Updated 10:55 ET: The final award of the night -- best movie drama -- goes to "The Descendants."

Updated 10:48 ET: George!! Mr. Clooney wins best actor in a movie drama for "The Descendants." In his acceptance speech, he thanks fellow nominee, "Shameless" star Michael Fassbender, for "taking over the frontal nudity responsibilities I had."

Updated 10:40 ET: Formidable! "The Artist" wins the Globe for best movie comedy or musical. Uggie the dog upstages the rest of the cast when he dies on command. When it gets dull, bring on the dog!

We're beginning to see a trend for the Academy Awards. "The Artist" is fast emerging as the film to beat.

Updated 10:34 ET: Finally, a truly funny moment! Gervais tells us all that best actress presenter Colin Firth, despite being swooned over by woman and the critics, is "very racist. ... I've seen him punch a little blind kitten." Who knew?!

Firth then presents the award for best actress to Meryl Streep for her work in "Iron Lady." She becomes the next person to be bleeped after realizing she forgot to bring her glasses with her to the podium and can't read her speech on the teleprompter. Time to wing it! 

Updated 10:25 ET: French actor Jean Dujardin wins the best actor in a movie comedy for this work in "The Artist." He closes his acceptance speech in silent mode. Tres bien, monsieur.

Updated 10:17 ET: First bleep of the night! Gervais adds in some colorful language while admitting he can't understand a word Antonio Banderas and Salma Hayek are saying. The stunning pair then present the award for best TV comedy to "Modern Family" and the hilarious Sofia Vergara gives the acceptance speech in Spanish.

Updated 10:13 ET: Martin Scorsese receives the award for best director for "Hugo." He thanks his wife, Helen, for suggesting that he make a movie that their daughter can see.

Updated 9:57 ET: Sidney Poitier gets a standing ovation for presenting the Cecil B. DeMille Award to Morgan Freeman. Helen Mirren than comes out and, after admitting she's had a bit to drink too much, complains that she's only been in one movie with Freeman, "Red." Cue the highlight reel.

Freeman has had an amazing career, but "The Shawshank Redemption" remains top of my list.

And thank you, Mr. Freeman, for admitting how fun your job is!

Updated 9:48 ET: Octavia Spencer fittingly quotes Martin Luther King while accepting the award for best supporting actress in a movie for "The Help." A well deserved win and first for the film tonight.

Updated 6:45 ET: Matt LeBlanc won the award for best actor in a TV comedy for "Episodes." In his acceptance speech, the former "Friends" star said: "They write a Matt LeBlanc who, let's be honest, is way more interesting and fun than the real thing. I wish I was him."

Updated 9:36 ET: Claire Danes claims the award for best actress in a TV drama for her work in "Homeland" and makes sure to remember to thank you mother this time. Apparently, she forgot to thank her when she won the same award at age 15 for "My So-Called Life."

Updated 9:31 ET: Gervais introduced Madonna, sarcastically saying she's "just like a virgin" (eyeroll for emphasis). The singer retorts "if I'm just like a virgin, Ricky, why don't you come over here and do something about it. I haven't kissed a girl in a few years ... on TV." Awkward!

Updated 9:22 ET: Nicole Kidman, presenting with Clive Owen, just accepted the best movie screenplay award for Woody Allen, telling the "Midnight in Paris" writer to "come and get it, Woody."

Question? How can a silent movie ("The Artist") receive a best screenplay nomination?

Updated 9:16 ET: "The Adventures of Tintin" just one the Globe for best animated feature, beating out "Arthur Christmas." Did we mention that the Hollywood Foreign Press gives out these awards?

Updated 9:11 ET: George Clooney just walked out on the stage to introduce the movie "Moneyball" carrying BFF Brad Pitt's cane. "I'll have to give it back to him so he can make it to the bar afterward," Clooney joked.

Gervais introduced Clooney, saying "if he gets any more handsome he'll be hosting this puppy next year." Well played, Ricky.

Updated 9:08 ET: Peter Dinklage takes the award for best supporting actor in a TV series for his work in "Game of Thrones." He said his mother told him before the show not to get his hopes up because he was up against Guy Pearce in the category. Oops! Bet she's glad she was wrong.

Updated 9:01 ET: Seth Rogen just took the Globes into the R rating category with his comments about his, er, physical excitement about presenting the award for best actress in a movie comedy or musical while standing next to Kate Beckinsale. Since this is a family website, we'll leave it at that, but it got the biggest laugh of the night so far.

