Series Shogunan epic fresco about power struggles in 17th century Japane century, topped the Emmy race on Wednesday, with 25 nominations for television’s equivalent of the Oscars.
Based on the historical novel by British author James Clavell, a literary success of the 1970s, this series initially follows an English sailor stranded on the coast of Japan at a time when the empire was still very closed to the rest of the world. Before diving into the court intrigues and clashes of the feudal shogunate.
The big favourite for the drama categories, this series “has everything to please in terms of acting, writing and direction”, Pete Hammond, a columnist for the specialist site, summed up to AFP Deadline.
His massive use of subtitles did not disorient the jury, who notably nominated two Asian faces from the series: Anna Sawai, who plays a Japanese noblewoman converted to Christianity, and Hiroyuki Sanada, who plays a dignitary gifted with a sword and a fine strategist.
Produced by FX, a channel owned by Disney, Shogun will notably face the last season of the saga The Crownabout the British royal family, for the award for best drama series, as well as the adventures of the spy couple Mr & Mrs Smith and the science fiction series 3 Body Problem.
“The Bear”, favorite comedy
On the comedy side, The Bear continues to cause a sensation by collecting 23 nominations, a record in these categories.
The second season of this behind-the-scenes look at the kitchens of a Chicago sandwich shop follows the establishment’s transformation into a Michelin-starred restaurant, with lush shots of irresistible dishes.
The series also features an anthology episode, Fisheswhich retraces for an hour the catastrophic banquet of a family in the midst of a psychodrama.
Despite its not exactly funny themes — mourning, addiction, death — The Bear remains classified in the comedy category.
The series is expected to be pitted against competitors such as Hacks, Abbott Elementary, Only Murders in the Building And Curb Your Enthusiasm.
The return of “True Detective”
Finally, the categories dedicated to mini-series seem to mark the strong comeback of True DetectiveThis police series caused a sensation ten years ago, before experiencing two other uneven seasons: as an anthology, its characters and its plot change completely each time.
The fourth season, about a policewoman investigating in the polar night of Alaska, was widely praised and garnered 19 nominations.
It will be particularly opposed to the phenomenon Baby Reindeernominated 11 times. In this Netflix series, Scottish comedian Richard Gadd recounts how he fell prey to a woman with mental health issues, capable of insinuating herself into every corner of his existence and turning his life into hell.
Presented as a “true story”, the series has generated controversy: a British woman, who is said to have inspired the character of the harasser, was stalked on social networks and filed a complaint against Netflix for defamation. She is demanding 170 million dollars in compensation.
The 76e Emmy Awards ceremony will be held on September 15 in Los Angeles.
The year 2024 will therefore celebrate the Emmy Awards twice, as the last ceremony took place in January, due to its postponement caused by the strikes that paralyzed Hollywood last year.