In the era of #MeToo, fresh tales of predatory sexual behavior and harassment pop out of Hollywood on a regular basis. But the conversation is also beginning to shine a light on problematic practices behind the scenes—like the haphazard way that the TV industry approaches sex scenes. Back in the days when networks ruled the airwaves, TV shows were largely family-friendly, and there was little need to worry about how to deal with nudity on-screen. But as streaming and cable networks churn out ever more shows and encourage creators to experiment with increasingly edgy and sexually sophisticated content, questions are arising about how to make sure the actors inhabiting these imaginary worlds feel safe.

“It’s shocking how careless people can be about sex scenes,” one television producer told me this week. “Sets are chaotic, and there’s no normal. There are no standards.”

Earlier this week, Kim Masters reported that the Showtime series SMILF—created by and starring first-time show-runner Frankie Shaw—was “plagued by allegations of abusive behavior and violations of industry rules.” The story suggested that, among other issues, actress Samara Weaving left the show after her contract was breached during mishandled sex scenes. In a statement to T.H.R., Shaw responded in part, “It pains me to learn that anyone felt uncomfortable on my set. I sincerely hope we can work together to resolve any and all issues, as I am committed to creating a workplace in which all people feel safe and heard.”

ABC Studios, which produces SMILF, has concluded its investigation into the mishandled sex scenes. A source close to the production ascribes the problems to the “sloppiness and naivete” of an inexperienced show-runner, rather than any intentional misconduct. (Shaw's representatives did not respond to V.F.’s request for comment.)

Regardless of what happened in that instance, it’s clear that TV makers are increasingly finding themselves in fraught territory when it comes to sex scenes. Show-runners are often writers who have risen up through the ranks—great with words and ideas, sure, but not trained or equipped to wrangle an enormous staff. In the peak-TV era, there are more novices running shows than ever before. “Running a television show is 80 percent managing people—the cast, crew, writers, production office, and editorial staff all report to you,” Counterpart executive producer Amy Berg explained. “Only those who’ve risen through the ranks in television have the know-how to navigate it all as a first-time show-runner. And only a small group of those individuals possess the right managerial skill set and sensitivity to supervise a show with sex and nudity.”

Many show-runners get little official training or guidelines before they step on set, and in an environment of tight budgets and increasing time pressure, decision-making can get messy. It can also lead shows to cut corners on rules—bullying actors into doing a sex scene or showing more flesh than they had contractually agreed to, for instance. According to David White, the executive director of actors’ union SAG-AFTRA, “Our rules are clear, and there are decision-makers who, with an increasing regularity, are attempting to push those rules in order to achieve some creative or financial objective for their shows.”