Culture Crash: Have You Seen The Netflix Hit “Baby Reindeer” Yet?

WELCOME TO CULTURE CRASH, WHERE WE EXAMINE WHAT’S NEW AND OLD IN ENTERTAINMENT.

LikeI May Destroy You and Fleabag before it, the new show Baby Reindeer is a British tour de force that comes from one person who serves as the series’ writer and star. From comedian Richard Gadd, the Netflix series Baby Reindeer tells the true story of the time he was abused and stalked by a convicted criminal. Just like Fleabag and I May Destroy You, the show is in parts funny, while at other times deeply disturbing and upsetting.

And I have to say: I think the Brits have found a great format for a show. Letting young creatives write and star in their own show, giving them control over tone and style, and then releasing these unknown properties to the masses seems to produce more magic than the way American companies have continued mining pre-existing brands for more and more extensions. While things like Star Wars and Batman are being endlessly expanded, there is something exhilarating about media that comes from fresh voices with a mysterious story to tell and something real to observe about the world.

Similar to Fleabag before it, Baby Reindeer was originally written for the stage and was later adapted to TV. As such, its script is entirely thought out and purposeful. Every bit of dialogue feels refined and streamlined, which is also a departure from the baggy later installments of franchise entertainment. 

While the details of Baby Reindeer are better left for the experience of watching the show, it really is a twisty thrill ride that transcends what a simple true crime documentary can achieve by telling the story from inside its main character’s head. At just seven episodes long, it is bingeable and is absolutely the kind of show you’ll want to share with your friends just so you have people to talk about it with.

Baby Reindeer is now streaming on Netflix.