Netflix’s “Baby Reindeer,” the controversial British drama that was a smash hit while also making headlines for its real-life influences, won Emmys for writing for a limited or anthology series or a movie, as well as for supporting actress Jessica Gunning.
Creator, star and executive producer Richard Gadd won the award for his writing on the series, and it is his first Emmy Award. The show, adapted from his autobiographical one-man play, is about an aspiring comedian (Gadd) whose chance encounters with an eccentric woman (Gunning) become increasingly sinister.
“This is the stuff of dreams,” Gadd said in his acceptance speech. “Look, 10 years ago I was depressed, right? I never thought I was going to get my life back together. I never thought I was going to rectify what happened to me and get back on my feet. And now here I am, a little over a decade later, receiving one of the biggest writing awards in television.”
Gunning, who plays Martha, the increasingly menacing stalker who pursues Donny, won the award for best supporting actress. Her performance was singled out as one of the series' highlights.
“Baby Reindeer” is competing with several other acclaimed projects in the limited series category, including HBO’s “True Detective: Night Country,” FX’s “Fargo,” Apple TV+’s “Lessons in Chemistry” and Netflix’s “Ripley.”
In addition to becoming a pop culture phenomenon when it premiered in April, “Baby Reindeer” inspired investigations by armchair detectives seeking the true identities of the show’s characters, particularly Martha and Darrien (Tom Goodman-Hill), the television writer who sexually assaults Donny.
In the months after the series premiered, Fiona Harvey, a 58-year-old Scotswoman, claimed in an interview with Piers Morgan that she was the inspiration for Martha. Harvey sued Netflix in June, seeking $170 million in damages for what she called defamation and emotional distress. She accused Netflix and Gadd of telling “brutal lies” about her in an effort to “attract more viewers,” “make more money” and “brutally destroy” her life.
Harvey noted that the series pilot began with the message: “This is a true story.”
The lawsuit is set for hearing in a U.S. district court next month. A Netflix spokesperson said in a statement about the lawsuit: “We intend to vigorously defend this matter and support Richard Gadd's right to tell his story.”
