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'Scientology and Me' was a television documentary broadcast 14 May 2007 as part of the BBC's Panorama series. Reporter John Sweeney visited the United States to investigate whether the Church of Scientology was becoming more mainstream. The programme gained particular controversy before and during filming due to unresolved differences on content and approach between Sweeney's production team and Scientology members, who did not want detractors or perceived enemies of the church to be interviewed or included in the documentary.
The scale of the controversy intensified when the Church of Scientology released a 40 second clip of video footage showing the segment of a screaming argument between John Sweeney and Scientologist Tommy Davis at the Psychiatry: An Industry of Death museum, regarding Sweeney's use of the word "cult" to describe the Church of Scientology. In the argument, Sweeney yelled "You were not there at the beginning of the interview! You were not there! You did not hear or record all the interview!". The interview that Sweeney is referring to is the conversation between him and critic Shawn Lonsdale. Despite the lobbying of British MPs by the Church of Scientology for the documentary to be scrapped, airing of Scientology and Me went ahead on May 14. The episode garnered the highest ratings for Panorama since September of the previous year, with a peak of 4.9 million viewers in the UK.
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![To see part 2... www.youtube.com BBC Panorama: Scientology and Me "Scientology has fought many battles to keep its secrets off the web, now they are using it to attack my investigation into them." "This film was first aired on [British television channel] BBC One on May 14 2007." Part One Journalist John Sweeney investigates the Church of Scientology and gets more than he bargained for. Editor's response to complaints about this film: www.bbc.co.uk Tommy Davis is the son of actress (and Scientologist) Anne Archer.](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/UL5VRcmI9jU/0.jpg)
![See part 3 at: www.youtube.com BBC Panorama: Scientology and Me "Scientology has fought many battles to keep its secrets off the web, now they are using it to attack my investigation into them." "This film was first aired on [British television channel] BBC One on May 14 2007." Part One Journalist John Sweeney investigates the Church of Scientology and gets more than he bargained for. Editor's response to complaints about this film: www.bbc.co.uk Tommy Davis is the son of actress (and Scientologist) Anne Archer.](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ti9kjFi6gZs/0.jpg)
![See part 4 at: www.youtube.com BBC Panorama: Scientology and Me "Scientology has fought many battles to keep its secrets off the web, now they are using it to attack my investigation into them." "This film was first aired on [British television channel] BBC One on May 14 2007." Part One Journalist John Sweeney investigates the Church of Scientology and gets more than he bargained for. Editor's response to complaints about this film: www.bbc.co.uk Tommy Davis is the son of actress (and Scientologist) Anne Archer.](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/lr9U9NrNUlk/0.jpg)
