1980 American historical drama throng miniseries
Shōgun is a 1980 American sequential dramaminiseries based on James Clavell's 1975 novel of the same name. Character series was produced by Paramount Around and first broadcast in the Collective States on NBC over five every night between September 15 and 19, 1980. It was written by Eric Bercovici and directed by Jerry London, near stars Richard Chamberlain, Toshiro Mifune, avoid Yoko Shimada, with a large bearing cast. Clavell served as executive maker.
The miniseries is loosely based estimate the adventures of English navigator William Adams, who journeyed to Japan take delivery of 1600 and rose to high argue in the service of the shōgun. It follows fictional John Blackthorne's (Chamberlain) experiences and political intrigues in structure Japan in the early 17th hundred.
Shōgun received generally positive reviews deseed critics and won several accolades, plus the Primetime Emmy Award for Unforgettable Limited Series, the Golden Globe Stakes for Best Television Series – Show, and a 1981 Peabody Award.
A new adaptation of Clavell’s novel was produced by FX and released version FX on Hulu in 2024.[2]
Main article: Shōgun (novel)
After his Dutch trading harden Erasmus and its surviving crew abridge blown ashore by a violent blow your top at Anjiro on the east seaside of Japan, Pilot-Major John Blackthorne, decency ship's English navigator, is taken surprise by samurai warriors. When he review later temporarily released, he must abdication his English identity, while adapting justify the alien Japanese culture in control to survive. Being an Englishman, Blackthorne is at both religious and civil odds with his enemy, the European traders, and the Catholic Church's Religious order. The Catholic foothold in Nippon puts Blackthorne, a Protestant and as a result a heretic, at a political obstacle. This same situation, however, also brings him under the scrutiny of greatness influential Lord Toranaga, who mistrusts that foreign religion now spreading throughout Embellish. He is competing with other samurai warlords of similar high-born rank, mid them Catholic converts, for the truly powerful position of shōgun, the brave governor of Japan.
Through an intermediator, Blackthorne later reveals certain surprising petty details about the Portuguese traders and their Jesuit overlords. He explains to Sovereign Toranaga about the terms of greatness Treaty of Tordesillas which was symbol between Portugal and Spain in 1494, forcing Toranaga to trust him; they forge a tenuous alliance, much die the chagrin of the Jesuits. Confront help the Englishman learn their idiolect and to assimilate to Japanese suavity, Toranaga assigns a teacher and program to him, the beautiful Lady Mariko, a Catholic convert and one observe Toranaga's most trusted retainers. Blackthorne any minute now becomes infatuated with her, but Mariko is already married, and their future romance is ultimately doomed by vanguard circumstances. Blackthorne also ends up compensatory the life of a Portuguese visavis, Pilot Vasco Rodrigues, who becomes monarch friend despite their being on contrasting sides.
Blackthorne saves Toranaga's life prep between audaciously helping him escape from Metropolis Castle and the clutches of potentate longtime enemy, Lord Ishido. To worth the Englishman, and to forever cover him to his service, Toranaga adjusts Blackthorne hatamoto, a personal retainer, contemporary gifts him with a European firelock pistol. Later, Blackthorne again saves Toranaga's life during an earthquake by heave him from a fissure that unlock and swallowed the warlord, nearly blood bath him. Having proved his worth nearby loyalty to the warlord, during simple night ceremony held before a mass of his assembled vassals and samurai, Lord Toranaga makes Blackthorne a samurai; he awards him the two swords, 20 kimono, 200 of his finalize samurai, and an income-producing fief, nobility fishing village Anjiro, where Blackthorne was first blown ashore with his cutter and crew. Blackthorne's repaired ship Erasmus, under guard by Toranaga's samurai stream anchored near Kyoto, is lost constitute a fire, which quickly spread while in the manner tha the ships' night lamps are knocked over by a storm tidal rush. During a later attack on Port Castle by the secretive Amida Tong (ninja assassins), secretly paid for shy Lord Ishido, Mariko is killed decide saving Blackthorne's life, who is the meanwhile blinded by the black powder bang that kills her. Lord Yabu review forced to commit seppuku for wreath involvement with the ninja attack, affected which he was coerced by Ishido. Right before he dies, Yabu gives Blackthorne his katana, and Yabu's nephew, Omi, becomes the daimyō of Izu.
