The hit FX showAtlantahas finally returned after a long hiatus. Series creator Donald Glover stars as Earn, a man who begins managing the rap career of his cousin, Alfred, a.k.a. the rising star “Paper Boi.” However, the show takes many detours from this premise, focusing mostly on the experience of being African-American.
In its third season,Atlanta is as absurd as everas the characters embark on a European road trip. However, the show is still true to its social commentary roots.Atlanta, for better or worse, can be a pretty strange show to get into, but fans will probably find a lot to like in these other shows.
10Dave
Following the success ofAtlanta, FX continued their string of music-based dramedies withDave. Starring comedic rapper Lil Dicky (whose real name is Dave Burd) as a fictionalized version of himself, this show is like ifAtlantafocused more on the music industry. It features many celebrity cameos, including Kevin Hart and Justin Bieber.
WhileAtlanta’s goals seem more philosophical,Daveis simply a fun comedy-drama about a neurotic man whostumbles into becoming the biggest rapper of all time. However, especially in its second season, the show leans into its more dramatic aspects. It ultimately questions whether Dave wants to be funny, or real, in his music.
9Insecure
Issa Rae rose to international fame after creating and starring in her HBO comedyInsecure. The show began as a self-made web series by Rae calledAwkward Black Girl, and the HBO iteration definitely sticks to that promise, albeit with more ambition. The show has gone on to receive many Emmy nominations since 2016.
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LikeAtlanta,Insecurecaptures an experience that’s very specific to its creator: being an African-American woman. While it makes for great representation in modern TV, it also finds unique ways to reach out to a broader audience. Thanks to Issa Rae’s magnetic performance, this show provides a lot of laughs alongside introspection.
8I May Destroy You
I May Destroy Youcertainly skews on the side of drama, but many have generously labeled it a “black comedy.” Either way, this show refuses to pull its punches as it depicts the experiences of a black woman living in London. Created by and starring Michaela Coel,this show received acclaim for the handling of its main subject.
LikeAtlantaandInsecure, this show perfectly captures a generational experience of feeling unadjusted in the world. The brilliant way it does this earned the show two wins at the 2021 Emmys, including Outstanding Writing for a Limited Series. It can at times be a heavy watch, but this show is jam-packed with emotion.
7Ramy
Created by Ramy Youssef,Ramy’s first season premiered on Hulu in 2019. The show stars Youssef as a Muslim-American man living in New Jersey, figuring out his relationship to his faith. Following the trends set byAtlanta,Ramywas acclaimed by fans for the portrayal of a Muslim demographic not often seen in mainstream media.
The show particularly displays Ramy’s faith as it interplays with his status as a millennial adult, and how those conflict with each other. The second season takes this further as Ramy builds a friendship with a Sheikh played by Mahershala Ali. The show is very frank and earnest, which can make viewers laugh in discomfort.
6Kevin Can F**k Himself
Annie Murphy earned her own starring role in a sitcom with her follow-up toSchitt’s Creek, where she played humblebragging Alexis Rose. However,Kevin Can F**k Himselfis no normal sitcom role for Murphy. The show alternates between two formats: a multi-camera sitcom and a single-camera TV drama.
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In the multi-cam set-up, viewers get to see Murphy’s character Allison as she plays second fiddle to her husband, Kevin. Her frustrations as sitcom wife, complete with a laugh track, bubble up as she retreats from Kevin’s sight and into a darker single-camera world. LikeAtlanta, this show ambitiously plays with the format of TV.
5Girls
Girlsdoesn’t just earn a spot on this list for Donald Glover’s appearance as a Black Republican in the second season. The Lena Dunham-fronted series received heaps of critical acclaim as it ran between 2012 and 2017. Following four woman living in New York City, it was a seminal show for the transition to darker television comedies.
With its phenomenal starring cast including Adam Driver, Allison Williams, and Jemima Kirke (alongside Dunham), the show is remarkably fearless.Dunham’s writing consistently pokes at serious issuesand invokes controversial think-pieces. It’s a great example of a show that paved the way forAtlanta’s stark realism paired with absurdity.
4Barry
Bill Hader made a name for himself onSaturday Night Liveas a brilliant sketch performer. However, his anxieties onstage fueled his ambition in writing and directingBarry, which premiered on HBO in 2018. Set to return soon for a third season,Barrymixes Hader’s comedic stylings with a gritty crime backdrop.
Hader stars as the titular character, a hitman who attempts to leave the criminal world behind when he discovers a love for acting. The show is compromised of comedic legends like Stephen Root, who plays Barry’s abusive boss, and Henry Winkler, who plays his self-obsessed acting coach. It’s as hilarious as it is dark and heartbreaking.
3Fleabag
Phoebe Waller-Bridge starred alongside Donald Glover inSolo: A Star Wars Story. However, the two have even more in common, as Waller-Bridge’s showFleabagshares similar approaches to TV comedy withAtlanta. Developed from Waller-Bridge’s one-woman play, the show has inspired a new generation of TV.
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In the show, Waller-Bridge portrays the titular Fleabag, a young woman who operates a café in London. Fleabag constantly breaks the fourth wall as she walks viewers through her life, including bad dates with men and her awkward family dynamics. However, the show’s comedy really takes a turn as it dives into Fleabag’s grief.
2High Fidelity
Following inFleabag’s footsteps,High Fidelitypremiered on Hulu in 2020. The show is a loose remake of the 2000 film of the same name, starring John Cusack as a record store worker. However, Hulu’s version takes many creative liberties,including recasting Cusack with now-Catwoman Zoë Kravitz.
Reminiscent of the 2000 film, Kravitz’s Robyn often breaks the fourth wall, narrating and talking to the camera. However, this show is probably closer toAtlantain the way it centers on the world of music and the music industry. It even features some cameos from musicians like Blondie’s Debbie Harry and Bleachers' Jack Antonoff.
1Community
Donald Glover’s career trajectory leading toAtlantais quite interesting. He started as a sketch performer before netting a writing job on NBC’s30 Rock. From that credit, as well as his 2009 comedyMystery Team, Glover was cast in Dan Harmon’s college-centered sitcom,Community,as the lovable jock-turned-nerd Troy Barnes.
As Glover’s first claim to fame,Communityset the stage for his future in TV comedy. What’s more,Community’s absurdity and subversion of mainstream norms seems to have inspired Glover’s writing staff onAtlanta. Even regardless of the influence it had,Communityfor the most part remains an easy-to-love network sitcom, with Troy one of its best characters.
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