Aside from having mean-spirited

Not everyone felt that way last year.

"Aside from having mean-spirited cheap burberry handbags and sinister undertones, I'd say the vibe of the show has been pretty good so far," Robert Downey Jr. told the crowd.

Gervais had just cited Downey's jail and rehab time and had done a reading of the Downey movie titles that sound like porn films. He had also mocked Cher, Tim Allen, Tom Cruise and more.

People fumed. Then the ratings came out, and NBC encouraged the Globes people to bring him back.

"We love Ricky," said Robert Greenblatt, NBC's programming chief. "We thought he did a great job. I know there are people who feel he crossed the line."

After calming down, members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (which runs the Globes) voted to bring him back.

It's a big night for NBC. Except for football, the network has few big events to promote its shows in.

"The Globes are very important," Greenblatt said. "To find these live-event specials, it's difficult."

Beyond the glamor and ratings, what's the importance of the event? That's an ongoing debate. Critics scoff at the Globes. There are fewer than 100 voters, compared to almost 6,000 for the Academy Awards. They split films into two categories -- drama and comedies or musicals -- confusing things.

And they seem easily swayed by starpower -- both George Clooney films are up for best picture -- and the chance to draw stars to the ceremony. By nominating "The Tourist" (which Gervais promptly mocked) last year, they attracted stars Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie, plus her partner, Brad Pitt; nominating "Moneyball" this year should bring Pitt and Jolie back.

Still, the awards do mean something to movie people. Clooney's Burberry womenswear - coats, windbreaker, shirts, t-shirts, bikini, shawl films are strong efforts; so are movies from the masters, Steven Spielberg ("War Horse") and Martin Scorsese ("Hugo").

For new TV shows, Globe attention can make a difference.

"It gets you on the award track," said Steve Levitan, the "Modern Family" producer. "Once you're on the track, it gets easier."

In each of its first two seasons, "Modern Family" had best-comedy-series nominations for the Emmys and the Golden Globes; it won both Emmys and no Globes. Now, with its third Globe nomination, it faces last year's winner ("Glee") and newcomers "Episodes," "Enlightened" and "New Girl."

So, it's time for those newcomers to be giddy.

"I was like, 'That will never happen to me,'" Deschanel said. "So, I set my alarm really late on purpose. ... I had 20 missed calls."

Those calls were telling her about both nominations -- for the show and for her as best actress.

Liz Meriwether, the "New Girl" producer, also was caught by surprise.

"I was working on a script," she said. "I'd been up all night ... so I was at my office, under a blanket (and) got an email."

For her cast members, this is a big jump.

"Last year, I tried to sneak in," admitted Lamorne Morris. He didn't get into the ceremony, but reached an after-party because someone knew him from commercials. Now, he'll be an invited guest.

"It's always a fun time," Levitan cheap burberry said. "They throw a good party."