FX debuted two new comedies earlier this month that are unlike anything else on TV. Donald Glover's Atlanta and Pamela Adlon's Better Things have both been well-received prior to and in the weeks since their premieres. Now, after only a couple of weeks' worth of episodes, FX already has some fantastic news for fans of the freshman series. Both Atlanta and Better Things will be getting a second season.
Presidents of FX original programming Nick Grad and Eric Schrier announced today that the two new comedies have earned enough critical acclaim and popular support to already warrant orders for Season 2. Both Atlanta and Better Things will get ten episodes for their second seasons, and neither is even at the first season's halfway point.
The surreal and instantly quotable Atlanta follows a pair of cousins and a unique friend as they try to navigate their way through the Atlanta music scene and their own personal lives via the mini-success of Brian Tyree Henry's rapper Paper Boi. Donald Glover of Community fame is on board as writer, creator, and star, and his first series brought great numbers to FX from its very first episode on. Its premiere ranks as the most-watched primetime basic cable scripted comedy to debut in the past three years in the valuable 18-49 ratings demographic. The comedy has also achieved something that few other shows generally manage: its audience has actually been growing in multiple demographics in the episodes since the premiere.
The refreshingly frank Better Things stars Pamela Adlon as Sam Fox, a single working mom struggling to raise three difficult-ish daughters while dealing with her own troublesome mother across the street. The show hasn't won quite the same ratings as Atlanta, but it has scored impressive numbers in a key demographic. The Better Things series premiere is the second most-watched primetime basic cable scripted comedy in the 18-34 demographic for women. Women made up a whopping 73% of all the adults in the 18-34 demographic that tuned in for the first episode. 63% of viewers in the 18-49 demographic were women as well, which is well above the 47% average for FX. It's no wonder that the network would want to hold onto the Better Things audience.
FX's comedy roster has gone through some big changes recently as both Archer and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia have been moved over to the network's sister station FXX for future seasons, while Louie seems to be on indefinite hiatus. FX needed some new hit comedies to freshen up its lineup; Atlanta and Better Things have clearly fit the bill.
Atlanta and Better Things still have a handful of episodes each left before going into hiatus, so there's still plenty of time to tune in and get a fix of FX's new comedies. Atlanta airs on Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET on FX, and Better Things airs on Thursdays at 10 p.m. ET. Check out our fall TV premiere schedule to see what else you'll be able to watch on the small screen in the not-too-distant future.
