Wikipedia

Atlanta season 1

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Drovethrughosts (talk | contribs) at 12:40, 16 November 2022 (→‎Cast and characters). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

The first season of the American television series Atlanta premiered on September 6, 2016. The season is produced by RBA, 343 Incorporated, MGMT. Entertainment, and FXP, with Donald Glover, Paul Simms, and Dianne McGunigle, serving as executive producers. Glover serves as creator and wrote four episodes for the season.

Atlanta
Season 1
Promotional poster
Starring
No. of episodes10
Release
Original networkFX
Original releaseSeptember 6 (2016-09-06) –
November 1, 2016 (2016-11-01)
Season chronology
Next →
Season 2
List of episodes

The series was given a 10-season order in October 2015 and stars Donald Glover, Brian Tyree Henry, LaKeith Stanfield, and Zazie Beetz. The series follows Earn during his daily life in Atlanta, Georgia, 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"; and Darius, Alfred's eccentric right-hand man.

The season premiered on September 6, 2016, with a two-episode premiere on FX. The series premiere received 1.08 million viewers with a 0.5 ratings share in the 18–49 demographics. The season ended on November 1, 2016, with an average of 0.88 million viewers.[1] The season received critical acclaim, with critics praising its cast, writing, originality, and social commentary. At the 74th Golden Globe Awards, the season won Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy while Glover won Best Actor in a Television Series - Musical or Comedy. At the 69th Primetime Emmy Awards, the season was nominated for Outstanding Comedy Series, with Glover winning two awards for Lead Actor in a Comedy Series and Directing for a Comedy Series. The latter made Glover the first African-American to win the award.[2] In September 2016, FX renewed the series for a second season.[3]

Cast and characters

Main

Recurring

  • Harold House Moore as Swiff

Guest

Episodes

No.
overall		No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air dateProd.
code		U.S. viewers
(millions)
11"The Big Bang"Hiro MuraiDonald GloverSeptember 6, 2016 (2016-09-06)XAA010011.08[4]
22"Streets on Lock"Hiro MuraiStephen GloverSeptember 6, 2016 (2016-09-06)XAA010020.955[4]
33"Go for Broke"Hiro MuraiStephen GloverSeptember 13, 2016 (2016-09-13)XAA010031.07[5]
44"The Streisand Effect"Hiro MuraiDonald GloverSeptember 20, 2016 (2016-09-20)XAA010040.920[6]
55"Nobody Beats the Biebs"Hiro MuraiStephen GloverSeptember 27, 2016 (2016-09-27)XAA010050.860[7]
66"Value"Donald GloverDonald Glover & Stefani RobinsonOctober 4, 2016 (2016-10-04)XAA010060.827[8]
77"B.A.N."Donald GloverDonald GloverOctober 11, 2016 (2016-10-11)XAA010070.770[9]
88"The Club"Hiro MuraiJamal OloriOctober 18, 2016 (2016-10-18)XAA010080.948[10]
99"Juneteenth"Janicza BravoStefani RobinsonOctober 25, 2016 (2016-10-25)XAA010090.651[11]
1010"The Jacket"Hiro MuraiStephen GloverNovember 1, 2016 (2016-11-01)XAA010100.786[12]

Production

Development

 
Donald Glover serves as creator, executive producer, director, writer and lead actor of the series.

The series was announced in August 2013, with Donald Glover set as lead actor, creator, writer and executive producer. The series was offered to many networks but Glover chose FX for its willingness to accommodate his music touring schedule with the development of the series.[13] In December 2014, FX made a pilot order and Paul Simms and Dianne McGunigle joined as executive producers.[14] In October 2015, FX made a 10-episode series order, with plans to release it in 2016.[15] Nick Grad, President of Original Programming for FX Entertainment, commented "Donald Glover is a uniquely talented actor and performer who brings real-life experience to this subject matter. He, along with Paul Simms, has a very honest, sometimes serious, and funny perspective on life, the world of rap music and the city of Atlanta."[16]

Writing

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, a writer for Man Seeking Woman, and Taofik Kolade round out the writer's room.[17][18]

