Fargo (TV series)

Fargo is an American black comedy crime drama television series created and primarily written by Noah Hawley. It is based on the 1996 film of the same name, which was written and directed by the Coen brothers, and takes place in the American Midwest, primarily Minnesota, within the same continuity as the film. The Coens were impressed by Hawley's script and agreed to be named as executive producers. The series premiered on April 15, 2014, on FX, and follows an anthology format, with each season set in a different era and location, with a different story and mostly new characters and cast, although there is minor overlap. Each season is heavily influenced by various Coen brothers films, with each containing numerous references to them.

The first season, set primarily in Minnesota and North Dakota from January 2006 to February 2007 and starring Billy Bob Thornton, Allison Tolman, Colin Hanks, and Martin Freeman, received wide acclaim from critics. It won the Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Miniseries, Outstanding Directing, and Outstanding Casting, and received 15 additional nominations including Outstanding Writing, another Outstanding Directing nomination, and acting nominations for all four leads. It also won the Golden Globe Awards for Best Miniseries or Television Film and Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film for Thornton.

The second season, set in Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota in March 1979 and starring Kirsten Dunst, Patrick Wilson, Jesse Plemons, Jean Smart, and Ted Danson, received widespread critical acclaim. It received three Golden Globe nominations, along with several Emmy nominations including Outstanding Miniseries, and acting nominations for Dunst, Plemons, Smart, and Bokeem Woodbine.

The third season, set primarily in Minnesota from 2010 to 2011 and starring Ewan McGregor, Carrie Coon, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Goran Bogdan, and David Thewlis, premiered on April 19, 2017. Like previous seasons, it was met with acclaim from critics, and received Emmy nominations including Outstanding Miniseries, and acting nominations for McGregor, Coon, and Thewlis. It received three Golden Globe nominations, for Outstanding Limited Series, and McGregor and Thewlis for acting, with McGregor winning in his category.

The fourth season, set primarily in Kansas City, Missouri from 1950 to 1951 and starring Chris Rock, Jessie Buckley, Jason Schwartzman, Ben Whishaw, and Jack Huston, premiered on September 27, 2020, and received generally positive reviews, though was not as highly acclaimed as previous seasons.

The fifth season, set primarily in North Dakota and Minnesota in late 2019, and starring Juno Temple, Jon Hamm, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Joe Keery, Lamorne Morris, Richa Moorjani, and Dave Foley, premiered on November 21, 2023. Like the first three seasons, it received critical acclaim, and it was nominated for three Golden Globe Awards for Best Miniseries or Television Film and Best Actor and Actress in a Miniseries or Television Film for Hamm and Temple, respectively.