FX Orders Donald Glover Comedy Pilot

LOS ANGELES: FX Networks has ordered the comedy pilot Atlanta, created by and starring Donald Glover (Community).

Glover serves as executive producer, along with Paul Simms (Girls, Flight of the Conchords) and Dianne McGunigle of Schiff Company. The pilot will be produced by FX Productions. Atlanta centers on two cousins on their way up through the Atlanta rap scene whose opposing views on art versus commerce, success and race will make their quest anything but easy. Glover will play "Earnest 'Earn' Marks," a college drop-out who reconnects with his long-buried ambition and sets out to seize the life he imagined for himself when his estranged cousin becomes a sudden star.

Glover is an award-winning actor and writer best known for playing "Troy" on the Yahoo! (formerly NBC) sitcom Community. As a writer on NBC's 30 Rock, Glover received a WGA Award for best comedy series in 2008, 2009 and 2010. Last week, Childish Gambino (Glover's own rap alias) received his first-ever Grammy Award nominations.

"Donald Glover is a uniquely talented actor and performer who brings real-life experience to this subject matter," said Nick Grad, co-president of original programming for FX Networks and FX Productions. "Not only is Donald a very gifted actor, he has achieved tremendous success and acclaim as the musical artist Childish Gambino. 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."