If you think the Creative Arts Emmy Ceremonies don’t matter when it comes to the Primetime Emmy Awards, think again. FX’s “Shōgun” made history over two nights this past weekend. Not only did the now ongoing series make history with the most wins by any Drama Series in one year, but it’s already won more Emmy statues in one year for any series, ever. And on Sunday night it could potentially win six more including the coveted Drama Series Emmy itself.

Continue reading Emmys 2024 Final Predictions: ‘Shōgun,’ ‘Shōgun,’ & More ‘Shōgun’ at The Playlist.

OK, it’s July, and we’re well past the mid-way part of the year, so it’s time for a slightly belated Best TV Shows Of The Year… So Far, piece, and yes, the Emmy announcements just hit, so we’re slightly behind, but you should also check out that nomination list here.

TV in 2024 has had some highs and lows. Some highly anticipated series, like “Sugar” with Colin Farrell, “The Veil” with Elisabeth Moss, and “The Big Cigar” with Andre Holland, underwhelmed not only us but also many critics (not to mention Lucasfilm’s “The Acolyte,” a mixed bag effort).

Continue reading The Best TV Shows Of The Year So Far at The Playlist.

One of the most talked about series of 2024 is FX’s feudal Japan series, “Shōgun,” which just ended its ten-episode run on Hulu. The acclaimed series centers on the collision of two ambitious men, an English sailor (Cosmo Jarvis), who is shipwrecked in Japan, and Lord Toranaga (Hiroyuki Sanada), a shrewd, powerful Japanese feudal lord, at odds with his own dangerous, political rivals. Together, they form a tentative alliance that mutually benefits their aims of staying alive in a foreign land and staying in power amid much dissension.

Continue reading ‘Shōgun’ Creators Are Open To Season 2, But Caution “It’s A Tough One” Even If The Audience Wants It at The Playlist.

James Clavell’s “Shōgun” is a notoriously long book. The first edition in 1975 ran well over a thousand pages and yet was somehow still a truly massive, culture-shifting literary hit, selling millions of copies. Not only did it start a successful series of books for the author known as The Asian Saga, but it really helped define the prestige network TV mini-series. In 1980, a nine-hour mini-series captivated viewers on NBC over five nights, becoming the highest-rated program in the history of the network and second only to ABC’s “Roots” on any network.

Continue reading ‘Shōgun’ Review: FX’s Lavish Action Samurai Period Piece Reshapes Beloved Original at The Playlist.

After a minor dry spell of new releases, February is gearing up for a stacked slate. This includes major, highly buzzed-about series such as the remake of “Mr. & Mrs. Smith” and the long-awaited adaptation of “Avatar the Last Airbender.” There’s also the triumphant return of the Emmy-nominated “Abbott Elementary,” the latest Star Wars adventure, and exciting new original series. 

READ MORE: The 70 Most Anticipated TV Shows & Mini-Series Of 2024

From romances to help sink into the Valentine’s Day mood to epic historical dramas and a hilarious-looking new comedy animated series, here’s what’s worth checking out this month. 

Continue reading 14 TV Shows To Watch In February: ‘Shōgun,’ ‘Airbender,’ ‘Mr. & Mrs. Smith’ & More at The Playlist.

Yes, we kinda talk a lot about our Most Anticipated Film & TV features each year; a lot of work goes into them. But more to the point, they house a lot of things that can seem a bit abstract to people at first, but when you see the goods, you get thrilled. Maybe that’s the case with FX’s “Shōgun,” a long-awaited, much-anticipated original adaptation of James Clavell’s bestselling novel, which was famously adapted into a 1980s mini-series starring Richard Chamberlain.

Continue reading ‘Shōgun’ Red-Band Trailer: “War Is Inevitable” In Bloody New FX Series at The Playlist.

Here is our Most Anticipated TV Shows & Mini-Series of 2024 (The Strike-Affected Edition!) feature. 2023’s WGA/SAG-AFTRA/AMPTP strikes were essentially the COVID-19 of 2020. While thankfully, they weren’t as physically deadly, the work stoppage did significantly affect many people in the business and their financial stability. What ties them both together more closely is the disruption of content and product. With streamers already cutting back, regressing on the streaming boom thanks to Wall Street’s reevaluation of their worth, and the strikes delaying a lot of shows for an entire year, the #AgeOfTooMuchContent might officially be coming to a close.

Continue reading The 70 Most Anticipated TV Shows & Mini-Series Of 2024 at The Playlist.

It’s seemingly been years in the making, but FX’s much-anticipated global event series for Hulu, “Shōgun,” is finally coming in February 2024. (Star+ in Latin America and Disney+ in all other territories). Moreover, Hulu and FX have also revealed the first trailer for the series.

The series stars Japanese veteran Hiroyuki Sanada, known recently for “Bullet Train,” “John Wick: Chapter 4” “Army of the Dead” and an entire career of Japanese films (“The Ring”) that goes back to the 1960s (he started as a child actor), and up-and-coming British actor Cosmo Jarvis (“Lady Macbeth”).

Continue reading ‘Shōgun’ Trailer: Hiroyuki Sanada & Cosmo Jarvis Star In FX’s Epic New Feudal Japan Event Series at The Playlist.