by Christos Zabounis

This year’s Emmy Awards held a major surprise, in the sense that until recently, it was considered unthinkable that a series with 70% dialogue in the Japanese language would win. “Shogun,” a medieval tale of the Land of the Rising Sun, won Best Drama Series as well as 17 other categories, including Best Actor and Actress. Few of those present at the glittering ceremony, held yesterday in Los Angeles, were surprised by the distinction, given the reception the Japanese-American production had received upon its screening, both by the public and by critics. After the Korean “Squid Game” it is the second non-English-language series to be awarded by the professionals of the spectacle, as Jean-Luc Godard ironically characterized the people who worked in the entertainment industry. Not having watched it yet, but having been intrigued by a co-nominated series, ‘Slow Horses’, I was slightly disappointed that Gary Oldman was not singled out, although he did pick up a Screenplay award. On the contrary, a deep sigh of satisfaction came out of the teeth of the fans of the royal series “The Crown”, with Elisabeth Debicki emerging from the “pulpit”, as a gift in the role of Princess Diana. There are now so many streaming platforms and so rampant production that the Emmy awards have a meaning, to separate the chaff from the wheat.