In a first for the Screen Actors Guild (SAG), its 30th awards show streamed live on Netflix on Saturday night months after bitter strikes plagued Hollywood. With Netflix having more than 260 million users globally, it’s easy to see why the union chose the streaming giant.
“This is a milestone for what started out as the little engine that could 30 shows ago,” actor JoBeth Williams, who serves as chair of SAG’s Awards Committee, told the Las Angeles Times. “It’s an exciting new format for us, and it’s bringing us into what’s happening now, what the world wants to see.”
Reaching a wider audience may be the main goal, but a side perk was the lack of censored speeches known to grace typical award shows premiering on cable television. Stars taking the stage dropped F-bombs left and right, obviously pleased they could express their gratitude and bewilderment with more colorful vocabulary.
“F–ck, that was Oprah,” Idris Elba gushed during his monologue when opening the awards show.
“This is an awards show. … They can’t fire us, so f–ck ‘em,” Breaking Bad actor Jonathan Banks swore alongside his former co-stars.
“This is an incredible f–cking honor,” Pedro Pascal said in his acceptance speech for Best Male Actor in a Drama Series, coyly adding, “This is Netflix,” for reassurance.
The language parameters being lifted weren’t the only thing that had viewers giddy–no commercial breaks and no cuts led to netizens praising Netflix.
One X user called the show “a refreshing experience,” highlighting how actors don’t get “played off” stage as they thanked those closest to them.
In another tweet, a viewer called the show “punchy, enjoyable, and brilliant” for the lack of commercials.
One user gave a nod to icon Barbra Streisand’s speech after she won a Lifetime Achievement Award Saturday night. “All awards shows could really benefit from a streaming model with no time restrictions,” they wrote.
With the SAG Awards being a main precursor to the Oscars, some folks were sure to call out the Academy, prompting it to learn from Netflix.
“#Oscars should learn something from this flawless night,” the X user wrote. “Thank you #SAGAwards and #Netflix.”
