The most competitive genre this Emmy season is Limited Series or Anthology Series and it’s not even close. There are likely four to five highly acclaimed programs that won’t make the five-nominee field. After becoming a critical hit and streaming sensation since its release on April 11, you can now add Netflix’s “Baby Reindeer” to the list of legit contenders.
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Written and starring Richard Gadd as Donny, a fictionalized version of himself, “Reindeer” centers on a struggling Scottish comedian who deals with the consequences of becoming a friend with a convicted stalker, Martha Scott, played by Jessica Gunning. Based on Gadd’s acclaimed one-man Edinburgh Fringe play, the series currently has an 88 on Metacritic on eight reviews and a 100% on Rotten Tomatoes on 20 reviews so far. The series will be submitted for several Emmy categories including Gadd for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie and Outstanding Writing for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie.
If you haven’t heard of it yet, that’s not a surprise. “Reindeer Games” did not get much love from Netflix stateside before its launch, but it organically became a word-of-mouth wonder reaching no. 1 on the streamer’s top 10 television programs list the weekend of April 19-21. And, the buzz among industry figures appears to be growing. That could make it a surprise Emmy nominee player when nominations are revealed on July 17.
In the Limited or Anthology Series category, “Reindeer” will face off against “True Detective: North Country,” “The Sympathizer,” “Fargo,” “Lessons in Chemistry,” “Masters of the Air,” “Showgun,” “Fellow Travelers,” “Apples Never Fall,” “Mary and George,” “Under the Bridge,” “We Were The Lucky Ones,” and fellow Netflix series “One Day” and “Ripley” in an attempt to make the five program field. Again, a lot of fine series will be “snubbed” this July. Moreover, ramping up a competitive campaign with just two months till voting isn’t easy, but if any streamer has the resources to pull it off, it’s Netflix.
“Baby Reindeer” is now available on Netflix worldwide.