Oh yeah, Michelle Williams received the award for the category for her performance in "My Week With Marilyn."

Updated 8:58 ET: Idris Elba just claimed the Globe for best actor in a TV movie or miniseries for his work in BBC America's "Luther."

Updated 8:50 ET: Jimmy Fallon and Adam Levine from Maroon 5 and "The Voice" present the music awards, including the prize for best original song to Madonna for "Masterpiece," the song she wrote for her film, "W.E." Anybody out there seen that one yet? Yeah, us either. The Material Girl, whose dress appears to be two sizes too small, is not listening to Gervais advice about keeping it short. Cue the music ...

Matt Sayles / AP

Get ready, Hollywood! Golden Globes host Ricky Gervais is calling the shots on stage again the 69th Annual Golden Globe Awards.

Updated 8:40 ET: Gervais offers some acceptance speech advice for the winners -- "Just thank the main two, your agent and God."

Updated 8:35 ET: The first Globe of the night was given to Christopher Plummer for his work as an elderly widower who comes out as gay in "Beginners." Congrats to the 82-year-old actor who will always be Capt. Von Trapp to us.

Other early winners include Laura Dern for best actress in a TV comedy for her work in HBO's "Enlightened," "Dowtown Abbey" for best TV miniseries and Kate Winslet for best actress in a TV miniseries for her work in "Mildred Pierce."

Updated 8:12 ET:  The 69th Annual Golden Globes have only been underway for minutes and already buzzed-about host Gervais has set the tone for the night. In his opening monologue the actor-writer-celebrity offender managed to take on Kim Kardashian, "The Help," and even Justin Bieber.

First up, Gervais explained the difference between the Oscars and the Globes as "What Kim Kardashian is to Kate Middleton. What? Bit louder, bit trashier, a bit drunker and more easily bought. Allegedly."

Ouch. But he was just getting started.

"Eddie Murphy and Adam Sandler between them played all the parts in 'The Help'" he said to nervous laughs. "Too bad they couldn't be here. Or maybe they are. Masters of disguise!"

Then it was on to a seemingly random shot at Bieber and his paternity talk from last year.

"Bieber – the only way he could have impregnated a girl would have been with one of Martha Stewarts old turkey basters!"

Yikes. The night's still young.

Original post:

Welcome to TODAY.com's 2012 Golden Globe Awards live-blog coverage. Tonight we'll watch the action together as the talents behind Tinseltown's best efforts take home top honors, or at very least feel honored just to be nominated. They might not, however, feel as honored to land in the sights of returning host Ricky Gervais.

After all, before the main event, the sharp-tongued commedian warned E!'s Ryan Seacrest, "I never mean to offend -- I just happen to. There's just something about me."

See? He just can't help himself.

Share your thoughts about the dresses, the awards and of course, host Ricky Gervais on our Facebook page.

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Is it possible to have too much Ricky Gervais? If you ask the stars in the audience at last year's Golden Globes -- particularly the ones he chose to laugh at -- the answer is probably "yes." For many others? No way!

Gervais, who has hosted the Globes for the past two years and will do so again on Sunday night, continued his chat from last week with TODAY's Matt Lauer on Wednesday, refusing to apologize for being offensive from time to time.

"What am I doing? I'm coming up with jokes and annoying people," he said. "I think offense is taken, not given. If you don't let yourself be offended, you're not offended. Some people are offended by quality; some people are offended by mixed marriage; some people are offended by homosexuality. What are we meant to do, stop all those things because someone's offended? No."

That said, while he's also considered a highly-intelligent comedian, Gervais says a person "should have no pride in being smart or being what you are. It's what you do with it."

He noted that he lived pretty lean until his late 30s, when his creation, "The Office," became a success first in Britain and then in the United States. "I was so proud of that, and then when the check came through it sort of ruined it a bit," he said. "And that sounds weird. I got over it.

"But," he added, "I've never done anything for money. I've never done anything for a million pounds that I wouldn't do for free. Bob Dylan said a man could consider himself a success if he wakes up in morning, goes to bed each night and in between did exactly what he wanted. That's success. That's what I've always done."

And for those stars worried about this year's Globes razzing? Bring a flak jacket. "I didn't think last year was offensive," said Gervais. "I'm going to do the same as I did last year. If you think it's offensive, I don't care. Because I don't think it is."

The "2012 Golden Globe Awards" airs on Sunday, Jan. 15 at 8:00 p.m. on NBC.

Are you looking forward to seeing Gervais on the Globes? Speak your mind on Facebook.

