TV Ratings Steady For The Golden Globes

Ricky Gervais

More than 18 million Americans watched the Golden Globes on Sunday in a ceremony hosted by acerbic British comedian Ricky Gervais, whose monologue skewering A-list celebrities was praised by some but criticized as dull and cynical by others.

Reuters reports Nielsen data on Monday showed that the first big show kicking off Hollywood’s award season, broadcast live on NBC, was watched by 18.3 million Americans, down about 2% from 2019.

The three-hour show was the most-watched prime-time entertainment telecast since the Oscars in February 2019, NBC said.

In 2019, 18.6 million Americans tuned in when actors Sandra Oh and Andy Samberg hosted the Golden Globes in Beverly Hills, California. In 2016, the last time Gervais hosted, some 18.5 million Americans tuned in.

Gervais, returning for a fifth time as Golden Globes host, let rip with expletive-filled jokes about diversity in the entertainment business, the rise of streaming, and actors who use their time at the winners’ podium to make political speeches.

Many of his barbs drew awkward laughter and un-amused looks from the Hollywood glitterati in the room, such as Tom Hanks, Meryl Streep, Eddie Murphy and Gwyneth Paltrow.

USA Today called Gervais “boring,” while Variety called his efforts “tame” and said Gervais “made a point of emphasizing just how little he cared about the show.”

Others were surprised that Gervais avoided political topics, like the impeachment of U.S. Donald Trump and upcoming U.S. elections.