If you didn’t care for “La La Land,” last night’s Golden Globes probably were not for you. Fortunately for NBC, enough people appear to be all-in on the Ryan Gosling musical.
The awards show, which was hosted by Jimmy Fallon of “The Tonight Show,” received a 13.3 household TV rating from Nielsen, up 2 percent from last year’s 13.0. That’s the second-best metered market showing for the special in a decade (since 2007’s 16.0).
Sunday’s 2017 Globes were up 6 percent from two years ago. In 2014, the show scored a 14.1.
Two percent may seem like a small number, but any increases for awards shows are difficult to come by these days. So whether or not readers and critics think Fallon did a good job, he proved a good choice as emcee.
Aside from these Globes, the only major awards show to grow on broadcast was 2016’s Tony Awards, which were boosted by “Hamilton.” Here’s a list of shows that dropped in the 56 metered markets measured by Nielsen over the last twelve months: the Oscars (-6 percent), Grammys (-4 percent), Emmys (-3 percent), CMAs (-6 percent), BBMAs (-20 percent), AMAs (-28 percent), ESPYs (-28 percent) and People’s Choice Awards (-27 percent).
Golden Globes: 11 Best and Worst Moments, From Meryl Streep to 'Hidden Fences' (Photos)
Best: Jimmy Fallon's Broken Teleprompter
Host Jimmy Fallon was forced to think on his feet at the top of the show when the Teleprompter broke right as he began his opening monologue. That's the risk you run with a live event.
Sofia Vergara continued to play up her broken English for laughs. This time, she mispronounced "annual" as "anal" several times in introducing Sylvester Stallone's daughters as Miss Golden Globes.
NBC
Best: Steve Carell and Kristen Wiig Share Traumatic Movie Experiences
Before announcing the winner of Best Animated Film, Steve Carell and Kristen Wiig shared their first experience attending animated movies. Both kept the audience rolling with painfully emotional stories from their childhoods.
NBC
Worst: "Chastain and the Redmayne"
Sorry, Jimmy Fallon, but leave the rapping to the pros. Fallon introduced Jessica Chastain and Eddie Redmayne, playing off their names in a quick spoof of the Cypress Hill classic "Insane in the Membrane."
It almost slipped by, but eagle-eyed viewers caught the two actors locking lips after Ryan Gosling won for "La La Land." Whether or not tongue was involved is anybody's guess.
NBC
Worst: Casey Affleck's Acceptance Speech
Casey Affleck may have won for "Manchester by the Sea," but his speech was not awards-worthy. The younger Affleck looked in need of a nap (and a shave) as he delivered his speech on stage.
Getty Images
Best: Meryl Streep
Meryl Streep is the best by default, but she reminded us why when she accepted her Cecil B. Demille Award. In a passionate speech, Streep called out Donald Trump for his bullying tactics (without mentioning his name), as well as calling on Hollywood to support a free and independent press.
NBC
Best: Matt Damon Mocks "The Martian"
Matt Damon has always been able to laugh at himself. Before presenting an award, Damon laughingly reminisced about how he won in the comedy category last year for his role in "The Martian," a fact he said was funnier than anything that happened in "The Martian."
20th Century Fox
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Relive the highlights and lowlights of the 2017 awards ceremony
Best: Jimmy Fallon's Broken Teleprompter
Host Jimmy Fallon was forced to think on his feet at the top of the show when the Teleprompter broke right as he began his opening monologue. That's the risk you run with a live event.