The #1 Show on Netflix Is a Stalker Thriller That’s Actually Based on a True Story

*Warning: Sensitive topics discussed*

It’s only been a week (and a few days) since the brand-new Netflix miniseries Baby Reindeer premiered on the streaming service. And it didn’t take long for the British drama to climb all the way to the top spot on the platform’s top 10 shows list.

Baby Reindeer follows a man named Donny Dunn, who meets a lonely woman named Martha (Jessica Gunning) sitting at a bar. While working as a bartender, Donny strikes up a convo with Martha and gives her a free cup of tea, unaware of the terrifying events that will come next. Martha becomes obsessed with Donny and starts stalking him. Slowly, her intense obsession threatens to destroy both of their lives. OK, now I’m invested. 

And perhaps the most interesting part? The show is actually based on a true story. Yup, Baby Reindeer was inspired by true events that happened to comedian Richard Gadd, who plays Donny in the series. Over the span of four and a half years, according to Forbes, Gadd was stalked by a middle-aged woman who would send him 41,071 emails, 350 hours’ worth of voicemails, 744 tweets, 46 Facebook messages, 106 pages of letters, as well as a plethora of peculiar gifts that included a reindeer toy, sleeping pills, a beanie hat and boxer briefs.