My Parents are Aliens star makes plea to fans of iconic children's TV series

Actor Tony Gardner has spoken out on how streaming can be unfair for the actors who worked on shows.

The childhood icon has put out a number of statements about why watching the TV series in a particular way can be detrimental for the actors.

A podcast named the Thots TV pod, recently talked about the iconic childhood TV series My Parents are Aliens, which aired on CBBC from 1999 to 2006.

On X, formerly known as Twitter, talking about the new episode, the podcast feed stated: “This week, our good good friend Jasmine is here to discuss the classic 90s/2000s sitcom My Parents Are Aliens!

“We find that the costumes worn in the show have aged mostly well, but not QUITE as well as the show's gender politics.”

CITV.

The show’s star Tony Gardner, who played the family dad, has spoken out on X about streaming the programme, and how it can be unfair for the actors who worked on it.

He quoted the podcast saying: “Always fun to listen to people talking about MPAA.

“Though I should point out that watching it on YouTube, with all its lovely adverts, doesn't pay a penny to the actors or writers, which is totally rubbish and illegal.”

He continued in another post saying: “It's an ongoing problem - if we tell them to take it down they will just put it back up again - is the reasoning.

“Not sure where the advertising comes into that. Actors and writers should be paid when their work is watched.

“It's how we make a living.”

He hit out at YouTube, and said: “So, as ever, it appears people are making money, but it's not the actors or writers. Cheers YouTube.”

CITV.

People rushed to the comments to support him, and to express their love for the show.

One person wrote: “I loved watching it as it aired, part of the reason I tried Bluestone 42, another show I loved, was my fond memories of you in MPAA.

“I may have to find the time to binge it again on a site that will pay the actors and writers for the viewing.”

Another said: “I'm so pleased it's on ITVX. Hopefully you're getting a few quid from that, I watch it often!”

However the actor was quick to say that his words weren’t aimed at the podcast hosts, and said their work was ‘excellent’.

He said in response to them: “I listened! (Well, I'm halfway through). Excellent work.”