Baby Reindeer’s Emmy wins were a much-needed victory for dangerous television

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“Ten years ago, I was devastated.” These were the opening words of Richard Gadd when he accepted the Emmy for miniseries screenplay last night for his work on a small show called Baby reindeer. “And here I am!” With his kilt and his toned body, Gadd didn’t look out of place among Hollywood’s elite. On the biggest night of the year for prestigious television, the multi-talented Scottish comedian, actor and writer looked like a man who had overcome his last bout of imposter syndrome.

And yet, in a way, it is precisely the imposter syndrome that has catapulted Gadd into the stratosphere. His debut show, Baby reindeerwas a deeply personal story about stalking and abuse. It showed how easily people can insinuate themselves into your life, the lies they tell to get there, and how difficult it is to get rid of them. And despite the darkness of that premise, the series was funny, challenging, surprising, and deeply human. It appeared out of nowhere on Netflix—a service that had seemingly given up on producing award-worthy dramas—and took audiences by storm. And then, of course, the backlash began.

If you are not familiar with the tabloid excitement that Baby reindeerit all comes down to a single but troubling question. Who owns the right to tell her story? For Gadd, the project was a personal one; a semi-autobiographical journey into the worst moments of his life. But that story was a two-person play, a dance with his stalker Martha (played superbly by Jessica Gunning, who also won at the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles last night). As the show became a surprise hit – it topped the Netflix charts in English-speaking territories – the right of the “real” Martha to contribute her own story was hotly contested. It led to front-page newspaper headlines, an appearance on Piers Morgan’s talk show, which brought Prince Andrew to News evening seem like a clever PR job and inevitable lawsuits. In the media whirlwind, the analysis of Baby reindeer as a creative endeavor was lost.

One of the strange joys of being a television critic is the ability to see shows before they become the subject of debate. Not only are you unencumbered by other people’s opinions about the quality of the show, but most controversies have yet to ignite. With its elliptical title and lack of star names on the cast list, the show is a real eye-catcher. Baby reindeer was a real unknown. And yet it was good. “This is twisted, mature, self-critical stuff,” I wrote at the time, “that will disturb you rather than amuse you.” And yet it didn’t come close to the problems the show itself would face.

The New Yorker claimed that it “addresses some ethical questions with its comparatively helpless, almost clueless hero”, The Guardian described the consequences of the show as “dangerous”, while The Wrap called it a victim of “Netflix’s true crime disease.” All of these headlines held Baby reindeer topped the streaming service’s charts when clips from both the show and the “real” Martha (a Scottish woman named Fiona Harvey) became memes. The internet began to devour them. Within months of airing, the show seemed to be co-opted by tabloid propaganda.

And yet the creators now go home with an armful of Emmys and presumably carte blanche for whatever project comes to mind next. It’s a stark reminder to tune out the noise – for all the hand-wringing debates about the show’s moral compass, nothing has stopped it from being a great piece of television. And in a year that has been hard to produce standout programs (The bear was the other big winner of the evening, wrongly categorised as a comedy show, while mediocre to bad dramas like The morning show And The Crown scooped gongs), Baby reindeer was a triumph. Provocative, yes, but in the way television should be.

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“The one constant for any success in television is good storytelling that speaks to our times,” Gadd told the assembled audience and viewers at home as he accepted the show’s award for best miniseries. “So take risks, push boundaries, explore the uncomfortable.” Dressed like William Wallace, this felt like a rallying cry for the entire industry, from commissioners to critics. And yet it was also a reminder to those watching from the comfort of their sofas. Speculate, dissect and moralize all you want, but don’t lose sight of the ambitions of the art.

The 2024 Emmys proved that good television stands on a knife edge next to bad television, or as Gadd put it more aptly: “Dare to fail in order to achieve.”