FX Head John Landgraf on Breaking Emmys Records and the ‘Shōgun’ Category Swap

Going into the nominations for the 76th Primetime Emmy Awards, many suspected it would be a good day for FX. Yet no one was quite prepared for how good of a day Wednesday was. In total, the network scored 93 Emmy nominations, breaking the basic cable network’s previous record of 56 nominations, which it set in 2016.

“I have to say part of what’s so gratifying to me about what we do is there are so many people in this group that are new, relatively new or brand new to American audiences,” John Landgraf, chairman of FX Content and FX Productions, told TheWrap following the news.

As an example, he pointed to the “unbelievably gifted” cast of Japanese actors in “Shōgun,” who were largely unknown stateside with the exception of star Hiroyuki Sanada. Even actors who have appeared in other critically acclaimed American projects, such as “The Bear” stars Jeremy Allen White and Ebon Moss-Bachrach, have transformed into certified stars in recent years through their relationship with the network. Landgraf credited this year’s whirlwind success to partnering with a dedicated team who understands the TV landscape, investing in “genius” artists and Disney’s acquisition of FX.

“Can you imagine what it’s like to decide you’re going to go ahead and try to make ‘Fargo’ into a television series with none of the characters from the Academy Award-winning movie? And you’re going to do it with somebody who has some experience but has never done anything like this before?” Landgraf asked. “That’s kind of where Justin Marks and Rachel Kondo were on ‘Shōgun.’ That’s where Christopher Storer was on ‘The Bear.’ That’s where Noah Hawley was when he came to work for us back in the day. Look, I worked with Ryan Murphy when his first true hit was ‘Nip/Tuck.’

“These people have such extraordinary talent and what happens when they find the right thing at the right time, when they get the right support and the right opportunity, when they can show people what they’re capable of doing — to see the voters at the Academy recognize that is really spectacular,” Landgraf said.

When asked which nominations surprised him most, the exec pointed to the four nominations secured by Sterlin Harjo’s “Reservation Dogs,” which included major honors such as Outstanding Comedy Series and Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai. This year marks the series’ first batch of Emmy nominations for its final season, following a single nod for sound editing in 2023.

“I love Sterlin and the community of people that have come together to make that show. I really am grateful to the critics who just were relentless in their determination to see that show recognized,” Landgraf said.

He was equally “thrilled” to see “great veteran actors” get their due. Specifically, he pointed out Naomi Watts, Treat Williams and Tom Hollander’s nominations for “Feud: Capote vs. the Swans” as well as Jamie Lee Curtis’ nomination for “The Bear.”

But the biggest story of the 2024 Emmys has to do with the year’s biggest show: “Shōgun.” Not only did the Japanese language drama beat the odds and become a widely watched hit, it has also emerged as the most critically decorated series of the year. In addition to the four Television Critics Association Award wins the series earned last Friday, on Wednesday it became the most-nominated show of this Emmys season, raking in 25 nominations. Though it was originally promoted as a limited series, “Shōgun” was later reclassified as a drama and given an order for two more seasons.

According to Landgraf, the FX team behind the series, which included Gina Balian, Kate Lambert and Lindsay Donohue, always had a sense the series would be “very good.” However, given the drama’s largely Japanese cast, big budget and the fact it took roughly 10 years to make Season 1, the FX team thought it was “overly optimistic” to pursue a second season.

“I think we thought it was a little bold to imagine that it could go more seasons. But we asked Justin Marks and Rachel Kondo, the creators and adapters of the material, to put some thought into and write a document for what they would do in a second season,” Landgraf said. That document existed “months” before Season 1 even premiered.

“I actually remember being on a plane with [Disney CEO] Bob Iger and reading it for the first time and being really pleasantly surprised by how good I thought it was. So much of it is you’re working with a genuine narrative masterpiece with James Clavell’s original novel. You’re also working with extraordinary history,” Landgraf said. “Then we just put it in that, ‘Well, that will probably never see the light of day’ pile.”

That changed when FX saw what a critical darling and cultural hit the series had become. They went back to Kondo and Marks to figure out how many seasons they would require to make their vision for the drama a reality. Then they went to series star and producer Hiroyuki Sanada to ensure he was onboard and got the go-ahead from Michaela Clavell, who represents the rights to the James Clavell estate.

“Once we basically had all those things in place, including a deal with the estate, that allowed us to continue to move forward. That’s when we moved this show to the drama categories,” Landgraf said.

This major historic moment for the network is one that’s been a long time coming. Landgraf noted that most of the FX team has been together for a long time, from head of PR John Solberg and Disney Entertainment cochair Dana Walden, both of whom have worked with Landgraf for at least 20 years, to SVP of series development and animation Kate Lambert and president of original programming Gina Balian, both of whom have been with the company for over a decade. It’s also a victory that couldn’t have happened without Disney’s acquisition of Fox in 2019.

“When I came, we were a fledgling basic cable network that had managed against all odds to be the first basic cable network ever to get a major Emmy nomination for anything. That was Michael Chiklis for ‘The Shield.’ It’s been really a long journey. There’s a group of people that have stayed together and stay committed to the particular artists that we work with and the way that we try to support artists,” Landgraf said. “But none of this would have been possible without Disney. It just wouldn’t. The reality is we still are a basic cable network. Many of these shows, they could be viewed on a channel, but the vast majority of the viewership really was on Hulu or Disney+.”

The network head noted he was “as proud” of The Walt Disney Company’s 183 Emmy nominations as he is of FX’s 93.

“I’m incredibly grateful to our distribution partners,” Landgraf said. “At the end of the day, it’s about which artists you work with. These are their awards, not ours. But you don’t get to support the artists and do these shows if the balls don’t break your way.”

And more is on the horizon for FX. Landgraf revealed that Hawley’s highly anticipated “Alien” series is in post-production. “It’s wrapped. I’m really liking what I’m seeing,” Landgraf said.

As for the upcoming 13th season of “American Horror Story,” that’s in the works, but not even the FX head has a clear idea about when it will premiere. “Ryan Murphy, really, he’s the one that pretty much decides and announces the dates on all of his shows. He’s his own studio,” Landgraf joked.

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