'Shogun' steals the spotlight

Japanese series breaks records at the Emmy Awards

LOS ANGELES:

Japan-set historical epic Shogun smashed all-time records and was named best drama at television's Emmy Awards on Sunday, as Hacks and Baby Reindeer racked up big wins at the glitzy gala in Los Angeles.

Shogun, the tale of warring dynasties in feudal Japan, ended the night with an astounding 18 statuettes, becoming the first ever non-English-language winner of the highly coveted award for best drama series. The previous record for any season of a television show was 13.

"It was an East-meets-West dream project, with respect," said veteran leading man Hiroyuki Sanada, who became the first Japanese actor to win an Emmy. Anna Sawai followed him onto the Emmys stage minutes later with a best actress win, before the cast and producers of Shogun returned for the overall best drama award.

The series from Disney-owned FX, based on James Clavell's historical fiction, had led the nominations with 25 overall. Shot in Canada, it features a primarily Japanese cast and subtitles. Showrunner Justin Marks thanked producers for commissioning "a very expensive, subtitled, Japanese period piece, whose central climax revolves around a poetry competition.

Shogun is a show about translation - not what is lost, but what is found, when you do safety meetings in two languages, and you learn not to walk on tatami mats with your utility boots," he said. It also won the Emmy for best directing of a drama series, in addition to the 14 won in minor categories at a separate gala last weekend. Mini-series John Adams won 13 Emmys in 2008. Game of Thrones had held the record for dramas at 12.

'Hacks' surprises

This was the second Emmys gala this year, after crippling twin strikes in Hollywood last year bumped the 2023 ceremony to January. In the night's biggest surprise, the final award for best comedy series went to Hacks.

The show - starring Jean Smart as a diva comedienne who repeatedly locks horns with her dysfunctional millennial assistant - fended off previous winner and hot favorite The Bear. Smart claimed her third lead actress Emmy for her role, quipping: "I appreciate this, because I just don't get enough attention."

The Bear still managed a whopping 11 awards, including Jeremy Allen White and Ebon Moss-Bachrach as best lead and supporting actor. Co-star Liza Colon-Zayas sprung a surprise by besting the likes of Meryl Streep (Only Murders in the Building) to win best supporting actress.

"To all the Latinas who are looking at me, keep believing. And vote - vote for your rights," she said, in one of several political notes at a gala taking place less than two months before the US presidential election. The dark satire set in a Chicago restaurant dominated the last Emmys, despite controversy over whether it is actually a comedy. Eugene Levy, hosting with his son Daniel, poked fun at the criticisms, insisting: "In the true spirit of The Bear, we will not be making any jokes."

'Baby Reindeer' wins big

Sunday's other big winner was Netflix's word-of-mouth smash Baby Reindeer, based on a relatively unknown Scottish comedian's harrowing one-man show about sexual abuse. It won best limited series - a prestigious category for shows that end in a single season.

"Ten years ago, I was down and out... I never ever thought I'd be able to rectify myself for what had happened to me, and get myself back on my feet again," said the show's creator Richard Gadd, who won best actor and a writing award.

Part of the attention stemmed from the show's claim to be "a true story" - an insistence that earned the streamer a $170 million lawsuit from a British woman who claims she was the inspiration for Gadd's obsessive and violent stalker.

Jessica Gunning, who played the stalker, won the Emmy for best supporting actress in a limited series. "Thank you for trusting me to be your Martha - I will never ever forget her, or you," she told Gadd, who is also nominated for best actor honours. Jodie Foster won her first Emmy with best actress for her turn as an Alaskan cop in True Detective: Night Country, besting fellow Oscar winner Brie Larson (Lessons in Chemistry).

'Shogun' rivals

Shogun dominated the drama sections as expected. It was only the second non-English-language show to earn a best drama nomination, after South Korea's Squid Game two years ago. But there were key prizes for rival shows.

The final season of Netflix's British royal saga drew a lukewarm response from critics, but Elizabeth Debicki won best supporting actress as Princess Diana. Billy Crudup won best supporting actor in a drama for Apple's The Morning Show. AFP