Tina Fey, Amy Poehler back as Golden Globes hosts

[October 16, 2013]  NEW YORK (AP) --  The duo of Tina Fey and Amy Poehler proved such a success at hosting the Golden Globes in January that they've been signed up for the same job for the next two years.

NBC, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and producers of the Golden Globes announced the unusual two-year commitment on Tuesday. Next year's Golden Globes will be held in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Jan. 12.

Allen Shapiro, CEO of Dick Clark Productions, said the former "Saturday Night Live" chums have "a truly unique chemistry making them one of the most talented and captivating pairings of all time."

They were bathed in critical love for their performance this year, with Associated Press critic Frazier Moore calling them "the night's biggest winners." They got laughs without being polarizing, as was the case with predecessor Ricky Gervais. Poehler even poked fun during the show at the Hollywood debate over whether Gervais was too hard-edged in mocking Hollywood stars.

"We want to assure you that we have no intention of being edgy or offensive tonight," said Poehler, star of the NBC sitcom "Parks and Recreation." "Because, as Ricky learned the hard way, when you run afoul of the Hollywood Foreign Press, they make you host this show two more times!"

Fey, whose NBC comedy "30 Rock" ended this year, and Poehler were both nominated for best actress in a comedy or musical but lost to Lena Dunham, star of HBO's "Girls."

"Last year was really fun," Poehler said in an interview with the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. "We didn't know what to expect. It was exciting to work with Tina, as always, and it was a strange experience. We had a lot of fun so we said maybe we can try it again and like fools we are giving it another shot."

More important than critical support, Fey and Poehler were good for business. The Golden Globes had their best ratings in six years for the most recent presentation, and were up 17 percent over the 2012 show.

[Associated Press; By DAVID BAUDER]

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