TELEVISION: Oh, No They Didn’t! Ricky Gervais Returns as Host of the Golden Globes!

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Apparently ragging on Mel Gibson’s issues with alcohol [“I like a drink as much as the next man – except when the next man is Mel Gibson”] and self-referential product hawking [he flogged the complete series set of The Office, for example] isn’t enough to lose the job as host of the Golden Globes. Either that, or a 12% jump in ratings as a result of said behavior is sufficient reason for the Hollywood Foreign Press to re-up Ricky Gervais for the 68th Golden Globes – to be broadcast on January 26, 2011 by NBC.

While Gervais got decidedly mixed reviews for this year’s Globes, I was among those who found his particular brand of honesty, snark and improvisation to be a vast improvement over hosts for the previous decade. Not only was he terrific [what other host would poke fun at the Globes’ party atmosphere by having a pint onstage?], but he brought the show in on time. When’s the last time that happened?

On January 16, 2011 we get to see if he can do it again. I, for one, can’t wait!