However, several questions have been raised about medical care and other conditions during the six-week shoot and AFTRA has now decided to investigate abuse reports. "We have had a number of complaints from some of our members about the reports they have, and we have read press reports about long hours and that sort of thing. So we just want to take a good look at it and see if the kids are covered by AFTRA's Network Code agreement," said AFTRA spokesman John Hinrichs.

However, CBS has defended the show's producers and denied any allegations of mistreatment. The channel claims that an army of pyschologists was present to keep peace on the sets.

In a report, Television Week claimed the children worked as many as 14 hours a day and were taken advantage of because of statutes on the books that protected theatrical and film productions from child-labor restrictions.

In a similar incident, CBS kept the children and parents away from the media, during a press conference wherein TV critics grilled the show's creators about legal, moral and ethical issues arising from their unconventional production.

However, so far the controversy hasn't affected the show's premiere plans. "There's no change in the show's status," a CBS spokesman said, characterising the show as "a voluntary television experience."

The children were paid a $5,000 stipend each and some received other financial rewards for challenges, apart from promising rewards like iPods and computers. However, parents claimed that they had no knowledge there was the potential to earn $20,000 gold stars until the children returned.