Nobody Was Waiting for These 15 Child Stars When the Show Ended

Every week, millions watched these children solve every problem in twenty-two minutes. Then the show ended, and nobody was assigned to catch them. Fifteen sitcom child stars, counting down from Paul Petersen to Dustin Diamond, told through court filings, memoirs and interviews they chose to give: Lauren Chapin, Jay North, Erin Moran, Jeremy Miller, Danny Pintauro, Brian Bonsall, Jodie Sweetin, Todd Bridges, Danny Bonaduce, Anissa Jones, Rusty Hamer, Gary Coleman and Dana Plato. You will also see why so many of these stories sound alike: the Coogan Law of 1939, the 1999 update that put 15% of a child performer's pay into a protected account, and the gap between the end of a series and adulthood that no rule covered. TIMESTAMPS 00:00 The Laugh Track and the Child Behind It 00:43 #15 Paul Petersen 02:03 #14 Lauren Chapin 03:24 #13 Jay North 04:43 #12 Erin Moran 06:26 The Coogan Law: Why These Stories Sound Alike 07:33 #11 Jeremy Miller 08:44 #10 Danny Pintauro 10:10 #9 Brian Bonsall 11:29 #8 Jodie Sweetin 12:41 The Week a Show Ends 13:38 #7 Todd Bridges 15:15 #6 Danny Bonaduce 16:15 #5 Anissa Jones 18:15 #4 Rusty Hamer 20:15 Where the Money Went 20:37 #3 Gary Coleman 23:03 #2 Dana Plato 25:01 #1 Dustin Diamond 27:14 What Changed Since 1999 If these stories are why you are here, subscribe and tell us whose story to look at next.