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So, what on earth is the difference?

The distinction has gotten muddled in recent years. A show is eligible for a limited or anthology series if the story arc is resolved within a season, and if there are no ongoing story lines or “main characters in subsequent seasons,” according to the Emmy eligibility rules.

Let’s use two examples. When “Big Little Lies” debuted in 2017, it did so as a limited series. Same goes for “The White Lotus,” which won big as a limited series at the 2022 Emmys.

Both shows were supposed to be finished. But because they were runaway hits, HBO executives decided to order additional seasons. In the case of “Big Little Lies,” that one is easy. Many of the lead characters and principal actors — Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon, among others — returned for a second season. As a result, its second season was part of an ongoing drama, not as a limited or anthology series, in the eyes of the Television Academy, which organizes the awards.

But what about “The White Lotus”? The second season had a new cast, and a new story. Isn’t that an anthology? One issue: Jennifer Coolidge’s character returned in the second season. Her presence alone gave the second season of “The White Lotus” a running story line, and, as a result, made it ineligible as a limited series. (Natasha Rothwell, who portrayed the spa manager in the first season of “The White Lotus,” will return for the show’s third season next year.)

Examples of recent limited series that never changed categories include “The Queen’s Gambit,” “Chernobyl” and “Watchmen.” Those stories were told in one season with no threat of a return. “American Crime Story,” Ryan Murphy’s FX series — which included seasons about the O.J. Simpson trial, the spree killer who murdered Gianni Versace, and the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal — was an anthology series because there were no overlapping characters across seasons.

That brings us to “Shogun.” FX had always billed it as a limited series, stretching back several years when it was still in development. But then FX’s version of “Shogun” debuted in February, and quickly gained steam with critics and a broad audience. It was a hit, and FX executives abruptly pivoted to the HBO playbook — right before the Emmys submission deadline.

In May, FX announced that future seasons of “Shogun” were in active development, and it would “likely yield two additional seasons.” FX executives went ahead and submitted the first season of the series as a drama, not as a limited series, upending both races in the process. “Shogun” is currently the favorite in many of the drama categories. FX has never won an Emmy for best drama. A little category switch may have put them in their best position.