It was like no time had passed when director Jerry London and other principles from the landmark miniseries Shogun (based on the novel by James Clavell) gathered at the DGA September 24 for "The Making of Shogun," a combination screening, panel discussion, moderated by DGA member Randal Kleiser (Grease), and reception. 

 
The occasion was the September 23 release of Shogun on DVD, which includes, among its added features, a look at the making of the historic series. This presented a perfect opportunity for the DGA to remember one of the most memorable miniseries in television history as part of the guild's ongoing commitment to recognize the work of directors in movies for television (London was honored with a DGA Award as top director in a movie for television in 1980 for his work on Shogun). 

 
Watching London, stars Richard Chamberlain and John Rhys-Davies, writer/producer Eric Bercovici, and director of photography Jon Jennings, the affection and respect they developed for each other during the course of the shoot was readily apparent.

Rhys-Davies, a surprise last-minute addition, kept the audience in stitches with his imitation of a seasick London trying to direct from a kneeling position during a particularly turbulent day of filming. London wasn't the only target though, as Rhys-Davies said of Jennings, "He's as tough as any man I've worked with, but he would do a take, then throw-up over the side."
 

The camaraderie in evidence is maybe to be expected though from five men who, not only created an enduring masterpiece, but devoted so much of their lives to doing so. 

During an audience Q&A segment, London spoke about the chunk of his life he dedicated to making Shogun. "I never left. I was in Japan nine and a half months," he recalled. "When I came back I forgot what my house looked like." Though he wasn't totally estranged from life stateside. "My wife visited twice and my kids spent the summer there."

The cultural differences, which London and Jennings touched on repeatedly during the 35-minute discussion, were only one obstacle London and the crew faced. Budget concerns, the long work hours, actors (Toshiro Mifune) wanting to do their own stunts, inclement weather, bow & arrow accidents. No wonder London says today, "I don't know how we made the picture. I really don't. I looked at it and I'm amazed at what we did."

One thing that London wanted to discuss the night of the event was the enduring popularity of Shogun. "I'm still very proud of it and I think it holds up," he says. He might be a little bit biased, but that belief is supported by eager fans who've given the DVD almost exclusively five-star reviews on popular websites such as Amazon and Barnes and Noble.com.
 

During the opening remarks, following a brief welcome by DGA staff member Gina Blumenfield, London said the continual interest in Shogun is what finally prompted the DVD release. "The whole thing happened because I kept getting people calling me, saying, 'Can you transfer it for me?'" he recalls. "I called Paramount and told them, 'We have a special property on our hands. Why don't we do something with it?'"

The enthusiastic response begs another question: what happened to the made for television movie, and the miniseries in particular?
 

During the panel, when the question was raised by Kleiser, London responded, "The networks would do it if they believed in the product, but Shogun was a gamble. The whole week was a gamble."

After the panel dispersed, and members of the crew who were in the audience greeted their old friends, London elaborated on his gambling analogy. "The networks and the cable companies play it safe. Most of the time they're more interested in developing a series, that's where the money is and they really don't want to gamble on a two-hour or a mini," though he did add, "HBO is a gambler. They spend money and they do some great material. I give them credit." 

 
He also explained why it's not likely there will ever be another Shogun. "They don't make a lot of period pieces. The only ones who make period films are A&E and the History Channel and they don't make the big, big, big-budget films. This was a major period production. They'll make a Scott Turrow book, which is contemporary, but they won't do history and that's where you get something special."