Quiet On Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV is a 2024 docu-series that revolves around the toxic behind-the-scenes work environment and abuse that occurred during the production of several Nickelodeon live-action sitcoms throughout the 90s and early 2010s. In five hour-long episodes, the series features former production associates and child actors detailing their experiences on several popular Nickelodeon sitcoms such as All That, The Amanda Show, Drake & Josh, and iCarly, to name a few. The docu-series is to many an answer to several rumors and accusations thrown around for the past decade or so regarding the treatment of child actors at the hands of prominent former Nickelodeon executive Dan Schneider. While the series answered many questions, it also left a lot of stones unturned. As it’s been roughly a year since the series first premiered on Max and Discovery+, it seemed fit to return to this controversial show and give it a retrospective.
The Quiet On Set docuseries stemmed from several years’ worth of allegations against former Nickelodeon executive Dan Schneider, who either directed, produced, or had a high-ranking role in the production of nearly all live-action Nickelodeon programming from the early 90s up until his release from the company in 2018. During the MeToo movement in the mid-2010s, many began taking a second look at Schneider’s history at Nickelodeon and noticing some problematic behavior. Several of the shows Schneider worked on at Nickelodeon that were targeted at a primarily tween audience featured many young actresses in compromising positions or situations. There were also allegations that Schneider had acted inappropriately with his underage cast, was abusive to staff members, and generally created a toxic work environment. In response to these allegations, Nickelodeon severed ties with Schneider in March 2018.
The miniseries’ sole five episodes act as a chronological timeline of accusations of Schneider’s toxic work environment, for adults and children alike. In the first episode, two female writers on All That detail their relationship with Schneider, as he had subjected them to alleged sexual harassment, and made them (the sole female writers on the staff) share a salary, which is against union regulations, and resulted in the two settling a gender discrimination lawsuit against Schneider. The second episode primarily focuses on Amanda Bynes (who declined to appear in the series) and her relationship with Schneider. Bynes’ relationship with Schneider fell apart after Schneider contacted her parents after Bynes had run away from home. Bynes has had a very tumultuous life since her early childhood fame, as she has had several mental health and drug scares in her adult life, and last acted in 2010. A mother of an extra on The Amanda Show recounted her daughter being sent nude photos by an adult production assistant, who was later arrested on Child Exploitation charges. The second episode also reveals the most damning breakthrough story, that Drake Bell (of Drake & Josh fame) had been groomed and sexually abused by dialogue coach and close friend of Dan Schneider, Brian Peck, in 2001. This resulted in Peck being fired from Nickelodeon and being charged with lewd contact with a minor in 2004. Drake Bell appears to explain his first-hand traumatic experiences with Peck, and how it affected him mentally. He claimed Brian Peck had groomed and manipulated him into cutting ties with his father after his parents’ divorce to become closer to him, before subjecting him to sexual abuse on several occasions. During Peck’s court case, over 41 people close to Peck (including actors Taran Killam, Will Friedle, and James Marsden) wrote letters to the judge insisting that Peck was a good person, or even that Drake Bell (Who was 15 at the time of the abuse) had instigated the sexual encounter and was at fault. In the fourth episode, the series tackles Schneider’s final decade at Nickelodeon and his work on shows such as Zoey 101, iCarly, and Victorious. During this time, several old clips and behind-the-scenes footage of the aforementioned shows are used as potential evidence of Schneider’s use of a hostile and inappropriate work environment. The final episode acts as a general wrap-up of the series.
Despite the positive reception, the show received its fair share of criticism regarding its content. Many had an issue with Sony featuring Drake Bell prominently within the final three episodes. In 2021, Bell was arrested and convicted of child endangerment after a 19-year-old woman had come to authorities with evidence that Bell had groomed and sent her inappropriate messages when she was 15, and Bell was 31. She had also accused Bell of sexually assaulting her while she was underage. Bell pleaded guilty but was not required to register as a sex offender. Many viewers had an issue with Bell’s charges essentially being brushed off and only referenced briefly in the documentary. Many also had an issue with how Amanda Bynes was talked about and presented in the second episode. Bynes had declined to appear or comment, as did several other big-name ex-Nickelodeon stars. Because of her absence yet significance, Amanda’s story was told as anecdotes by former colleagues on All That and The Amanda Show. The way she was referred to and talked about was criticized by many as essentially speaking about Bynes as if she were dead. Many also criticized the episode essentially alluding to Bynes being potentially sexually abused by Dan Schneider, without having her input. This rumor of Bynes being abused by Schneider has been a long-standing one, as it first began circulating in 2013 when a Twitter account impersonating Bynes claimed it, to which Bynes denied and sought legal action against the user. Many believed the continuation of the rumor watered down the authenticity of the documentary.
Since the documentary’s release, Dan Schneider has only publicly responded to it once, in an informal interview with Bobby Bowman (known for playing T-Bo on iCarly) released on Schneider’s YouTube account. Schneider gave a general apology to “anyone I ever put in that situation”. Recently, Drake Bell has stated that coming forward with his abuse on the series “lifted a weight off his shoulders”. Since his release from Nickelodeon, Dan Schneider has yet to work on television, or any project as a matter of fact, and I believe he will most likely never return. With this documentary’s release, as well as other statements made by former Nickelodeon employees against Schneider, I strongly believe Dan Schneider will never work in Hollywood, especially in children’s media, ever again. This documentary will most likely set a precedent for child labor laws in film in the future, as well.