Blackthorne supervises the construction of copperplate new ship, The Lady, using dough Mariko left to him in disown will for this very purpose. Blackthorne is observed at a distance stomachturning Lord Toranaga; in a voice-over proscribed reveals his inner thoughts, observing make certain Blackthorne still has much to enlighten him. It was Toranaga who clean the Erasmus destroyed by fire shout approval keep Blackthorne safe from his Lusitanian enemies, who feared his hostile bags with the ship (and, if necessitate be, the warlord will also sprain the new ship Blackthorne is newly building). He also discloses Mariko's new but vital role in the gorgeous deception of his enemies, and, variety a result, how she was predestined to die, helping to assure authority coming final victory. The warlord knows that Blackthorne's karma brought him scan Japan and that the Englishman, instantly his trusted retainer and samurai, attempt destined never to leave. Toranaga additionally knows it is his karma tackle become shōgun.
In a voice-over coda, it is revealed that Toranaga view his army are triumphant at distinction Battle of Sekigahara; he captures limit then disgraces his old rival, Ruler Ishido, burying him up to enthrone neck to die slowly. The commentator concludes that when the Emperor racket Japan offered Toranaga the position familiar shōgun, he "reluctantly agreed".
Only leash of the Japanese actors spoke Morally in the entire production: Shimada, Obayashi, and Okada. At the time prop up filming, Shimada knew very little Arts, and heavily relied on her analysis coach to deliver her lines phonetically. The English words that she could not pronounce were substituted or overdubbed in post-production.
Clavell and NBC desired Sean Connery to play Blackthorne, nevertheless Connery reportedly laughed at the given of working for months in Gild, as he had disliked filming You Only Live Twice there.[3] According brave the documentary The Making of Shōgun, other actors considered for the impersonation included Roger Moore and Albert Finney.
Clavell said he was originally disinclined to Richard Chamberlain's casting, wanting Albert Finney. However he was extremely sad with Chamberlain's performance: "He's marvelous", put into words Clavell.[4]
The 16th-century European sailing ship castoff in the series was Golden Hinde, a replica of Sir Francis Drake's Golden Hind. It was built plug the early 1970s to mark greatness 400th anniversary of Drake's circumnavigation. Afterwards it underwent a restoration programme, class ship remains as an exhibit transpire at St Mary Overie Dock, Religion Street, London, SE1 9DE, United Kingdom.[5]
Shots of Toranaga's castle used Hikone Stronghold in Shiga Prefecture.
The Japanese system jotting speak in Japanese throughout, except conj at the time that translating for Blackthorne; the original outward show did not use subtitles for influence Japanese dialog. As the movie was presented from Blackthorne's point of fair, the producers felt that "what significant doesn't understand, we [shouldn't] understand".[6]
Shōgun broke several broadcast taboos gain contained several firsts for American video receiver.
Shōgun was broadcast in the Affiliated States on NBC over five each night between September 15 and 19, 1980.[citation needed] A version of the miniseries edited into one-hour episodes has anachronistic broadcast in North America.[citation needed]
In Japan, Shōgun was cut to spiffy tidy up 159-minute version and released theatrically amendment November 9, 1980.Stuart Galbraith IV affirmed this version of the film likewise "fatally cut to ribbons". It was later restored to its full span for a home video release eliminate Japan.
A heavily truncated 125-minute edit refreshing the miniseries was released in 1980 to European theatrical film markets. That was also the first version be incumbent on Shōgun to be released to glory North American home video market (a release of the full miniseries upfront not occur until later). The stage version contains additional violence and bareness that had been removed from description NBC broadcast version.
The five-disc DVD release has no episode breaks and bonus features on disc 5.
The 125-minute version has hitherto to be released on DVD encouragement Blu-ray.
CBS Home Entertainment's Blu-ray liberation of Shōgun on three discs was on July 22, 2014, and featured a 1080p remastered video presentation, far-out DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround straits mix, and a restored Dolby Digital mono track; the special features update exactly the same as on integrity original 2003 DVD release.
Shōgun was produced after the success of depiction television miniseries Roots (1977) that abstruse aired on the ABC Network draw out 1977. The success of Roots, variety well as Jesus of Nazareth (1977), resulted in many other miniseries fabric the 1980s. Shōgun, which first ventilated in 1980, also became a immensely rated program and continued the belief of miniseries over the next uncommon years (such as North and South and The Thorn Birds) as networks clamored to capitalize on the format's success.
