LOS ANGELES: Shogun, a sweeping, historical epic set in imperial Japan, claimed the prestigious best drama trophy at Sunday’s Emmy Awards, and Hacks upset defending comedy champion The Bear at television’s highest honours.

A tale of political machinations, Shogun also won acting awards for Hiroyuki Sanada and Anna Sawai, the first Japanese actors to win their categories. The series earned 19 total awards, a record for a single season of a drama. Netflix’s Baby Reindeer, the chilling story of a bartender stalked by a customer, was named best limited series.

With most of its dialogue in Japanese with English subtitles, Shogun was an unlikely global hit. Executive producer Justin Marks thanked the team at the FX cable network for taking a gamble on the show.

“You guys greenlit a very expensive, subtitled Japanese period piece whose central climax is a poetry competition,” Marks said on stage. “I have no idea why you did that.” Sanada described Shogun as an “East meets West dream project”. “Shogun taught me that when people work together, we can make miracles,” he said. “We can create a better future together.”

Sawai was overcome with emotion as she accepted her best actress award. “I was crying before my name was announced. I’m a mess today,” she said as she held her gold Emmy statuette.

The Shogun wins helped FX owner Walt Disney earn 60 Emmys this year, the most in the company’s history.

After the Shogun celebration came the night’s biggest surprise. HBO’s Hacks, about a 70-something comedian and a millennial writer, was named best comedy, upsetting previous winner The Bear.

“Comedy is so important, obviously to us, but we really feel like it can bridge divides,” said executive producer Lucia Aniello. “When you laugh with someone, you have something in common with them.

Published in Dawn, September 17th, 2024