On March 17 and 18 of 2024, a four episode long documentary series titled Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV was released both on Discovery+ as well as Max (formally known as HBO Max). This docu series features a number of stars from arguably some of the most famous Nickelodeon productions, including All That, The Amanda Show, Drake and Josh, Zoey101, ICarly, Victorious and Sam and Cat which were all Dan Scheider creations. Writers, creators, actors/actresses and other people involved in the industry had stepped forward to confront the harsh reality of what life was like for many of the people who were involved on set. Many famous names that worked with Nickelodeon such as Dan Schneider, Jason Handy, Brian Peck and Ezel Chanel were exposed for their wrongdoings which in multiple cases consisted of child abuse while working for Nickelodeon.
Dan Schneider, a name that many of us are familiar with, has been known to include R-rated jokes which are not kid appropriate into many of his shows. Many cast members have reported feeling as though they or other members on set had been sexualized by Dan Schneider, and that he fostered an unnerving work environment rather than a healthy one. Workers even reported that he would intentionally play pranks on coworkers, have young girls massage him on set or publicly get angry with coworkers. Fans along with workers at Nickelodeon have pointed out that a number of productions from Schneider have feet involved in one way or another, have inappropriate for children references as well as the odd use of slime, which over time has become one of Nickelodeon’s trademarks. One specific case regarding Dan Schneider that is focused on within the docu series are the only two female writers of the television show The Amanda Show, Christy Stratton and Jenny Kilgen. Together they reported that when they were hired they were both receiving only half of a salary, as it was being split between them. When this became reported to the Writers Guild, they were threatened by Schneider that they would no longer work within the television industry.
Despite Schneider fostering a suspicious and uncomfortable environment within Nickelodeon, he has not actually been convicted of any crimes on the Nickelodeon set. Other names such as James Handy, Brian Peck and Ezel Chanel have all been convicted for child abuse and sexual abuse accusations. One of the most disturbing stories that was released in the docu series was the case regarding Drake Bell and Brian Peck. For the first time, Bell came forward and publicly told his story about the sexual abuse that he had endured from Brian Peck when he was only 15-years-old. As he tries to explain what truly happened to him, he is visibly choked up and he is unable to find words to explain the torture that he had experienced. It was truly heartbreaking to watch, however he sat there with so much strength and pushed through the interview. At one point he explains the day of the trial where he at 15-years-old was going against his molester, Brian Peck who was in his 40s. Bell describes walking into the courthouse to find Peck’s side of the courthouse full with big Hollywood names, 41 of whom wrote letters to the judge in support of Brian Peck, and defending his name while Bell’s side was only himself, his mother and his brother. When giving his testimony, he looked at the people supporting Peck and announced, “How dare you. You will forever have the memory of sitting in this courtroom and defending this person and I will forever have the memory of the person you’re defending violating me and doing unspeakable acts and crimes and that’s what I’ll remember.” Peck ended with a 16-month sentence in prison and was required to register as a sex offender. After his release, he was once again hired to work in children television on the Disney Channel show, The Sweet Life of Zack and Cody.
Many other stories are exposed within this docu series, and I strongly urge anybody who is able to give it a watch. This production is very eye opening to see the harsh reality behind the shows that many of us grew up watching. To be frank, these men who were in power took advantage of those below them, and manipulated their way into getting exactly what they wanted. It is so disappointing to see that the television channel which was idolized by so many young kids in the 2000s has such a dark truth behind it. As hard of a story this was to watch, it is so empowering to see these people come forward and speak up about their demons. Unfortunately, we live in a harsh and a sad world, and after watching this Nickelodeon based docu series, one of my biggest questions is “What about Disney?”