Atlanta: 10 Years Later, Donald Glover’s 4-Season Masterpiece Is Still One Of TV’s Best

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Even a decade after it first aired, Donald Glover’s FX/Hulu series is still considered one of the best TV shows of the 21st century. With four seasons and 41 episodes, it has earned 7 Emmy Awards – including wins for Glover as both lead actor and director – and currently holds a spot at #143 on IMDb’s list of the Top 250 TV Shows.

The show Atlanta, created by Donald Glover, draws strong inspiration from David Lynch’s Twin Peaks. It uniquely blends realistic drama set within Atlanta’s vibrant hip-hop scene with elements of surrealism and satire. Over the last ten years, many shows have tried to replicate its style, but none have quite matched its originality.

Atlanta Remains One Of The Best Shows Of The 21st Century

Ever since its debut in September 2016, Atlanta has set a new standard for realistic and funny dramas. It’s inspired shows like FX’s Dave and Ramy, and even Donald Glover’s own series Swarm on Prime Video, which takes place in the same world as Atlanta.

Atlanta centers around Earn, a man trying to provide for his family who takes on the role of managing his cousin, Alfred – a rising rap star known as ‘Paper Boi.’ The show follows Earn, Alfred, and their eccentric friend Darius as they navigate both the competitive Atlanta hip-hop scene and the surprisingly strange realities of everyday life.

What makes Atlanta so special is its striking blend of realistic moments and bizarre, dreamlike sequences. The show constantly keeps you guessing, even though it unfolds at a deliberate pace. Sometimes, it feels like a typical Hollywood comedy, similar to HBO’s Entourage. At other times, it’s more like a disturbing, unsettling scene from an A24 horror film.

Shows like Breaking Bad, The Sopranos, and Mad Men are consistently ranked among the greatest TV shows of all time, celebrated for their exceptional quality and lasting impact on television. Atlanta deserves to be mentioned in the same breath, as it revolutionized the landscape of modern TV with its innovative, genre-bending style and willingness to challenge established norms.

Atlanta Is Too Outstanding & Relevant To End After 4 Seasons

As a big fan of Atlanta, I always thought Donald Glover could have easily stretched it out for another season or two, especially since they managed to get season four out even after everything that happened with COVID in 2022. But honestly, I respect his call to end it where he did. It reminds me of how Jesse Armstrong wrapped up Succession – sometimes you just know when a show has reached its natural conclusion, and Glover clearly felt that with season four. It was a smart, artistic decision, and it leaves the show on a high note.

Though shows like The Bear have offered a similar mix of realistic emotion and creative filmmaking, nothing has quite replaced Atlanta, and its impact is still noticeable today. Because Atlanta wasn’t a traditional show – it moved freely between storylines and focused on different characters – there’s no clear path for a spin-off or even another season anytime soon.

Donald Glover recently created a new version of Mr. & Mrs. Smith for Prime Video, which won two Emmys and has been renewed for another season. He’s also heavily involved with The Bear, a critically acclaimed show that will conclude after its fifth season this year. With that project wrapping up, many hope Glover will revisit Atlanta in the coming years. The biggest hurdle will be coordinating the schedules of Glover and the show’s stars – Brian Tyree Henry, Lakeith Stanfield, and Zazie Beetz – all of whom have become well-known since Atlanta’s initial run, for a fifth season.

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2026-03-15 22:23