Glover jokingly referred to the series as "Twin Peaks with rappers".[19] Glover, who grew up in Atlanta and also works as a musician, stated that "the city influenced the tone of the show".[20] He also chose the city as "there's an active dialogue of how things should be. The dynamics of the economy play out really well. It informs for a cool environment."[21] He commented on the development of the series, "There's so many screens that have to be filled now, between your television, your computer and your phone, that I think it's the perfect time to make something that I see, a perfect opportunity to combine everything that media is right now."[20] The series makes constant use of the N-word, which Glover defended as "that's how people talk. It's just the way it is. Trying to pretend that people don't talk like that, like I don't, it's kind of silly. I feel like if we ignore that, people would immediately turn on the television and not know what world they're on."[20]

Regarding the series' surrealism, Glover explained "There really isn't a limit to how abstract you can get, as long as you believe it. There has to be a grounded nature to something — if you have something that is grounded on some level, you can go anywhere. You just have to have it so that they’re abiding by their own rules every step of the way."[22]

Casting

When the pilot was ordered, Glover was reported to play Earnest "Earn" Marks, "a college drop-out who taps into his own musical aspirations when his estranged family member finds sudden fame."[23]

In July 2015, Brian Tyree Henry, LaKeith Stanfield and Zazie Beetz joined the series as the remaining cast members. Henry would play Alfred Miles, "Atlanta's hot of the moment rapper who plans to capitalize on the sudden fame as quickly as possible". Stanfield would play Darius, "Alfred's oddly talented right-hand man and musical collaborator". And Beetz would play Van, "a pragmatist caught up in a complicated relationship with Earn (Glover) due to their daughter".[24]

Filming

Filming on the pilot began in July 2015 in Atlanta, with Hiro Murai directing the episode.[25] Murai previously collaborated with Glover on music videos, commenting "It's obviously a different format. Even in the narrative format I've done, we've never had extensive scripted dialogue scenes and whatnot. But it felt like a natural extension of what Donald and I have done in the past. So in that sense it was a really nice, seamless transition."[26]

In August 2016, it was reported that Glover would make his directorial debut, directing the sixth and seventh episode.[27]

Release

Broadcast

In July 2016, FX announced that the season would premiere on September 6, 2016.[28]

Marketing

The first teaser debuted in June 2016, which was heavily inspired by the music video for "Drop" by The Pharcyde.[29] A new second debuted the next month, with music from "Sleepless" by Flume.[30] A full-length trailer was released in August 2016.[31]

Home media release

The season was released on DVD in Region 1 on March 6, 2018.[32]

Reception

Ratings

Viewership and ratings per episode of Atlanta season 1
No. Title Air date Rating
(18–49)		 Viewers
(millions)		 DVR
(18–49)		 DVR viewers
(millions)		 Total
(18–49)		 Total viewers
(millions)
1 "The Big Bang" September 6, 2016 0.5 1.08[4] 0.4 — 0.9[33]1 —
2 "Streets on Lock" September 6, 2016 0.5 0.955[4] — — — —
3 "Go for Broke" September 13, 2016 0.6 1.07[5] — — — —
4 "The Streisand Effect" September 20, 2016 0.5 0.920[6] — — — —
5 "Nobody Beats the Biebs" September 27, 2016 0.4 0.860[7] — — — —
6 "Value" October 4, 2016 0.4 0.827[8] 0.4 — 0.8[34] —
7 "B.A.N." October 11, 2016 0.4 0.770[9] 0.6 1.05 1.0 1.82[35]
8 "The Club" October 18, 2016 0.4 0.948[10] 0.6 0.97 1.0 1.92[36]
9 "Juneteenth" October 25, 2016 0.3 0.651[11] 0.6 0.97 0.9 1.62[37]
10 "The Jacket" November 1, 2016 0.4 0.786[12] 0.6 0.87 1.0 1.66[38]

^1 Live +7 ratings were not available, so Live +3 ratings have been used instead.

Critical reception

The first season received widespread acclaim from television critics. The review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes gives the first season an approval rating of 97% based on 74 reviews, with an average rating of 8.60/10. 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."[39] On Metacritic, the first season has a score of 90 out of 100, based on reviews from 36 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[40]

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."[41] 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."[42] Alan Sepinwall praised Glover's creativity, writing, "he wanted a chance to fail, and while not all of Atlanta works yet, it absolutely has that immersive quality Glover was hoping for."[43]

Critics' top ten lists

The season topped many "Best of 2016" lists and was the second most mentioned series of the year.[44]

