This Emmy-Winning 1980 Miniseries Is A Great Sign For Shogun’s Awards Chances

Summary

• Shogun’s near-perfect 99% Rotten Tomatoes score is a strong indicator of its award chances at the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards.
• The original 1980 Shogun series won 3 Emmys and was highly acclaimed, setting a high standard for the 2024 adaptation.
• Shogun is already being hailed as the best miniseries of the year, with strong potential to win Outstanding Limited Series at the Emmys.

One Emmy-winning series from 1980 already provides a great indication of Shōgun‘s awards chances. Following the epic conclusion of Shōgun titled “A Dream of a Dream” which was released on April 23, 2024, the complete Shōgun series is now available to stream on Hulu or watch on demand through FX. Although Shōgun episode 10 ends without showing the war between Lord Ishido and Lord Toranaga, a conflict that has been brewing throughout the entire series based on the real-life Battle of Sekigahara, the finale was one of the best episodes of the critically acclaimed series which helped solidify it as one of the best modern miniseries of all time.

Shōgun has maintained its near-perfect Rotten Tomatoes score of 99% after debuting with a 100% back in February 2024, which is a great indicator of its awards chances. Shōgun is already being heralded as the best miniseries of the year and is a top contender to win Outstanding Limited Series at the upcoming 76th Primetime Emmy Awards later this year. Shōgun’s chances of taking home the top prize for a limited series are supported by the fact that the Shōgun series from 1980 won the Emmy for Outstanding Limited Series 43 years ago.

1980’s Shogun Won The Primetime Emmy For Outstanding Limited Series In 1981

Shogun also won 2 other Emmys

1980’s Shōgun went on to win a total of 3 Emmys in 1981 after receiving an impressive 14 nominations.

Shōgun was previously adapted into a limited series back in 1980. Like the 2024 critically acclaimed series, 1980’s Shōgun received outstanding reviews and was widely considered one of the best series of the year in which it was released. 1980’s Shōgun starred Richard Chamberlain as John Blackthorne, who was otherwise best known for his roles in classic films such as The Towering Inferno (1974), The Last Wave (1977), and The Thorn Birds (1983). Lord Yoshi Toranaga was played by Toshirô Mifune (Yojimbo, Seven Samurai, High and Low) while Lady Mariko was played by Yôko Shimada (Crying Freeman, The Hunted).

1980’s Shōgun ran for a total of 5 episodes, two of which were 1 hour and 30 minutes, while the other three all had roughly 2-hour and 15-minute runtimes. The series was adapted for television by Eric Bercovici, who also created a popular but short-running television series named Jessie (1984). Jerry London (Chiefs, Ellis Island, Counterstrike, JAG) directed all 5 lengthy episodes of the acclaimed series. 1980’s Shōgun went on to win a total of 3 Emmys in 1981 after receiving an impressive 14 nominations, including Outstanding Costume Design for a Series, Outstanding Graphic Design and Title Sequences, and Outstanding Limited Series.

2024’s Shogun Is Rated Much Higher Than The Celebrated 1980 Version

Shōgun is a near shoo-in to be nominated for Outstanding Limited Series

Shōgun
has a remarkable 99% on Rotten Tomatoes while the 1980’s version has a score of 79%.

By comparison, 2024’s Shōgun has a remarkable 99% on Rotten Tomatoes while the 1980’s version has a score of 79% even though it won the Emmy for Outstanding Limited Series. This is a great indication of Shōgun’s chances at the upcoming 76th Primetime Emmy Awards, which will take place on September 15, 2024. 2024’s Shōgun is a near shoo-in to be nominated for Outstanding Limited Series and will likely compete in many of the same categories that the 1980 version did, which include Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series, Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series, Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series, and more.

2024’s Shōgun will likely also be nominated for Outstanding Writing in a Limited Series, Outstanding Cinematography in a Limited Series, and Outstanding Directing in a Limited Series. It also appears to be an early favorite in categories of art direction and costume design and could very well end up being the Oppnehimer of the 2024 Emmys by sweeping in every major category. There are still several limited series yet to be released this year but as of April 2024, Shōgun appears to be the clear favorite entering television’s award season.

What Other Limited Series Could Challenge Shogun At The 76th Emmy Awards

The Sympathizer, Masters of the Air, & Ripley are strong contenders

The recently released HBO limited series
The Sympathizer
, in which Robert Downey Jr. plays four different characters across seven episodes, should pick up some awards season buzz.

Even though Shōgun appears to be the clear favorite, there are still several other outstanding limited series that will compete for the top prize at the 2024 Emmy Awards. The recently released HBO limited series The Sympathizer, in which Robert Downey Jr. plays four different characters across seven episodes, should pick up some awards season buzz. Apple’s celebrated Masters of the Air, a WWII companion series to Band of Brothers and The Pacific, should also gain some traction, as well as the gritty psychological thriller Ripley from Netflix, which was written and directed by Steven Zaillian, the Oscar-winning screenwriter of Schindler’s List.