Shōgun Mini-Series History

Shōgun is an American television miniseries based on the namesake novel by James Clavell. The miniseries was broadcast over five nights, between September 15 and September 19, 1980 on NBC in the United States. To date, it is the only USA-based TV show/miniseries to be filmed entirely on location in Japan.

Plot

The story is based on the adventures of English navigator William Adams. The series follows Pilot John Blackthorne's experiences in Japan in the early 17th century.

Cast

The miniseries, with narration by Orson Welles, starred Richard Chamberlain as John Blackthorne (Anjin-san), Toshirō Mifune as Lord Toranaga, Yoko Shimada as Lady Toda Mariko, John Rhys-Davies in one of his first major roles as Portuguese Pilot Vasco Rodrigues, Vladek Sheybal as Captain Ferreira, and Michael Hordern as Friar Domingo.

Awards

• 1981 DGA Award - Best Director Jerry London
• 1981 Peabody Award - Best TV Series
• 1981 Golden Globe, won:
  • Best TV Series - Drama
  • Best Performance by an Actor in a TV Series - Drama: Richard Chamberlain
  • Best Performance by an Actress in a TV Series - Drama: Yôko Shimada
• 1981 Emmy, won:
  • Outstanding Limited Series: James Clavell (executive producer), Eric Bercovici (producer)
  • Outstanding Costume Design for a Series (episode 5): Shin Nishida
  • Outstanding Graphic Design and Title Sequences (episode 1): Phill Norman (graphic designer)

The mini-series was one of the highest-rated programs in NBC history and sparked a wave of historical-based miniseries.

The success of the miniseries was credited with increasing awareness of Japanese culture in America. In the documentary The Making of Shōgun, it is stated that the rise of Japanese food establishments in the US (particularly sushi houses) is attributed to Shōgun. It was also noted that during the week of broadcast, many restaurants and movie houses saw a decrease in business. The documentary states many stayed home to watch Shōgun — unprecedented for a television broadcast.