Underplayed Gems

Shōgun (1980)

Shōgun poster
Directed by
Jerry London
Genre
Jidaigeki, romantic television drama, historical television series
Country
United States, Japan
Length
1 season, 5 episodes
Rated
TV-14
Rating
7.7 of 10 from 240 voters
Elsewhere
IMDb
The 3D catalogue: film cases on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalogue in 3D

The film shelves have a room of their own that you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real films from the same catalogue when you tell them what you feel like watching. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this series is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

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How it feels

An English ship pilot is shipwrecked in feudal Japan in the early 1600s. He gets caught up in the power struggles between Japanese lords and learns the local culture and customs.

slow-burntensegrandseriousvisually lushcomplexformalpolitical

What happens

Shōgun is a 1980 American historical drama miniseries based on James Clavell's 1975 novel of the same name. The series was produced by Paramount Television and first broadcast in the United States on NBC over five nights between September 15 and 19, 1980. It was written by Eric Bercovici and directed by Jerry London, and stars Richard Chamberlain, Toshiro Mifune, and Yoko Shimada, with a large supporting cast. Clavell served as executive producer. The miniseries is loosely based on the adventures of English navigator William Adams, who journeyed to Japan in 1600 and rose to high rank in the service of the shōgun. It follows fictional John Blackthorne's (Chamberlain) experiences and political intrigues in feudal Japan in the early 17th century. Shōgun received generally positive reviews from critics and won several accolades, including the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Limited Series, the Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series – Drama, and a 1981 Peabody Award. A new adaptation of Clavell's novel was produced by FX and released on FX on Hulu in 2024. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

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