Original ”Shōgun“Director Jerry London only took a samurai -sword to FX acclaimed remake series.
London, who helped episodes of “The Brady Bunch”, “The Bob Newhart Show” and “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” before directing it nine hours “Shōgun” Limited series in 1980, told Hollywood Reporter that the FX/Hulu version was not made for an “American audience.” London was puzzled by “Shōgun” which made prices history: the series Put the record for most Emmy’s victories in a single season With 18 overall and also became the first Japanese -speaking series to win for the best drama series. Anna Sawai became the first Asian winner of outstanding principal actress in a drama series.
London’s “Shōgun”, which was broadcast on NBC in September 1980, received 14 Emmy nominations including the Best Limited Series (or Special). The five-section’s mini-series later won the Golden Globe Award for best TV drama. Both “Shōgun” series are based on James Clavell’s best -selling novel from 1975.
“It’s completely different from the one I did,” London said of the 2024 version. “Mine was based on the love story of” Shōgun “between (characters) Blackthorne and Mariko, and this one is based on Japanese history, and it’s more about Toranaga, which was Shōgun.”
He continued, “It is very technical and very difficult for an American audience to get his grip on it. I have talked to many people who have seen it, and they said, “I had to turn it off because I don’t understand it.” So the filmmakers of the new one really didn’t care about the American audience. They basically did it for Japan, and I was happy with it because I didn’t want my show to be copied. … the new one is fun because everyone I talked to said, ‘I don’t understand it. What is it about? ‘I saw the whole thing. It is very difficult to hold on to. “
London added that FX “Shōgun” is “not entertaining for an American audience” and only swept award season due to a light year with low competition. “It all won (Emmy) awards because there were no big shows against it,” London said. “It wasn’t too much competition. “
And London became soft that in 2024 the “Shōgun” press did not refer to his original adaptation, despite the difference in stories. “I think I did such a good job, and it won so many awards,” London said about their version, “that I didn’t want them to copy it, which they didn’t.”
He added that it was “disappointing” that his series did not visit in the middle of the new “Shōgun.” “It wasn’t so much about mine,” he said. “The new one also has only one British actor (Jarvis) in it, and sincerely he did not have the charisma who (my actor) Richard Chamberlain had.”
