NBC announced Wednesday, April 28, comedian and award-winning actor, Ricky Gervais, would return in January 2011 to host the Golden Globe Awards for the second year in a row.

Gervais said he was surprised to be invited back, telling the media, “I can’t believe they invited me back after awful things I said. Let’s see how far I can go this time.”

You can bet it was the ratings that prompted producers to call him back for a repeat performance. The 67th Annual Golden Globe Awards, which aired live on January 17, 2010, brought NBC their highest ratings for the 18-49 age demographic in five years, barring sporting events, pulling in a total of about 2.1 million viewers.

Hollywood Foreign Press Association president, Philip Berk, said, “We are thrilled to have Ricky back as the host of the Golden Globe Awards. His combination of wit, irreverence, and spontaneity makes him the ideal host. He was fantastic last year, and he’ll be even better the second time around.”

While it may be a little early to set your DVR, you’ll definitely want to pen the date on your calendar. You never know what Gervais will say, so you won’t want to miss it. The 68th Annual Golden Globes are scheduled to air live on Sunday, January 16, 2011, from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. EST.