‘Baby Reindeer’ Boasts Strong Numbers and Eyes Emmy Awards

Not long after I returned from visiting my daughter in Madrid in April, I logged on to Netflix to see what I had missed while abroad. A glance at the platform’s “Top 10 TV shows in the U.S. Today” row often yields surprises. “Too Hot to Handle,” now in its sixth season, could be anything, including a reality series about testing cookware for all I know.

One title, “Baby Reindeer,” at the No. 1 spot, caught my eye. Strange title. Perhaps a reality show about a caribou breeder in Alaska? Maybe a cute nature program? Who doesn’t want to see adorable baby reindeer learning to walk?

The next day, a publicist called.

Have you seen “Baby Reindeer”? Not yet, but it’s the No. 1 show on Netflix. I’ll have to check it out.

The next day, the same publicist called again.

“Did you watch ‘Baby Reindeer’?” Dude, it’s been one night.

The next day, I watched “Baby Reindeer.” And the day after that, I finished it. Seven episodes, each about a half-hour long. Initially, it looks like a horror story about a stalker hounding Donny, a sad-sack bartender who dreams of becoming a comic. But it quickly becomes deeper, as Donny’s behavior grows erratic, fueled by self-loathing and neediness rooted in shame.

By the fourth episode, you’ll understand why it took Donny so long to report the stalker. Watching it was so horrifying and painful that it was the closest I’ve come to pausing or stopping a TV show. It makes the Christmas Eve dinner flashback episode of “The Bear” feel like a Hallmark holiday movie.

And yet, almost everyone I know watched “Baby Reindeer.” Some of my neighbors have seen it twice. And they weren’t alone. “Baby Reindeer” reached Netflix’s top 10 TV charts in 92 countries. Three months after its premiere, it had garnered 88.4 million views.

Have you seen “Baby Reindeer”? If you’re one of the 24,000 Television Academy members voting for the Emmys, it’s a rhetorical question. Despite the headlines surrounding a self-proclaimed real-life stalker suing Netflix for defamation, the show is poised to win big this year. For a niche series that was off the radar four months ago, that’s remarkable.

When you see a “This is a true story” title card before a TV show or movie, do you think it’s 100% accurate? Or do you consider it an emotional truth at work? In a court filing, “Baby Reindeer” creator Richard Gadd wrote, “It is not a documentary or an attempt at realism. While the [s]eries is based on my life and real-life events … it is not a beat-by-beat recounting of the events and emotions I experienced as they transpired. It is fictionalized, and is not intended to portray actual facts.”

The lawsuit is a distraction, but it’s hard to see another nominated series surpassing “Baby Reindeer’s” combination of viewership and critical acclaim. The meticulously crafted “Ripley” is a better show, one I’d be tempted to watch again, but I doubt it can win.

Jodie Foster, with her role in “True Detective: Night Country,” could bring home an Emmy. All the good will she earned campaigning for her Oscar-nominated turn in “Nyad” should carry over. Foster has picked up many honors over the years — two Oscars, four Golden Globes, a SAG award, plus career tributes — but never an Emmy. This is her first nomination. Expect a big ovation when she wins.

Richard Gadd, nominated for lead actor, writer, and executive producer for “Baby Reindeer,” faces tough competition. However, Andrew Scott is predicted to win for his masterful turn as the antihero in “Ripley.” Scott has previously dazzled on TV, portraying the boyishly seductive priest on “Fleabag” and the anarchic villain Moriarty on “Sherlock.”

Dakota Fanning in “Ripley,” Aja Naomi King in “Lessons in Chemistry,” and Diane Lane in “Feud: Capote vs. the Swans” make for strong contenders in the supporting actress category. However, the prediction is that Jessica Gunning will take the award for her role in “Baby Reindeer.”

For supporting actor, Tom Goodman-Hill’s insidious work in “Baby Reindeer” might win recognition, but Jonathan Bailey is expected to take the Emmy for his role in “Fellow Travelers.”

The interest and critical acclaim around “Baby Reindeer” make it a significant contender at the Emmys, and it’s poised to make a notable impact.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.