10 Best TV Performances Of 2016

6. Donald Glover - Atlanta

Best TV Performances 2016
FX

Is there anything Donald Glover can't do? He made his name as a writer on one of the great modern sitcoms, 30 Rock, before going on to star in another, playing Troy Barnes in Community. In amongst all that he launched a successful rap career under the moniker Childish Gambino, and then made a genre-switch into funk with his latest release. He's started breaking out into movies too, and landed the role of Lando Calrissian in the upcoming Han Solo standalone movie.

He combines all of that experience and talent in Atlanta, his new TV series that he writes, directs, and stars in.

It follows the life of Glover's Earn, who tries to manage his cousin Paper Boi (it was a close call between Glover and Brian Tyree Henry) to stardom through the Atlanta rap scene, while also dealing with his own life struggles.

The series has a dreamlike, ethereal quality to it, and that's one embodied by Glover. He ensures that you're immediately hooked on his character, and get to intimately know him as well. Glover's brand of offbeat humour works perfectly here, but is mixed with a stronger, deeper message as he gives one of the deepest studies of what it's like to be black man in America right now you'll find.

Contributor
Contributor

NCTJ-qualified journalist. Most definitely not a racing driver. Drink too much tea; eat too much peanut butter; watch too much TV. Sadly only the latter paying off so far. A mix of wise-old man in a young man's body with a child-like wonder about him and a great otherworldly sensibility.