Scientology and Me (2007)

Scientology and Me is a documentary that was first broadcast on May 14, 2007, as part of the BBC’s Panorama series. The film features reporter John Sweeney who traveled to the United States to investigate whether the Church of Scientology was becoming more mainstream.

The documentary is known for the heated exchanges between Sweeney and members of the Church of Scientology, particularly with Tommy Davis, the international spokesperson for the church at the time.

The film gained attention before its release due to disagreements between Sweeney’s production team and members of the Church of Scientology regarding the content and approach of the documentary.

The Church of Scientology objected to the BBC interviewing detractors or perceived enemies of the church and sought to censor any references to Scientology as a “cult.”

One of the most notable moments in the documentary is a confrontation between Sweeney and Davis, which was released by the Church of Scientology as a 40-second clip. In this clip, Sweeney is seen yelling in frustration during an argument about the interview with Scientology critic Shawn Lonsdale.

Despite attempts by the Church of Scientology to prevent its broadcast, including lobbying British MPs, the documentary aired as scheduled and achieved a peak viewership of 4.9 million in the UK. The episode garnered the highest ratings for Panorama since September of the previous year.

The documentary aimed to investigate the claims of both critics of the Church of Scientology and the Church itself to see if the Church “still deserved its sinister reputation.”

It begins with a statement from the 1994 Los Angeles Superior Court case Church of Scientology of California vs Gerald Armstrong, where Judge John Breckenridge describes the Church of Scientology in negative terms.

The documentary also discusses the celebrity members affiliated with Scientology, such as John Travolta, and their influence on the church.