Los Angeles, Sep 16 || The historical drama television series ‘Shogun’ dominated the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards as it registered a total of 18 total Emmys this year (14 at the Creative Arts Emmys, 4 during the main ceremony including the Best Drama Series, Lead Actress in a Drama Series, Lead Actor in a Drama Series and Directing for a Drama Series.
This marks the most for any single season of a TV series in history, and the first ever for a non-English show to win the Primetime Emmy for Best Drama Series.
It defeated shows like ‘3 Body Problem’, ‘The Crown’, ‘Fallout’, ‘The Gilded Age’, ‘The Morning Show’, ‘Mr. & Mrs. Smith’ and ‘Slow Horses’ in the Best Drama Series category.
Showrunner Justin Marks said during his acceptance speech for the best drama award, “You guys greenlit a very expensive, subtitled 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”.
The series is based on James Clavell’s eponymous novel, and is a retelling of the Emmy-winning 1980s NBC miniseries set in 1600 feudal Japan.
The series follows the collision of two men from different worlds, John Blackthorne, a risk-taking English sailor who ends up shipwrecked in Japan, a land whose unfamiliar culture will ultimately redefine him, and Lord Toranaga, a shrewd, powerful daimyo, who is at odds with his own dangerous political rivals; and Lady Mariko, a woman with invaluable skills.
It stars the legendary Japanese actor Hiroyuki Sanada as Lord Yoshii Toranaga, who is a descendant of the Minowara clan which once ruled over Japan as shoguns.