Stop Playing ‘Baby Reindeer’ Games

Netflix is pushing the stalker drama for Emmys as a “true story” even as key facts have fallen apart and its subject has sued for defamation. Now, TV Academy voters have a chance to reject the dishonest campaign.

The Baby Reindeer case is interesting because, as a non-public figure whose life was allegedly “destroyed” by the show, Harvey would only have to demonstrate that Netflix was negligent in its false portrayal of her.

Matthew Belloni

June 11, 2024

Are you excited for Emmy voting? Thursday begins the annual 11-day period where the 25,000 mostly unemployed members of the Television Academy consider sampling the hundreds of shows in contention but watch only the five they already like and then vote only for everyone on those shows—or whoever’s F.Y.C. panel event served the most food that could be taken home in a Tupperware container. Don’t you wish everyone knew the true glamour and meritocracy involved in determining Hollywood’s most coveted awards?

This year, if you believe the so-called “precursor” bodies—the lesser, barely dignified, untelevised honors like the Critics Choice Real TV Awards or the inaugural Gotham TV Awards (that’s a thing!), all of which populate the pre-Emmys corridor only to extract submission fees and $20,000 per table—Netflix has a strong contender in Baby Reindeer. The “true story” stalker drama has a great shot at the outstanding limited series Emmy, as well as acting noms for its star-creator, Richard Gadd, his co-star as the obsessed Martha, Jessica Gunning, and a bunch of other categories.