Awards and nominations

Award Category Nominees Result Ref.
American Film Institute Awards Top 10 Television Programs Atlanta Won [45]
Critics' Choice Television Awards Best Comedy Series Nominated [46]
Best Actor in a Comedy Series Donald Glover Won
Directors Guild of America Awards Outstanding Directorial Achievement for a Comedy Series Donald Glover (for "B.A.N.") Nominated [47]
Golden Globe Awards Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy Atlanta Won [48]
Best Actor in a Television Series - Musical or Comedy Donald Glover Won
Gotham Independent Film Awards Breakthrough Series – Long Form Atlanta Won [49]
MTV Movie & TV Awards Show of the Year Atlanta Nominated [50]
Best Actor in a Show Donald Glover Nominated
Best Duo Brian Tyree Henry and Keith Stanfield Nominated
NAACP Image Awards Outstanding Comedy Series Atlanta Nominated [51]
Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series Donald Glover Nominated
Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series Won
Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series Nominated
Peabody Awards Area of Excellence Atlanta Won [52]
People's Choice Awards Favorite Cable TV Comedy Nominated [53]
Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Comedy Series Atlanta Nominated [54]
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series Donald Glover Won
Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series Donald Glover (for "B.A.N.") Won
Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series Donald Glover (for "B.A.N.") Nominated
Stephen Glover (for "Streets on Lock") Nominated
Outstanding Casting for a Comedy Series Alexa L. Fogel, Tara Feldstein Bennett, Chase Paris Nominated
Producers Guild of America Awards Episodic Television, Comedy Donald Glover, Dianne McGunigle, Paul Simms, Hiro Murai, Alex Orr Won [55]
Writers Guild of America Awards Comedy Series Donald Glover, Stephen Glover, Stefani Robinson, Paul Simms Won [56]
New Series Won
Episodic Comedy Stephen Glover (for "Streets on Lock") Nominated
TCA Awards Program of the Year Atlanta Nominated [57]
Outstanding Achievement in Comedy Won
Outstanding New Program Nominated
Individual Achievement in Comedy Donald Glover Won

Notes

  1. ^ Henry is only credited for the episodes he appears in.
  2. ^ Stanfield is only credited for the episodes he appears in.
  3. ^ Beetz is only credited for the episodes she appears in.

