This year, however, the producers came armed with some secret ingredients they had sought for months a smart host (English comedian Ricky Gervais) and a publicity giant of a film (James Cameron's "Avatar"). Thus, with the right combination of host and hype, Sunday's awards show drew in 16.9 million viewers a 14 percent rise from last year. Gervais' stint marked the first time in 15 years that NBC opted to use a host for the ceremony, and the choice proved to be a wise one.
Not surprisingly, Gervais used his gig as an opportunity to poke fun at the ongoing NBC late night debacle, particularly the network for shifting "The Tonight Show" and triggering Conan's impending exit. Gervais had previously opened fire on the Peacock Network during a Jan. 13 appearance on "The Tonight Show" (which, at least for now, remains Conan's territory.)
In response to a question about his upcming Golden Globes hosting gig, Gervais mused, "It's NBC though. It might not happen. It's live so they can't move the time. I'm not even sure if this is going out. I think they're probably just doing reruns of Leno or something." Conan quickly quipped that they had to cut to a commercial break, with a 70 percent chance of returning afterward.
Gervais also said in his Conan interview that he would not hold back the jokes on awards night. Luckily, he stayed true to his word. Even his opening monologue was a politically incorrect riot that targeted everyone involved with the Globes NBC, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (the organization behind the awards) and even the attendees.
"One thing that can't be bought is a Golden Globe officially ... If you want to buy one, the man to see would be [HFPA president] Philip Berk," Gervais quipped.
Throughout the night, Gervais managed to balance the occasional caustic remark with harmless teasing, keeping the tone lighthearted yet daring enough to be entertaining. In one monologue, for example, he pointed out that viewers are wrongfully attributing the hilarity of "The Office" to Steve Carell, when the ideas are originally from the British version of the series, which Gervais himself created for BBC Two in 2001.
He then turned the spotlight on Hugh Laurie, Kiefer Sutherland and eventually the entire guest list of the Globes.
"On a serious note, just looking at all the faces here reminds me of some of the great work that's been done this year by cosmetic surgeons. You all look great," he said.
No one in the Beverly Hilton Hotel ballroom was immune to his mischievous humor. The generally positive critical response to his performance makes me ask if a bold Brit should be on the wish list of every successful show in America, from prestigious awards ceremonies to base comedies.
Gervais aside, a chunk of the credit for pushing up the Globes' ratings goes to the blockbuster "Avatar," which seems to have been created for the sole purpose of breaking the box-office records set by well, Cameron's other blockbuster "Titanic" (1997).
While some award categories yielded predictable winners Meryl Streep for Best Actress in "Julie & Julia," to name just one the race for Best Motion Picture Drama was a bit more suspenseful, especially in light of the Critics' Choice Award win for the war thriller "The Hurt Locker" on Jan. 15. But Cameron walked away from the Globes with two big wins (Best Director and Best Motion Picture Drama) and, despite the audience's lukewarm reaction, the momentum from these results will no doubt give a boost to the Oscar race.
In the end, the Globes benefitted from the sensible decision to bring a host on board, as well as the curiosity over how Avatar will fare during the rest of awards season, especially two months from now at the Oscars. Perhaps the most exciting prospect of the March 7 telecast, however, is the appointment of Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin as co-hosts. Here's to hoping we'll be done hearing about NBC's late night host woes by then.
