Baby Reindeer captured the Breakthrough Limited Series award and Colin From Accounts was the only two-time winner at Tuesday’s inaugural Gotham TV Awards.
While the dress was black tie, the event moved at a remarkable clip, with barely an hour and 20 minutes required for the seven competitive awards and three career honors. Previously, the Gotham Film & Media Institute had included TV awards in its film-centric gala, which is held just after Thanksgiving as Oscar season is gearing up. This is the first year TV has had its own event.
Richard Gadd, who created and starred in Baby Reindeer, accepted the trophy on the behalf of his collaborators. As a comedian, he couldn’t resist quips about a “6-inch tall” pastrami sandwich at Katz’s Delicatessen and thanked his mom and dad for “messing me up enough to make me an artist.” But he closed his speech on a sincere note.
“It’s weird that a show as messed up as this has gone on to strike a chord with so many people,” he said of the darkly comic show about a stalker. “I think it speaks to the fact that I think a lot of people in the world are struggling right now. I can’t offer much in the way of advice, but I do know that nothing lasts forever. So if you are in a rut, just keep going. Persevere, persevere, persevere and I promise you things will get better.”
Colin, an Australian import seen in the U.S. on Paramount+, won Gothams for Breakthrough Comedy Series and for Harriet Dyer for Outstanding Performance in a Comedy Series.
Law & Order: SVU mainstay Mariska Hargitay, who has appeared in 550 episodes over 25 seasons of the show (more than any other scripted TV actor), received the Anniversary Tribute. Peter Morgan, creator and showrunner of The Crown, was given the Creator Tribute, and Lulu Wang, showrunner, writer and director of Expats, got the Spotlight Tribute.
Breakthrough Nonfiction Series went to Jerrod Carmichael Reality Show. Breakthrough Performance In a Drama was awarded to Zine Tseng of 3 Body Problem. Mr. & Mrs. Smith captured Breakthrough Drama Series, while Ripley‘s Andrew Scott beat out nine other nominees in the Oustanding Performance in a Limited Series category.
Dyer’s appearances accepting Colin’s two awards and also presenting provided a highlight of the evening..