‘Baby Reindeer’ and creator Richard Gadd win limited series Emmys

Netflix’s “Baby Reindeer,” the controversial British drama that was a massive hit while also making headlines about its real-life influences, has won Emmy Awards for limited series, writing and two of the acting categories.

Creator, star and executive producer Richard Gadd won a pair of Emmy Awards, his first, for writing and lead actor. The show, adapted from his one-man autobiographical play, is about an aspiring comedian named Donny Dunn, played by Gadd, whose casual encounters with an eccentric woman named Martha (Jessica Gunning) become increasingly sinister.

“This is the stuff of dreams,” said Gadd in his acceptance speech for writing. “Look, 10 years ago I was down and out, right? I never ever thought I would get my life together. I never ever thought I would rectify myself for what happened to me and get myself back on my feet again. And then here I am, just over a decade later, picking up one of the biggest writing awards on television.”

Gunning also won the statuette for supporting actress for her performance as Martha, the increasingly threatening stalker who pursues Donny. Her portrayal was singled out as a highlight of the series.

“Baby Reindeer” competed against 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 characters on the show, particularly Martha and Darrien (Tom Goodman-Hill), the television writer who sexually assaults Donny.

In the months following the show’s premiere, Fiona Harvey, a 58-year-old Scotswoman, claimed in an interview with Piers Morgan to be the basis 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 “viciously destroy” her life.

Harvey pointed out that the series’ pilot started with the message, “This is a true story.”

The lawsuit has been set for trial next May in U.S. District Court. A Netflix spokesperson said in a statement about the suit, “We intend to defend this matter vigorously and to stand by Richard Gadd’s right to tell his story.”