References

  1. ^ "Atlanta: Season One Ratings". TV Series Finale. November 2, 2016. Retrieved January 7, 2022.
  2. ^ "Donald Glover Is First Black Director To Win An Emmy In Comedy". HuffPost. Retrieved January 7, 2022.
  3. ^ Petski, Denise (September 20, 2016). "'Atlanta' & 'Better Things' Renewed For Second Season By FX". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 7, 2022.
  4. ^ a b c d Porter, Rick (September 8, 2016). "Tuesday cable ratings: 'Queen Sugar' and 'Atlanta' get off to good starts". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on September 9, 2016. Retrieved September 8, 2016.
  5. ^ a b Welch, Alex (September 14, 2016). "Tuesday cable ratings: 'Atlanta' ticks up, 'WWE Smackdown' lands on top". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on September 15, 2016. Retrieved September 15, 2016.
  6. ^ a b Welch, Alex (September 21, 2016). "Tuesday cable ratings: 'Atlanta' and 'WWE Smackdown' dip". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on September 22, 2016. Retrieved September 21, 2016.
  7. ^ a b Welch, Alex (September 28, 2016). "Tuesday cable ratings: 'WWE Smackdown' holds steady". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on September 30, 2016. Retrieved September 28, 2016.
  8. ^ a b Welch, Alex (October 5, 2016). "Tuesday cable ratings: MLB Wild Card Game and Vice Presidential Debate win the night". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on October 6, 2016. Retrieved October 5, 2016.
  9. ^ a b Welch, Alex (October 12, 2016). "Tuesday cable ratings: Cubs vs Giants bring in big numbers". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on October 13, 2016. Retrieved October 12, 2016.
  10. ^ a b Metcalf, Mitch (October 19, 2016). "UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Tuesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 10.18.2016". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on November 1, 2016. Retrieved October 21, 2016.
  11. ^ a b Metcalf, Mitch (October 26, 2016). "UPDATED: SHOWBUZZDAILY's Top 150 Tuesday Cable Originals & Network Finals: 10.25.2016". Showbuzz Daily. Archived from the original on December 20, 2016. Retrieved October 26, 2016.
  12. ^ a b Welch, Alex (November 2, 2016). "Tuesday cable ratings: 'WWE Smackdown' dips, 'Atlanta' season finale holds steady". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on November 4, 2016. Retrieved November 2, 2016.
  13. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (August 6, 2013). "Donald Glover To Create And Star In Music-Themed FX Comedy Series Project". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 7, 2022.
  14. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (December 12, 2014). "Donald Glover Comedy Pilot 'Atlanta' Ordered By FX". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 7, 2022.
  15. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (October 15, 2015). "Donald Glover FX Comedy 'Atlanta' Picked Up To Series". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 7, 2022.
  16. ^ O'Connell, Mikey (December 12, 2014). "FX Orders Donald Glover Pilot 'Atlanta'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 7, 2022.
  17. ^ Browne, Rembert (August 23, 2016). "Donald Glover Turns His Eye to His Hometown in Atlanta". Vulture. Archived from the original on May 8, 2019. Retrieved April 6, 2018.
  18. ^ Bakare, Lanre (November 2, 2016). "The writers of FX's Atlanta: 'We're not interested in being Sesame Street'". The Guardian. Archived from the original on November 14, 2020. Retrieved April 6, 2018.
  19. ^ Stanhope, Kate (January 16, 2016). "Donald Glover Previews His FX Comedy 'Atlanta': "'Twin Peaks' With Rappers"". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 7, 2022.
  20. ^ a b c N'Duka, Amanda (January 16, 2016). "Donald Glover On 'Atlanta': "I Just Think That It's The Most American Place" — TCA". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 14, 2020. Retrieved January 7, 2022.
  21. ^ D'Alessandro, Anthony (August 9, 2016). "'Atlanta's Donald Glover On 'Community' & How Everything Comes To An End: "Like One Day, Trump Is Gonna Die" – TCA". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 7, 2022.
  22. ^ Miller, Liz Shannon (August 9, 2016). "'Atlanta': Donald Glover Wants You To Feel What It's Like to Be Black". IndieWire. Retrieved January 7, 2022.
  23. ^ Swift, Andy (December 12, 2014). "Donald Glover's Rap Comedy Atlanta Gets Pilot Order from FX Networks". TVLine. Retrieved January 7, 2022.
  24. ^ Petski, Denise (July 2, 2015). "Brian Tyree Henry, Lakeith Lee Stanfield & Zazie Beetz To Co-Star In Donald Glover Comedy Pilot 'Atlanta'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 7, 2022.
  25. ^ "Donald Glover Pilot "Atlanta" Casts Its Leads as Production Gets Underway". The Futon Critic. July 2, 2015. Retrieved January 7, 2022.
  26. ^ Nguyen, Hahn (September 13, 2016). "'Atlanta': Meet Hiro Murai, the Hip-Hop Music Director of FX's Baffling and Beautiful New Series". IndieWire. Retrieved January 7, 2022.
  27. ^ Nguyen, Hahn (August 10, 2016). "'Atlanta': Donald Glover to Make TV Directorial Debut with Two Episodes". IndieWire. Retrieved January 7, 2022.
  28. ^ Pedersen, Erik (July 5, 2016). "'American Horror Story', 'Atlanta' & 'Better Things' Get FX Premiere Dates". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 7, 2022.
