Netflix has made it clear from the beginning that it’s running a different kind of awards show.
Moderator and co-host Idris Elba suggested to the candidates in attendance that they were free to use name-calling in their speeches, but that they should not say anything “that you wouldn’t say in front of Oprah.” (Shortly after, Meryl Streep walked directly to the mic stand—as if to hint at a wacky, wild awards ceremony that never arrived.) After the SAG Awards moved entirely to streaming— After a liminal year, the ceremony was aired on Netflix’s YouTube channel in 2023, followed by an extended appearance on the Turner cable network. It felt like a kind of safe space to speak openly.
But script changes don’t always align with an actor’s priorities during awards season. And while the ceremony deserves some credit for reinventing itself, its main role was to spark conversation about the upcoming Oscars. This gave us a lot of energy, with Lily Gladstone and Cillian Murphy winning the Best Film Actor award in a fierce competition. (Both of them gave wonderful speeches.)
The anything-goes atmosphere promised at the beginning of the show wasn’t what characterized Netflix’s SAG Awards. What was unique was the decision to have all the content without a break. What had historically been advertising space was filled by “Queer Eye” star Tan France’s post-win interviews with the likes of Ayo Edebiri and Da. “Vine Joy Randolph.” (For example, France asked Edebiri what Oprah Winfrey and Meryl Streep thought of her acceptance speeches. Edebiri answered, amusingly and, predictably, self-deprecating. Both gave great interviews, both vaguely giddy at the new requirement that post-awards on-camera interviews be part of awards season. , seemed surprised.
This meant that fans of the awards were held captive for the duration, beyond the stipulated two hours. It seems that even ad-free broadcasts are not immune to bloat. “That’s amazing,” Jeremy Allen White, winner of the TV show “The Bear,” said after thanking many people. (He was then brought back from France for a lengthy interview during a commercial break, appearing calm and happy to participate.)
Some additions to SAG’s platter seemed self-inflicted. ‘Abbott Elementary’ star Lisa Ann Walter’s video piece in which she revealed that she recorded conversations with other candidates with a hidden microphone was boring (Do you want to tell Robert?) Downey Jr. Kindness?) I had a long break from commercials.
SAG was at its best when digging into the fundamentals of what makes an awards show an awards show. This is probably not surprising. Because they reorganized the show so that there were no ad breaks, they had to deal with people randomly getting up and walking around during set pieces honoring the Best Ensemble nominations. The lack of discipline also allowed for a meaningful speech, including a stemwinder, by Lifetime Achievement Award winner Barbra Streisand, which may be the best speech of its kind since Jodie Foster at the 2013 Golden Globes. Streisand spoke candidly about the escape movies she watched as a child, and most people present likely echoed that sentiment.
What set Netflix’s SAG Awards apart was the space given to the winners. But at times, there may have been frankly too much space. The speeches on stage were great, but re-discussing what was said and how it was said as part of the broadcast felt kind of meta, like a flaw.
The big winner that night didn’t care. While the Screen Actors Guild is an awards organization, SAG-AFTRA is a labor union. And the best speaker of the night was, of course, the winner of the summer strike. Fran Drescher, the president of the union, performed from the stage in a red sequined dress and told the assembled audience, “You guys are champions!” Her characteristically emphatic speech addressed the threat of artificial intelligence. Artificial intelligence may, in her words, “trap us in a matrix where no one knows what’s real.” She concluded her speech with her hand and heart gesture before blowing a kiss to the audience.
It may be a little silly, but it fits the vibe of the room. The show has a runtime of over two hours (if only), so there was room to make cuts, but it was filled with a try-anything energy that’s perfect for Netflix. Even if the post-match interviews with the winners weren’t necessarily memorable, they were certainly more pleasant than the ones coming out of the scrum in the Oscars press room. Even if SAG isn’t the champion of awards season, no one will call it a loser after watching his Netflix presentation of the award show, which is way better than it needs to be.
