How Shōgun swept the 2024 Emmys

If you're confused about why we're already talking about the Emmys again, you'd be forgiven. The 2023 Emmys ceremony happened earlier this year in January, following a four-month delay due to the Hollywood writers' and actors' strikes.

But last night's 2024 Emmys were right back on schedule. As awards season ramps up once more, Exclaim! Magazine critic Rachel Ho joins host Elamin Abdelmahmoud to talk about the big winners, surprises and snubs from TV's biggest night — including how FX's Shōgun made history.

We've included some highlights below, edited for length and clarity. For the full discussion, listen and follow Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud on your favourite podcast player.

Elamin: Let me start with Shōgun, if you don't mind. This is the show that has now won the most Emmys ever for a single season of television. It won 18 Emmys in total, including best drama. It is the first time that a majority non-English language series has won best drama. What does it mean for Shōgun to win best drama?

Rachel: I think it's a bit of a wake-up call to the industry, really. It's saying you can do these really epic shows — doesn't have to be in English, doesn't have to be set in the states, doesn't have to be set in the U.K. It can be something that maybe doesn't feel like it would be a winner, but it absolutely is as long as it's well done.

You have amazing performances, good production, great storyline and you're able to change source material to be not exactly what it is; you can shift the perspective a little bit. You can play a little and you can still come out a winner commercially, critically, fan-wise as well. So I think Shōgun winning absolutely delighted me. It was amazing.

Elamin: People talk all the time about the risk they took in = making Shōgun happen. To me, one of the biggest risks in the show is how expensive it is. I mean, this is a show that every frame is a feast for the eyes. Millions and millions of dollars went into making the show.

It's really satisfying to hear you talk about Shōgun with such reverence, because we had you on when Shōgun first came out and you were like, "I was a little worried about how the show was going to be." And then you were really excited to find out that it's good. Then we get to this moment where it's not only good, it has become the most awarded television show ever for a single season. Why do you think it has risen to that level?

Rachel: It's such a simple answer, but truly it's because it's good. It's because it's really well-made. And it just shows if you do the work, if you put in good performances, you cast it well, you put the money in, you give them the resources, people will come. It got so much word-of-mouth appeal. It dropped once a week, and I think that helped as well; it built an audience over time. People who were like, is this actually good? A political show, a Japanese historical drama? That's actually exciting for a mainstream audience? That's amazing…. When it was out, you couldn't help but be at least curious about what this show was. And I think that that comes down to just, it is a well-made show. And who would have thunk it? If you put well-made television on, people will watch it.

You can listen to the full discussion from today's show on CBC Listen or on our podcast, Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud, available wherever you get your podcasts.

Interview with Rachel Ho produced by Jean Kim.