Revealed: The missing episode of Baby Reindeer, and why it was cut
Speaking at the Future Vision television summit, presented by Australians in Film and Screen Australia at ACMI in Melbourne, the triple-Emmy-winning Scot told interviewer and fellow showrunner Tony Ayres (Clickbait, The Survivors, Stateless) that an entire episode set in Scotland was scrapped – at his insistence.
'I really fought to cut an episode of Baby Reindeer,' Gadd told a stunned audience. 'I really wanted to cut it.'
The episode had been written as a pressure release of sorts, as Gadd's hapless standup comedian Donny Dunn is reeling from the relentless attention of former lawyer-turned stalker Martha Scott (Jessica Gunning), a woman he met while working in a London bar.
'I remember when we were developing it, there was the note [from Netflix] that kept coming in – and probably rightfully so – that the show was just too dark, you need to give the audience a respite from it all,' Gadd said.
'And so there was an episode where I escape London to get away from Martha and everything, and I go and visit my parents [in Scotland]. There's a whole episode where I go to the football with my dad, I spend a day with my dad, and stuff kind of happens.'
Martha was 'sort of relentless', he said, and the advice that the audience needed a break from her seemed reasonable. But Gadd said: 'When we got to the edit, I felt you miss her every time she's not on screen, and I felt in a lot of ways, the sooner you get back to her, the better. And so episode three is an amalgamation of a few episodes.
'The episode that's missing ended with her in my kitchen, which is actually how we started [the final version of] episode three. So the edit was almost a complete rewrite of what was in the script.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Perth Now
3 hours ago
- Perth Now
Chrishell Stause and G Flip get married again
Chrishell Stause and G Flip have tied the knot again. The 44-year-old actress and the 31-year-old music star - who first wed in Las Vegas in 2023 - have tied the knot once again during a medieval-themed ceremony in Los Angeles. A copy of their wedding invitation, which has been shared on Instagram, read: "Medieval, Renaissance, Regal, and Festive attire encouraged. (sic)" The invite, which appeared on a faux scroll, also said: "By royal decree, we request the honor of your noble presence to witness the wedding ceremony of Lord Flipo and Lady Stause. (sic)" Chrishell wore an off-the-shoulder corseted gown for the ceremony, while G Flip donned a red tunic for the nuptials. Their guests were also seen sporting tunics and knight-like outfits for the wedding ceremony. The loved-up couple renewed their vows shortly after Chrishell opened up about their desire to have children. The former Selling Sunset star revealed in June that she was "back on the IVF hell train". She said on her Instagram Story: "Back on the IVF hell train. I think this may be my last attempt. There are other alternatives, but this route needed to be tried first bc of timing. So if it's meant to be it will be. If not, pivot [heart emoji] (sic)" Chrishell also thanked her followers for the support they've shown her throughout her IVF journey. She said in a separate post: "Live footage of me reading all the beautiful supportive messages on the last slide. THANK YOU [prayer emoji] (sic)" Chrishell split from Jason Oppenheim, her former Selling Sunset co-star, in 2021 because he didn't want to have children. But the reality TV star previously suggested that she was close to realising her long-held ambition of becoming a parent. Chrishell - who began starring on Selling Sunset, the hit Netflix series, back in 2019 - told Us Weekly: "We are feeling really positive about where we're at currently. And I will tell you this - nobody will be happier to report good news than me when it's that time. So, until then, I just really feel like everything happens for a reason."
Perth Now
16 hours ago
- Perth Now
Laverne Cox: We needed to change the narrative about trans people
Laverne Cox thinks Orange Is the New Black has helped to change the "narrative with and about trans people". The 53-year-old actress rose to prominence as Sophia Burset on Orange Is the New Black, becoming the first transgender person to be nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award in an acting category, and Laverne feels very proud of the hit Netflix show. She told Extra: "When Orange happened, I was in such bliss because I just loved telling the story. I had never seen anything on TV like that before. "I also knew that if I was going to have the mainstream career no other trans person has had … We needed to change the narrative with and about trans people." Asked what has impressed her the most about her own life journey, Laverne replied: "That I'm still here … For me, it's about the lessons that I've learned." Laverne previously argued that being a black transgender woman has limited her opportunities as an actress. The Orange Is The New Black star believes she's been overlooked for certain roles because of her profile - but Laverne thinks the landscape is improving and she still considers herself to be "blessed". She said: "Two years ago ... I was in the waiting room with actresses who were like, 'Oh my God, this is my fourth audition today.' "And I was like, 'Oh, I've never auditioned that much.' There have never been that many parts as a black, openly transgender woman. "Because I am who I am, there probably have been fewer opportunities for me to work. I feel like we've made the very most of what we have been given ... I feel very blessed now." However, Laverne is now determined to make the most of her platform by campaigning for certain demographics to be better represented in Hollywood. She explained: "Certainly there are fewer opportunities for someone like me being black and being trans and being a woman. In the face of that, it's not bad. "The truth is I'm one of the lucky ones. The question for me becomes ... as I produce, how to bring other people along for the ride."
ABC News
a day ago
- ABC News
Tourism hopes for town of Penola as Netflix films My Brilliant Career
In the small town of Freeling, half an hour north of Adelaide, locals are used to rubbing shoulders with tourists excitedly photographing their pub and truck stop. For more than 20 years, day trippers have made the pilgrimage to "McLeod's Country" to see the real-life setting from TV show McLeod's Daughters, an Australian drama series that ran from 2001 to 2009. Freeling, named Gungellan in the series, shot to fame thanks to the show. "It's as popular today as it was while we were filming there," creator and producer Posie Graeme-Evans said. "People just love having their photo at the 'Gungellan Pub', truck stop, town hall and amid the streetscapes they are so familiar with," she said. "In turn, the town of Freeling has embraced these visitors as a benefit to its tourism. "Small operators have even sprung up offering tours to filming locations. It's been wonderful for the region." It has been 16 years since McLeod's Daughters wrapped up filming in South Australia, but its legacy lives on. Now, the town of Penola, in the south-east corner of the state, hopes the same effect will transpire in the wake of global streaming giant Netflix setting up at a historical homestead in the area in June. Backed by the state government and South Australian Film Corporation's Screen Production Fund, a drama series adaptation of Miles Franklin's classic Australian novel My Brilliant Career is now in production at Yallum Park, an 1878 heritage-listed homestead. Netflix said the story, first published in 1901, had resonated with a rising generation of young Australian women who longed for the freedom to shape their own destinies. The series, which is expected to premiere in late 2026 or early 2027, will result in various locations across the state being transformed for the period production, including across Adelaide, the Southern Barossa region and the south-east. On a wintry day in Penola, local retailers were hopeful about what the production would mean for the town. "It's certainly exciting to be chosen to feature in the series," said Diane Williams, who runs a giftware shop in town and also has accommodation units. "It will put another feather in Penola's cap. "The town has obviously had a lot of accommodation bookings from cast and crew while they're filming here, but I think the real tourism benefits are yet to come. Down the street, chef and cafe owner Ian Perry agrees. "We've had a lot of crew members come in and that's been a boost to trade during winter, when things can be quiet," he said. "They're lovely people and they have all really enjoyed being here in Penola, a part of the country they might otherwise not get to see." SA Arts Minister Andrea Michaels said the production was expected to inject $17 million into the state's economy — the highest spend of any TV series made in the state. Five years after a bypass opened around Penola, Ms Williams is hopeful film tourism will become part of the town's future. "The bypass has had an impact on the town, but there have been plenty of benefits too," she said. "We're looking forward to seeing what might be on the way for Penola now it can add 'film set' to its long list of attractions."
