To urge you to complain about Sam and Cat on CBBC?

[MonteStory]

Was really shocked to see this on iPlayer this morning. Possibly they’ve been showing it for some time, I may be late to the party.

Ive read Jeanette Mcurdys memoir about this show specifically but I thought the actions of Dan Schneider, the exploitative practices of Nickelodeon (and kids tv in general in the 90s) and the rampant sexual abuse was common knowledge. 2 people have been/are behind bars!

Ive complained to the BBC about its inclusion in children’s programming and ask anyone who feels the same to do so as well. I really strongly feel the BBC can’t just pick up any only successful show on the basis “the kids like it” - there has to be a clear message that studios that not only do not safeguard their child actors but actively put in harms way cannot continue to be successful just because it was a long time ago. I do not believe these practices have been ‘stamped out’ by any means.

If you are complaining I found ChatGPT really useful. I know people have environmental concerns (and I have never actually used it before) but it was able to bring up examples of BBC policies and excepts from mcurdys memoir for me to use.

Yanbu. It's also the worst tween programme ever.

Bumping in hope of finding more like minded people to get this shit off the air.

Sorry, im confused. Can you elaborate more, my kids love it. Sometimes I think ok that's a tad inappropriate and tell the girls to fast forward or take off altogether. I didnt know of any sexual abuse ....

Obviously they don't depict in the actual show.....

Dan Schneider , the creator of Sam and Cat and several other Nickelodeon shows, is claimed to be abusive (shouting, screaming, manipulation, firing children publicly, and encourage illegal working practices (2 female writers ‘shared’ a salary while male writers were paid full time, children working incredibly long hours) and it’s claimed he behaved inappropriately towards many of the stars (regularly requiring children to wear embarrassing or revealing outfits, making comments about their bodies, including innuendos or sexual behaviour in the script that the children don’t notice but adults do immediately.) He was ultimately banned from set after complaints and then stopped working with nikelodeon altogether.

On YouTube look for Ariana Grande water bottle and you’ll see what I mean.

Brian Peck was a voice coach at Nickelodeon and was sent to prison for sexually assaulting Drake Bell on numerous occasions. A production assistant, Jason Hardy, was convicted for ‘lewd acts with a child’. Hardy was employed AFTER previous convictions.

The documentaries ‘Quiet on set’ and ‘Child star’ feature well known personalities being very frank about their experiences and bare-faced exploitation.

I knew that, but I meant I never heard anything vile behind the scenes.this has opened up my eyes. Thats getting banned along with a list of other silly shows

The fact it is utter trash tv also annoys me as I generally trust the bbc to put decent stuff on iplayer. But this particular show has pushed me to complain. I just cannot imagine that no one on programming has heard the allegations, read the book or seen the documentaries. Really? No one? So that suggests they’ve actively made this choice despite this.

My kids love this show!

Do the environment in which the stars worked and the risks they were exposed to concern you?

Not really!

I didn’t actually know any of that, but I enjoy it too it’s really funny.

It was filmed in a period of time where there was lots of behaviour that nowadays wouldn’t have been considered acceptable.

Thankfully times are changing and people challenge this more now, but complaining to the BBC will literally do nothing and achieve nothing

It will, in part, push the bbc to think more carefully about the programs they import. If channels refuse to pick up programs associated with sexual assault and exploitation it further incentivises to execs to do something about people like Schnieder.

It was made in 2013. You can’t really believe this was ‘back then’ when this stuff was ‘more acceptable’

It has Ariana Grande in it, the beeb won't be remotely interested in removing it - it will likely be a reliable show for viewing figures because of her. TV channels are focused on and measured by viewing figures - they'll churn out any dross if it pulls in viewers (Mrs Brown's Boys being an example)

I am concerned this is the case. Hence starting the thread to try and encourage further complaints

If you're going to boycot every programme and film and song and piece of art that has illegal and problematic behaviour associated with its making then you never look at anything again.

Why this particular show?

Surely it's better that the victims are still getting money from residuals rather than having a horrible experience?

Have the actors called for its removal? Not all of them are making Grande's money these days, maybe they are happy it's still shown and they continue getting paid.

It’s not a”associated with”, the problematic behaviours were directly involved in its making. CBBC is for children, I expect it to uphold the highest standards for children’s welfare.

This particular show because it has been very publicly and clearly explained in multiple documentaries and a book by one of the leads what happened during the production and yet the BBC sees fit to pick it up over 10 years later. I find that to be contrary to their policies.

Surely then Schneider and nikelodeon are also getting paid which they shouldn’t be.

YANBU OP and thank you for posting. My DD is way past CBBC age now but she did used to watch some of this guys other shows, I think the ones Sam and Cat first started in? I strongly discouraged at the time as after seeing a bits of episodes it was pretty obvious there was a creep on the show somewhere. Specifically a creep with a foot fetish.

I’ve also read Jeanette’s autobiography and it makes for very sad reading.

You expect the BBC to give a shit about the welfare of children?

Where have you been for the last few decades.

Anyway if you complain about this then you'll be spending the rest of your life complaining. Have a quick look at the BBC films and let me know if you see one without a problematic history.

As pp said the actors involved haven't called for it to be taken off air, probably because they get paid still, so why take it upon yourself to start a boycott on behalf of victims who don't want it?

I don’t agree that because it is impossible to avoid all exploitation we should just ignore it where we see it. You are probably right that it would be impossible to watch tv without seeing shows where the production team or actors are problematic. So should we just stop protesting this behaviour? Stop holding the BBC to high standards?

This show has been discussed very publicly. The BCC is sending a message by including it in their programming. I feel this one is worth objecting over.

I am not acting on behalf of Jeanette or any other victims and nor would I in any way claim to do so. I am acting for myself - someone who wishes to live in a society where we do not shrug when and say things like “it was different back then” or “well all tV is problematic” but we make it publicly clear that none of this is acceptable. I am only one person. But maybe one day I will be one of thousands and programmers and production companies will be forced to take notice.

The staff and culture at Nickelodeon at the time were abusive and exploitative. Some are in prison, some should be. It's clear that both Jeanette McMurdy and Ariana Grande and many other young actors have been negatively impacted for life by their treatment on Nickelodeon productions.

Sam and Cat is a funny show, fond memories of watching it with my kids when they were younger. There are a couple of weird moments in it that could be interpreted in a dog whistle way but otherwise it is very wholesome. Why should the production team and actors have their work banned and their royalties cut off because of their unwitting and unwilling association with Schneider? How will it help?

I hope you're writing to the BBC to ban music by the Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin while you're at it. I just saw that Bow Wow Wow are touring - should they be banned because Annabel Lead Singer (can't remember name sorry) was 14 and naked on their album cover in the 80s?

I would agree with taking a stand if the victims were asking us to take a stand.

They aren't though.

You say you want to make it clear that none of it is publicly acceptable, but then you're picking one programme out of thousands to be outraged by.

Have you cancelled your TV licence and told them why?

Well it don’t seem to have done Ariana any harm.

I had no idea objecting to child abuse was so controversial.

Again I don’t think ‘but there are other bad shows’ is relevant. Yes there are. This happens to be one I am objecting to.

Everyone objects to child abuse. That is why we are trying to get laws implemented to prevent it, perpetrators punished and schools and workplaces safeguarded. Rather than focusing on 15 year old TV shows that at this stage, can't harm anyone.