Donald Glover To Develop FX Comedy 'Atlanta' After Leaving 'Community'

Donald Glover, who previously announced that he will take on a reduced role in the coming season of “Community,” is developing his own new comedy series for FX.

Deadline reports that Glover plans to write, executive produce and portray the lead character for a new FX series tentatively titled “Atlanta.” Glover, who grew up in Atlanta, plans to set his latest show against the backdrop of the city’s hip-hop scene.

Last month, Glover announced that he would appear in only five out of 13 episodes when “Community” returns to the air. Glover has been a series regular on “Community” since the show began in 2009. When he announced his departure, Glover stated that he would be taking time off to focus on his rap career under the stage name Childish Gambino. While it appears that statement was not entirely true, Deadline reports that FX is more than willing to work around his touring schedule. Reportedly, several networks were interested in “Atlanta,” but Glover chose FX for this reason.

While this is Glover’s first time as executive producer of a comedy series of his own, it won’t be his first time in a writers’ room. Before landing his recurring role on “Community,” Glover worked as a writer on fellow NBC series “30 Rock” in addition to writing skits for the online comedy project Derrick Comedy.

Meanwhile, “Community” showrunner Dan Harmon doesn’t appear to be worried about Glover leaving the show. Harmon alluded to the news last month with a tweet that reads, “Listen. It's Community. The day it’s quiet is the day we need to panic. #sixseasonsandamovie #bestonecoming.”

This is hardly the first big shakeup for the NBC cult comedy. At the end of the third season, Harmon was fired from the show he created for his inconsistent management style. After a low-rated fourth season, production studio Sony decided to bring Harmon back on board for one more season.