The Golden Globes were up one million viewers for Sunday’s three-hour telecast on CTV that saw British funnyman Ricky Gervais take the reins as host, a performance that won both praise and scorn from critics.

The 67th annual fete, airing at 8 p.m. ET, nabbed 2.8 million viewers versus the 1.8 million that tuned in last year – a figure that was likely helped by BBM’s Personal People Meters. Ratings were also up on US broadcaster NBC, which saw a 14% jump in total viewers from 2009, according to Variety. (All numbers 2+.)

Gervais, at times controversial, poked fun at stars including Mel Gibson, Angelina Jolie and Paul McCartney. The UK’s Daily Mirror says Gervais ‘stole the show,’ while The Hollywood Reporter called his hosting chops ‘surprisingly uninspired.’

Popular films and box office blockbusters of 2009 including Avatar, The Blind Side and The Hangover took home some of the hardware and may have helped boost audiences.

The Golden Globes aired opposite the return of 24 on Global, which averaged 1.3 million viewers for the two-hour premiere episode at 9 p.m. The number is slightly down from last year’s premiere, which clocked in at 1.4 million. The second part of its two-night premiere aired Monday. Numbers were not available at press time.

From Playback Daily