TV SHOWS

An artistic triumph. A record-breaking 18 Emmy wins. An all-time viewership high for FX.

- JUDY BERMAN

1. SHOGUN

Two more seasons in development for a title that was planned as a limited series. By every measure, Shogun is the TV success story of 2024. It wasn't a foregone conclusion that a $200 million bet—on a largely Japanese-language production that was also the second high-profile adaptation of James Clavell's 1975 best seller about a 17th century English sailor (Cosmo Jarvis) who washes up in Japan and finds himself at the mercy of a politically isolated feudal lord (Hiroyuki Sanada)—was going to pay off. But, at a time when American audiences are assumed to have fragmented along demographic and partisan lines, creators Justin Marks and Rachel Kondo scored a megahit by offering something precious to every kind of viewer: heroism, history, romance, magnificent performances, lush visuals. As streamers increasingly turn away from ambitious projects, in their desperation to get out of the red, I hope Shogun will resonate as a reminder that fortune favors the bold. (FX)

2. INDUSTRY