Quiet On Set: The Dark Side Of Kids TV

About

Quiet On Set: The Dark Side Of Kids TV refers to a documentary that focuses on the alleged abuse of Nickelodeon television stars under the reign of Dan Schneider. The documentary includes allegations of Schneider's workplace abuse and possible sexualization of underage cast members. It also details the abuses suffered by Drake Bell from All That cast member Brian Peck.

History

On March 18th, 2024, Max (formerly HBO) released the first half of a documentary series on Dan Schneider's abuses of the talent on Nickelodeon called Quiet On Set: The Dark Side of Kids' TV.^[1] The series goes into multiple allegations of the abusive habits and tics of Schneider's show-running, including:

1. Scenes that have been compared to pornographic content, such as having young actresses get sprayed with viscous goo, which reportedly made the actresses feel uncomfortable.
2. Including sexual puns and gags, such as the Amanda Show character "Penelope Taynt" and the All That character "Pickle Boy."
3. Overworking actors and writers to the point of exhaustion.
4. Forcing writers to watch pornography.

After the first half of the documentary series aired, a spokesperson for Schneider defended the claims made against him,^[1] writing:

“Everything that happened on the shows Dan ran was carefully scrutinized by dozens of involved adults, and approved by the network. Had there been any scenes or outfits that were inappropriate in any way, they would have been flagged and blocked by this multilayered scrutiny… Remember, all stories, dialogue, costumes, and makeup were fully approved by network executives on two coasts. A standards and practices group read and ultimately approved every script, and programming executives reviewed and approved all episodes. In addition, every day on every set, there were always parents and caregivers and their friends watching filming and rehearsals.”

All That Cast Child Abuse

A separate section of the documentary goes into the pedophilic behavior of All That cast members, including James Hardy and "Pickle Boy" actor Brian Peck. Hardy was found guilty of child abuse and child pornography in 2004 for his inappropriate behavior with an Amanda Show guest star identified as "Brandi." Drake and Josh actor Drake Bell alleges that Brian Peck, his dialogue coach, subjected him to extensive sexual abuse. Peck was found guilty of child rape in 2004.

Online Reaction

Ned's Declassified Cast Reaction

In a TikTok Live following the release of the documentary, the cast of Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide was seen joking about the documentary, including a joke about the child rape.^[2] They also said their experience on the set of their show did not match what was portrayed in the documentary. The Live went viral on social media, with many condemning the frivolous nature with which the cast discussed the allegations in the documentary. Drake Bell responded in a tweet calling them "Ned's Declassless" (shown below).

Search Interest

External References