FX took a risky bet on 'Shōgun,' a limited prestige series in Japanese. It just won a record-breaking 18 Emmys.
Disney / Scott Kirkland
- "Shōgun" won 18 Emmys, breaking the record for most wins in one season.
- The series initially seemed like a risky bet because it was a historical show with a non-English script.
- "Shōgun" proves there is still hunger for foreign language shows.
"Shōgun" smashed the record for the most Emmy Awards won by a show in one season, once again proving non-English shows are worth investing in.
During this year's Emmy Awards ceremonies, "Shōgun" took home 18 awards, beating the previous record of 13 held by the 2008 HBO miniseries "John Adams."
Shōgun was also the first Disney show to win Outstanding Drama since the first season of Lost in 2005. In recent years, the award has typically gone to HBO series.
"Shōgun" is the latest in a string of foreign-language shows and movies — including 2019's "Parasite" and 2021's "Squid Game" — that have found success in the US despite having a non-English script.
But when FX first greenlit "Shōgun" as a limited series in 2018, it seemed like a risky gamble.
Colin Bentley/FX
The last time James Clavell's 1975 novel, "Shōgun," was adapted into a miniseries in 1980, it was a hit with audiences and won three Emmys. However, FX's version featured a mostly Japanese cast, and most of the dialogue was in Japanese.
Foreign language shows were not typically big hits in the US in the past, and even the cast and showrunner were surprised they made it this far.
As "Shōgun" showrunner Justin Marks accepted the outstanding drama award, he thanked FX: "You guys greenlit a very expensive sub-titled Japanese period piece whose central climax revolves around a poetry competition. I have no idea why you did that, but thank you for your faith in this incredible team."
Hiroyuki Sanada, who won his first best actor Emmy on Sunday for playing lead character Yoshii Toranaga, told People at an Emmys event ahead of the awards show: "I couldn't have imagined these kinds of things happening during the shooting. For me, it was a gamble."
He added: "Because the show has 70 percent Japanese dialogue and then subtitles. Can people enjoy a 1600s feudal Japan story? But surprisingly, we got a great reaction. And also this nomination. So it's like I'm in a dream of dreams."
After the first season's success, Shōgun was renewed for two more seasons despite originally being a limited series. Time will tell if its makers can build on their surprise success.