  29. ^ Murthi, Vikram (June 3, 2016). "'Atlanta' Trailer: Donald Glover's Newest Teaser Inspired By Spike Jonze's Video For Pharcydes' 'Drop'". IndieWire. Retrieved January 7, 2022.
  30. ^ Robinson, Will (July 5, 2016). "Atlanta: Donald Glover wakes up in strange places in dreamy trailer". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved January 7, 2022.
  31. ^ Schwartz, Ryan (August 13, 2016). "Atlanta: Donald Glover Tries to Catch a Rising Hip-Hop Star in First Trailer". TVLine. Retrieved January 7, 2022.
  32. ^ "Atlanta: The Complete First Season DVD". Best Buy. Retrieved January 7, 2022.
  33. ^ Porter, Rick (September 18, 2016). "Cable Live +3 ratings, Sept. 5-11: 'Rizzoli & Isles' finale, 'Fear the Walking Dead' lead the way". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on October 22, 2016. Retrieved March 24, 2018.
  34. ^ Porter, Rick (October 19, 2016). "'American Horror Story' puts up big gains in cable Live +7 ratings for Oct. 3-9". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on October 20, 2016. Retrieved March 24, 2018.
  35. ^ Porter, Rick (October 27, 2016). "'AHS: Roanoke' is the runaway leader in cable Live +7 ratings for Oct. 10-16". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on October 28, 2016. Retrieved March 24, 2018.
  36. ^ Porter, Rick (November 4, 2016). "'Walking Dead' premiere, 'AHS: Roanoke' dominate cable Live +7 ratings for Oct. 17-23". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on November 5, 2016. Retrieved March 24, 2018.
  37. ^ Porter, Rick (November 10, 2016). "'Walking Dead,' 'Atlanta,' 'AHS' score in cable Live +7 ratings for Oct. 24-30". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on November 11, 2016. Retrieved March 24, 2018.
  38. ^ Porter, Rick (November 17, 2016). "'Walking Dead,' 'American Horror Story' again rule the cable Live +7 ratings for Oct. 31-Nov. 6". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on November 18, 2016. Retrieved March 24, 2018.
  39. ^ "Atlanta: Season 1 (2016)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Archived from the original on January 10, 2017. Retrieved January 7, 2022.
  40. ^ "Atlanta - Season 1 Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on November 14, 2020. Retrieved January 7, 2022.
  41. ^ Wiegand, David (August 30, 2016). "'Atlanta' makes brilliant start to fall TV season". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved September 2, 2016.
  42. ^ Saraiya, Sonia (September 1, 2016). "TV Review: FX's 'Atlanta' and 'Better Things'". Variety. Retrieved September 2, 2016.
  43. ^ Sepinwall, Alan (August 31, 2016). "Review: Donald Glover does something very different—and very good—in 'Atlanta'". HitFix. Retrieved January 7, 2022.
  44. ^ Dietz, Jason (December 6, 2016). "Best of 2016: Television Critic Top Ten Lists". Metacritic. Retrieved January 7, 2022.
  45. ^ Nemetz, Dave (December 8, 2016). "AFI Awards: This Is Us, Stranger Things, Atlanta Make TV's Top 10 of 2016". TVLine. Archived from the original on January 12, 2017. Retrieved December 8, 2016.
  46. ^ "Critics' Choice Awards 2016 winners list: La La Land, People v. O.J dominate". Entertainment Weekly. December 11, 2016. Archived from the original on December 12, 2016. Retrieved December 12, 2016.
  47. ^ Hipes, Patrick (January 11, 2017). "DGA TV Awards Nominations: 'Stranger Things', 'Westworld' & 'Atlanta' On List; Docus Include 'OJ: Made In America'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on January 11, 2017. Retrieved January 11, 2017.
  48. ^ Mitovich, Matt Webb (January 8, 2017). "Golden Globes: The Night Manager, O.J., The Crown, Atlanta Are Big Winners". TVLine. Archived from the original on January 10, 2017. Retrieved January 8, 2017.
  49. ^ Erbland, Kate (November 27, 2017). "Gotham Awards 2017: Complete Winners List". IndieWire. Archived from the original on August 15, 2018. Retrieved November 30, 2017.
  50. ^ Eustice, Kyle (April 7, 2017). ""Get Out" Leads MTV Movie & TV Awards Nominations". HipHopDX. Archived from the original on May 20, 2017. Retrieved May 2, 2017.
  51. ^ Aiello, McKenna (February 12, 2017). "NAACP Image Awards 2017 Winners: The Complete List". E! News. Archived from the original on February 13, 2017. Retrieved February 12, 2017.
  52. ^ "The Peabody Awards - Atlanta". peabodyawards.com. Archived from the original on June 6, 2017. Retrieved April 24, 2017.
  53. ^ Petit, Stephanie (November 16, 2016). "People's Choice Awards Nominations Are Here: Find Out How to Vote for Your Favorites". People. Archived from the original on January 12, 2017. Retrieved November 16, 2016.
  54. ^ "Atlanta". Emmys.com. Archived from the original on July 22, 2017. Retrieved July 13, 2017.
  55. ^ McNary, Dave (January 5, 2017). "Producers Guild TV Awards: 'Westworld,' 'Stranger Things,' 'Atlanta' Grab Nominations". Variety. Archived from the original on June 14, 2018. Retrieved January 5, 2017.
  56. ^ Schwartz, Ryan (February 19, 2017). "Writers Guild Awards: FX Wins Big With Atlanta, O.J. and The Americans". TVLine. Archived from the original on February 28, 2017. Retrieved February 22, 2017.
  57. ^ Schwartz, Ryan (August 5, 2017). "TCA Awards: The Handmaid's Tale, Atlanta, Big Little Lies, Carrie Coon Among Big Winners". TVLine. Archived from the original on January 3, 2018. Retrieved August 6, 2017.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Atlanta_season_1&oldid=1122214780"