Release OrderRecommended
0 / 2 watchedTwo adaptations, oldest first. They tell the same core story, so this is viewing order rather than a continuing plot.
Earlier adaptation
- 1 Shogun (1980 miniseries) Five-night NBC event with Richard Chamberlain and Toshiro Mifune.
FX series (2024-)
- 2 Shogun Season 1 10 episodes, February 27 to April 23, 2024. Latest released entry.
About Shogun
There are two screen versions of James Clavell's 1975 novel, and they are separate productions. Either works on its own. Watch the older one first to see how the same story was told with different limits.
The list starts with the 1980 NBC miniseries, then the 10-episode first season of the FX series that premiered in February 2024. Season 2 is covered in the notes since it had not aired as of 2026-09-17.
Good to know
The 1980 miniseries aired over five nights, September 15 to 19, 1980, on NBC, with Richard Chamberlain as John Blackthorne and Toshiro Mifune as Toranaga. The original broadcast left Japanese dialogue unsubtitled to keep Blackthorne's point of view. The FX series premiered February 27, 2024 and closed its first season April 23, 2024, with Hiroyuki Sanada and Cosmo Jarvis; it adapts the full novel. FX announced in May 2024 that it was developing two more seasons with the Clavell estate. Season 2 is an original story set 10 years after season 1; it filmed in Vancouver from January to September 2026 with Sanada and Jarvis returning, but FX had not set a release date as of 2026-09-17. FX has also said a third season is not locked and depends on how the creative develops.
