How to watch ‘Shōgun’ in the UK

The new television adaptation of Shōgun is being described by some critics as the “new Game of Thrones”. Read on to find out how to watch the show in the UK.

Set in Japan in the year 1600, Lord Yoshii Toranaga (Hiroyuki Sanada) is fighting for his life as his enemies unite against him, when a mysterious European ship is found marooned in a nearby village, where the character of John Blackthorne (Cosmo Jarvis) is introduced.

The historical drama is based on the 1975 novel of the same name by James Clavell, which had previously been adapted into a 1980 American miniseries. This version has been overseen by the husband-and-wife creative team of Rachel Kondo and Justin Marks, the latter of whom was a co-writer of Top Gun: Maverick.

With dozens of reviews in, the show currently sits on a lofty 99 per cent critics rating on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes.

Indiewire’s review compares the show to Game of Thrones, even stating that it succeeds in areas that the HBO show did not. In an A- review, they wrote: “Shōgun’s overt brutality paired with its cunning betrayals calls to mind Game of Thrones, but there’s also an elegance and earnestness to the production that draws a clear line in the sand between the two blockbuster epics.”

“Where the latter is mercilessly lawless — and nastier for it — Shōgun pivots on a code of honor few of its followers dare disobey, making for characters that are far easier to invest in and a narrative that’s far less vexing.”

In a four-star review, The Guardian describe it as “peacocking, mesmerising television”, noting: “It adapts James Clavell’s classic 1975 novel with ambition and evident respect for its source material, and given that the paperback is more than 1,000 pages long, it is extraordinary that they have managed to condense it into 10 episodes.”

How can I watch Shōgun in the UK?

The series will run for a total of 10 episodes, available to be streamed via Hulu and FX in the United States. UK viewers, meanwhile, can watch the show via Disney+.

The first two episodes premiered on February 27, with a total of four having been released to date. The fifth episode will be released on March 19, and the season will climax with the final episode on April 23.

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