The SAG Awards: A Glittering but Uninspiring Night

Awards Show Ratings Crisis Unresolved

It’s official, Netflix will not be solving the awards-show ratings crisis by turning the Screen Actors Guild Awards into must-watch television.

A Promising Start, But…

This year’s SAG Awards opened strongly enough, with a truly funny bit in which “Hacks’” Deborah Vance (Jean Smart) prepared to host the awards only to discover that the reason SAG-AFTRA had been trying so assiduously to contact her was not to request her services but to tell her she hadn’t paid her dues.

A Montage of Early Appearances

This was followed by actual host Kristen Bell singing the delightful ditty “Do You Want to Be An Actor?” (to the tune of “Frozen’s” “Do You Want to Build a Snowman?”) while a montage of early appearances by nominees and others underlined the sometimes ignominious aspects to the acting life.

Downhill from There

Promising, very promising, but it was all downhill from there.

A Little More Than Two Hours of Giving and Receiving Awards

Which is to say, the show then became precisely what it is — a little more than two hours of famous people giving and receiving awards.

Entertaining Moments

I’m not saying there weren’t entertaining moments. Bits honoring scream queens, “Law and Order: Guest Stars” and actors who got their start in soaps were great fun. In winning for “Baby Reindeer,” Jessica Gunning told fellow nominees Jodie Foster, Kathy Bates, and Cate Blanchett that they had been on her dream board when she became an actor, which was very sweet.

Jane Fonda’s Speech

Jane Fonda, this year’s Life Achievement Award recipient, whose speech nudged at the political moment.

No Better, No Worse

No worse than most awards shows, but no better either.

No Solution to the Awards Show Ratings Crisis

No, Netflix’s obvious belief that, despite dwindling ratings for the Oscars, Emmys, and Grammys, streaming could take the SAG Awards and make them, well, a star has proved to be misguided.

The SAG Awards Don’t Need Netflix

Everyone deserves to dream, I suppose, but the SAG Awards don’t really need Netflix to make them shine. They’ve always held a special place in awards season as the ceremony with the most stars per square inch (none of those pesky documentary-short makers) and a bellwether for the acting, and perhaps best picture, winners at the upcoming Oscars.

A Special Night for Actors

As is inevitably noted in speeches by presenters and winners, the ceremony is deeply personal — a chance for actors to celebrate with, and accept accolades from, their peers, people who understand the difficulties and wonders of being an actor.

Conclusion

The SAG Awards remain as special as they ever were, to those in the room, and those calculating the Oscar odds. They don’t need Netflix to make them bigger than that. Which is good. Because it didn’t.

FAQs

Q: Will Netflix still be involved with the SAG Awards?
A: No, it seems that Netflix’s experiment with the SAG Awards has ended, and the ceremony will likely return to its traditional broadcast partners.

Q: Will the SAG Awards still be a special night for actors?
A: Yes, the SAG Awards are a unique opportunity for actors to celebrate with and accept accolades from their peers, and this will likely continue in the future.

Q: Can I still watch the SAG Awards?
A: Yes, the SAG Awards will likely continue to be broadcast on traditional television and streaming platforms.