History buffs are rejoicing as the month of love has shifted gears, bestowing a captivating fusion of history and fiction upon viewers. As February nears its end, all eyes are set on the new historical drama, Shōgun, the second television adaptation of the 1975 novel by James Clavell.
All Gen X kids still around will remember NBC’s Emmy-winning 1980 miniseries that aired over five nights between Sept. 15 and Sept. 19. If not, this is everyone’s second chance at experiencing the intense and fascinating story of John Blackthorne, a character loosely based on the historical English navigator William Adams.
At the core, Shōgun chronicles the rising story of a risk-taking English sailor whose fate strands him on the shores of Japan, propelling him on a remarkable journey to rise as a samurai under a formidable daimyo (the feudal lords ruling 10th-19th Century Japan). As the story progresses, this adventurous seaman transforms into the visionary leader and first shogun of the Tokugawa Shogunate, taking on the made-up persona of Lord Yoshii Toranaga in the series.
Is Shōgun on Disney Plus?
Shōgun premiered with its first two episodes on Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024. FX Productions serves as the production company for the series, so, new episodes of Shōgun air on the FX channel alongside its streaming release on Hulu.
For international viewers outside of the United States, Shōgun will be available on Disney Plus in all territories except Latin America, where viewers can catch the adventurous series on Star Plus. The series is thus far greenlit for a 10-episode run, and new episodes drop weekly on all its distributing channels—Hulu, FX, Disney Plus, and Star Plus.
Shōgun release schedule
If you don’t already have a Disney Plus subscription (why don’t you?), you can sign up for the streaming service for £7.99 a month or £79.90 a year (with ads) now. If you’ve already savored the magic of the first two episodes, here is the full release schedule of Shōgun on Disney Plus and all other platforms.
- Episode 1 “Anjin”: Feb. 27, 2024
- Episode 2 “Servants of Two Masters”: Feb. 27, 2024
- Episode 3 “Tomorrow is Tomorrow”: March 5, 2024
- Episode 4 “The Eightfold Fence”: March 12, 2024
- Episode 5 “Broken to the Fist”: March 19, 2024
- Episode 6 “Ladies of the Willow World”: March 26, 2024
- Episode 7 “TBA”: April 2, 2024
- Episode 8 “TBA”: April 9, 2024
- Episode 9 “TBA”: April 16, 2024
- Episode 10 “TBA”: April 23, 2024
There are no current indications of a second season (as this season adapts the book in its entirety). That said, this has proved so popular we wouldn’t be surprised if one happens anyway.