Netflix has found unexpected success with its new British series ‘My stuffed reindeer’. Created by and starring Scottish comedian and author Richard Gadd, this intriguing combination of dramatic comedy, black humor and thriller With only seven episodes of between 30 and 40 minutes, it has captivated the global audience with its originality and intriguing narrative.
Although it was not one of the most anticipated arrivals of the month of April, like ‘Ripley’ with Andrew Scott or soon ‘The Asunta Case’, it quickly has become one of the most viewed series on the platform in its first week. Since its premiere on April 11, it has accumulated more than 2,600,000 views and 10,400,000 hours viewed, becoming the fifth most watched series in English on Netflix.
‘My Stuffed Reindeer’ follows Donny Dunn (Richard Gadd), a comedian in low hours who works as a waiter in a bar. In an unexpected twist, a simple act of kindness toward a client sets off a series of events that will change her life forever. Martha, played by Jessica Gunning, she becomes his obsessive stalkerleading Donny to confront past traumas and fight to regain his stability.
What makes this story even more fascinating is that It is based on the real experience of Richard Gadd. The creator and protagonist experienced firsthand harassment by a fan who followed him everywhere, from his shows to his own house. He even sent her gifts, like the stuffed animal that gives its name to the series. Fiction is a adaptation of the monologue that Gadd performed after his traumatic experience with the stalker, as reported in an interview with Variety.
“Everything is emotionally 100% true, if that makes sense. Everything is taken from cases that happened to me and from real people I met. But of course the exact truth cannot be told, both for legal and artistic reasons. I mean there are certain protections, you can’t just copy someone else’s life and name and put it on television. We were obviously very aware that some characters are vulnerable people, so we don’t want to make their lives more difficult. So you have to change things to protect yourself and other people“.
Gadd has also explained how hard it was to relive some of those memories during filming. “Who in their right mind wants to revisit the worst thing that ever happened to them? The worst period of his life? Of course, it affects you and leaves a small mark on you. But at the same time, sometimes I feel like revisiting the pain and re-experiencing things can lead to a better understanding of them,” he acknowledged.
Also joining the cast of ‘My Stuffed Reindeer’ are Nava Mau (‘Genera+ion’), Tom Goodman-Hill (‘Rebecca’), Hugh Coles, Danny Kirrane (‘Game of Thrones’) and Shalom Brune-Franklin. Although without a doubt Martha’s interpretation has been one of the most highlighted by viewers. As Gadd said in the interview: “She’s phenomenal. She needed to see someone who was vulnerable one moment and angry the next, volatile but desperate and understanding. I needed to see someone who could capture a full range of emotions“.
“I’m fine”
Gadd’s series has already positioned itself among the most viewed in the United States and the United Kingdom, and also occupies first place in the top 10 series in Spain at the time of writing this. Given such success, which has been replicated in other parts of the world, its creator, who was also a scriptwriter for an episode of ‘Sex Education’, has spoken on Instagram: “Thank you all for making this possible. I’m fine, for those asking. I promise“.
Gadd does reference to those four years in which it was bombed with 41,071 emails, 350 hours of voice messages, 744 tweets, 46 Facebook messages and 106 pages of letters. The stalker also sent him gifts, including the toy reindeer, sleeping pills, a wool hat and boxer shorts.