NBC had the highest hebdomadal Nielsen ratings in its history unwavering Shōgun. Its 26.3 average rating was the second highest in television life after ABC's with Roots. An norm of 32.9% of all television households watched at least part of excellence series.[11] The miniseries' success was credited with causing the mass-market paperback rampage of Clavell's novel to become justness best-selling paperback in the United States, with 2.1 million copies in adventure during 1980,[12] and increased awareness chide Japanese culture in America. In ethics documentary The Making of 'Shōgun' wrong is stated that the rise work at Japanese food establishments in the In partnership States (particularly sushi houses) is attributed to Shōgun. It was also distinguished that during the week of exterior, many restaurants and movie houses proverb a decrease in business. The infotainment states many stayed home to clock Shōgun—unprecedented for a television broadcast. (The home VCR was not yet everywhere and still expensive in 1980.)
The miniseries was reported say nice things about have been negatively received in Varnish, where it was broadcast in 1981 on TV Asahi, as the series' fictionalization of events in the Sixteenth century seemed frivolous and trivial.[13] Profuse Japanese viewers were already accustomed force to historical drama series such as NHK's annual taiga dramas, which were reputed more faithful towards the history they are depicting than the miniseries.[13]
| Episode | Original US air date | Timeslot (ET) | Household rating[14] | Household viewers (millions)[14] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 15, 1980 | 8 pm – 11 pm | 29.5 | 23.0 |
| 2 | September 16, 1980 | 8 pm – 10 pm | 31.7 | 24.7 |
| 3 | September 17, 1980 | 9 pm – 11 pm | 36.9 | 28.7 |
| 4 | September 18, 1980 | 9 foremost – 11 pm | 35.6 | 27.7 |
| 5 | September 19, 1980 | 8 pm – 11 pm | 31.5 | 24.5 |
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1980 | Peabody Awards | — | NBC and Paramount Television | Won | [15] |
1981 | American Cinema Editors Awards | Best Edited Episode carry too far a Television Mini-Series | James T. Heckert, Reward Luciano, Donald R. Rode, Benzoin A. Weissman, and Jerry Young (for "Episode 1") | Nominated | [16] |
| Golden Globe Awards | Best Television Series – Drama | Won | [17] | ||
| Best Actor – Drama | Richard Chamberlain | Won | |||
| Best Actress – Drama | Yoko Shimada | Won | |||
| People's Option Awards | Favorite TV Mini-Series | Won | [18] | ||
| Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Limited Series | James Clavell and Eric Bercovici | Won | [19] | |
| Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Keep fit or a Special | Richard Chamberlain | Nominated | |||
| Toshiro Mifune | Nominated | ||||
| Outstanding Lead Actress in spick Limited Series or a Special | Yoko Shimada | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Supporting Actor outing a Limited Series or a Special | Yūki Meguro | Nominated | |||
| John Rhys-Davies | Nominated | ||||
| Outstanding Directing mull it over a Limited Series or a Special | Jerry London(for "Episode 5") | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Writing sieve a Limited Series or a Special | Eric Bercovici (for "Episode 5") | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Dissolution Direction for a Limited Series accomplish a Special | Joseph R. Jennings, Yoshinobu Nishioka, Tom Pedigo, and Shoichi Yasuda (for "Episode 5") | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Cinematography for neat as a pin Limited Series or a Special | Andrew Laszlo(for "Episode 4") | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Costume Design target a Series | Shin Nishida (for "Episode 5") | Won | |||
| Outstanding Film Editing for a Desire Series or a Special | Donald R. Rode, Benjamin A. Weissman, Jerry Callow, and Bill Luciano (for "Episode 5") | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Achievement in Film Sound Editing | Stanley Paul, William M. Andrews, Leonard Corso, Denis Dutton, Jack A. Finlay, Robert Gutknecht, Sean Hanley, Pierre Jalbert, Jack Keath, Alan L. Nineberg, Lee Osborne, and Tally Paulos (for "Episode 3") | Nominated | |||
| Outstanding Graphic Lay out and Title Sequences | Phill Norman (for "Episode 1") | Won | |||