016.
  7. ^ a b Porter, Rick (September 8, 2016). "Tuesday cable ratings: 'Queen Sugar' and 'Atlanta' get off to good starts". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved September 8, 2016.
  8. ^ Welch, Alex (September 14, 2016). "Tuesday cable ratings: 'Atlanta' ticks up, 'WWE Smackdown' lands on top". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved September 15, 2016.
  9. ^ Welch, Alex (September 21, 2016). "Tuesday cable ratings: 'Atlanta' and 'WWE Smackdown' dip". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved September 21, 2016.
  10. ^ Welch, Alex (September 28, 2016). "Tuesday cable ratings: 'WWE Smackdown' holds steady". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved September 28, 2016.
  11. ^ Welch, Alex (October 5, 2016). "Tuesday cable ratings: MLB Wild Card Game and Vice Presidential Debate win the night". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved October 5, 2016.
  12. ^ Welch, Alex (October 12, 2016). "Tuesday cable ratings: Cubs vs Giants bring in big numbers". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved October 12, 2016.
  13. ^ Metcalf, Mitch (October 19, 2016). "UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Tuesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 10.18.2016". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved October 21, 2016.
  14. ^ Metcalf, Mitch (October 26, 2016). "UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Tuesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 10.25.2016". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved October 26, 2016.
  15. ^ Metcalf, Mitch (November 2, 2016). "UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Tuesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 11.1.2016". Showbuzz Daily. Retrieved November 2, 2016.
  16. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (August 6, 2013). "Donald Glover To Create And Star In Music-Themed FX Comedy Series Project". Deadline. Retrieved September 7, 2016.
  17. ^ FX press release (December 12, 2014). "FX Networks Orders Comedy Series Pilot "Atlanta" from Award-Winning Actor and Writer Donald Glover". The Futon Critic. Retrieved January 22, 2016.
  18. ^ FX press release (July 2, 2015). "Donald Glover Pilot "Atlanta" Casts Its Leads as Production Gets Underway". The Futon Critic. Retrieved January 22, 2016.
  19. ^ N'Duka, Amanda (January 16, 2016). "Donald Glover On 'Atlanta': "I Just Think That It's The Most American Place" — TCA". Deadline. Retrieved January 22, 2016.
  20. ^ "Atlanta (2016)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved September 3, 2016.
  21. ^ "Atlanta - Season 1 Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved September 2, 2016.
  22. ^ Wiegand, David (August 30, 2016). "'Atlanta' makes brilliant start to fall TV season". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved September 2, 2016.
  23. ^ Saraiya, Sonia (September 1, 2016). "TV Review: FX's 'Atlanta' and 'Better Things'". Variety. Retrieved September 2, 2016.
  24. ^ Nemetz, Dave (December 8, 2016). "AFI Awards: This Is Us, Stranger Things, Atlanta Make TV's Top 10 of 2016". TVLine. Retrieved December 8, 2016.
  25. ^ "Critics' Choice Awards 2016 winners list: La La Land, People v. O.J dominate". Entertainment Weekly. December 11, 2016. Retrieved December 12, 2016.
  26. ^ Hipes, Patrick (December 12, 2016). "Golden Globe Nominations: 'La La Land', 'Moonlight' Lead Films; 'People Vs. OJ' Tops TV". Deadline. Retrieved December 12, 2016.
  27. ^ Petit, Stephanie (November 16, 2016). "People's Choice Awards Nominations Are Here: Find Out How to Vote for Your Favorites". People. Retrieved November 16, 2016.
  28. ^ Schwindt, Oriana (December 5, 2016). "Writers Guild TV Nominations: 'Stranger Things,' 'Westworld,' 'This Is Us,' 'Atlanta' Break Through". Variety. Retrieved December 8, 2016.
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