Related content:

• Ricky Gervais tells Matt Lauer no restrictions at Golden Globes

Ricky Gervais swore he'd never host the Golden Globes again, but on Jan. 15, he'll be back at it for a third time. The comedian tells TODAY's Matt Lauer that he only agreed to it the first time because he "thought it'd be fun," but now it's evolved into a challenge to get the hosting gig right.

"I got it a bit wrong I think the first time. I tried too hard with the shtick, the comedy, and I should have just gone out there and done zingers, I think, because the attention span of someone at an award show, particularly the Golden Globe, is about a second," Gervais said. "They're drinkin', they're talkin', they're seein' someone. You know, you've gotta grab their attention ... They're there to see if they've won an award, but they don't wanna see this guy come out and telling jokes. Certainly not jokes at their expense."

Still, he says, "I don't know what I did wrong, really. What did I say that was untrue? I made a joke suggesting that Charlie Sheen might like a night out. I said that Robert Downey Jr. spent some time in clinics. And he did. I'm not judging him by that;  it's a joke."

Gervais assured Lauer that when showtime comes around, no restrictions will have been placed on him, no topic is off limits. Given the comedian's comfort with a) telling jokes at celebs' expense and b) mining dicey territory for a joke, it's probably fair to expect a controversial performance from Gervais, despite any criticism that's flung his way (Check him out in videos from 2011 and 2010, below).

 "I've never really succumbed to peer pressure. And this feeds into my humor. I deal in taboo subjects for that reason .... Not only am I fascinated with them, but I like to take the audience to places that it hasn't been before," the comedian told Lauer. "Otherwise, what's the point? There's enough anodyne comedy out there. And I like that feeling of -- no harm can come with dealing with taboos. You know, they are taboo because people don't deal with them."

Ultimately, this is part of what factors in to what makes Gervais, in his opinion, "bulletproof."

"You eventually come to the conclusion that your reputation is what strangers think of you, but your character is who you really are," Gervais said of taking criticism. "And, again, it just makes you bulletproof. You know? What do I care if someone likes what I do or not? I just don't anymore. If you get your own way, if you get final edit and you enjoy what you're doing and things turn out exactly as you wanted 'em, what -- what else is there?"

Will the third time be the last time, though? Gervais remained positive it wouldn't, but then played coy: "This is -- no one believes me now -- this will be the last time. The last time for a while, at least. What tipped the balance was everyone saying they'd never invite me back."

Gervais promised Lauer the same swagger he displayed during the interview will be on display during the Globes broadcast Jan. 15. "I might even really be drunk," Gervais added.

For more of Lauer's exclusive interview with Gervais, check out the clip above from Friday's TODAY show, or tune into Dateline on Sunday.

twitter.com/@rickygervais

Ricky Gervais tweeted this image on Wednesday: Just told Billy Crystal he'd better not use any of my holocaust or pedophile material at The Oscars. He agreed (true).

When it was confirmed Wednesday that Ricky Gervais would come back to host the Golden Globes for a third time, his many fans rejoiced at the decision to bring him back; I thought, "How awesome; but no way this is going to work twice."

What Gervais pulled off last year was lightning in a bottle. When was the last time a person in Hollywood, before a live audience of many millions, said what so many were thinking? Or dared to offend the people who actually greenlight the projects (and paychecks!) that keep Gervais among the employed? If your answer is something that rhymes with "almost never," then you'd be in the ballpark. Jog your memory by rewatching some of the highlights:

When it was all going down last year at the Beverly Hilton, the sound of people changing the channel was practically audible, and there was obvious discomfort in the room. But let's be clear: after some time to reflect, even those who bore the brunt of Gervais' jokes seem to get that yes, they were just jokes. Even "The Tourist" star Johnny Depp is able to poke fun at being poked fun at, and ultimately, Gervais was asked back.

But the element of surprise -- which was vital in pulling off last year's act -- is now gone. There's no way he can tone down his act; doing that would be giving in to every critic out there and he'd be deemed a failure. It's possible that Gervais' tweet about Billy Crystal not stealing his Holocaust and pedophile material is a sign of things to come, but a tweet is just that. It's a couple of seconds in time, not an entire awards broadcast. 

I for one hope that Gervais pulls it off, in similar fashion to last January. Seeing someone boldly take pokes at the really, really "important people" is something we just don't see much of in Hollywood. If there's any comic out there who is up for the challenge, it's Gervais. And if there's any comic who will be just fine with turning the tables on himself if it all comes crashing down, it's Gervais, too. And this just might make him the perfect host -- again.