'Quiet on Set' Documentary Exposes Child Abuse at Nickelodeon

the documentary series Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV shed light on the controversial abusive relationship between directors and the young stars of TV series Nickelodeon, which were a hit with young audiences in the late 90s and early 2000s.

Produced by the directors Mary Robertson e Emma Schwartz, the four-episode series brings shocking accounts of actors and actresses who suffered severe abuse in sets of filming. The artists made statements alleging, for example, cases of sexism, racism and inappropriate behavior among Dan Schneider and other members of the film's cast.

Abuses at Nickelodeon

Inside of sets recording at Nickelodeon studios, Nick stars report having been victims of serious moral abuse and aggressive behavior by renowned director Dan Schneider, who directed the network's biggest hits such as The Amanda Show, iCarly, Victorious e Sam & Cat. However, Schneider was not the only alleged attacker named.

Among those interviewed, actor and musician Drake Bell – known for his role as Drake Parker in the popular sitcom Drake & Josh (2004 – 2007) – made a shocking statement for the documentary Quiet on Set. While part of the cast of The Amanda Show (1999 – 2002), young Drake was invited to temporarily live with the actor and producer of the series, Brian Peck.

According to Bell's account, things were going well, until one night, while sleeping on a couch, he woke up abruptly being sexually assaulted by Peck. Drake was just 15 years old at the time. He claims that, because he was still very young and did not fully understand what had happened, he suffered further abuse until a formal accusation was made.

Years later, Peck was arrested in August 2003, facing charges of 11 cases of sexual abuse. After 16 months in prison, he was registered as a child sex offender. Surprisingly, in 2005, he returned to work with children in the series Zack & Cody: Twins in Action, before Disney was pressured to fire him.

In addition to Drake Bell, other actors, cast members of All That, Giovonnie Samuels, Kyle Sullivan, Bryan Hearne e Katrina Johnson, and the director Virgil Fabian, also spoke out.

“Working for Dan was like being in a abusive relationship“, alleges a former employee not named in the trailer. “There was a toxic environment. This made me trust people less”, says another.

In the documentary series, the writers Jenny Kilgen e Christy Stratton expose allegations of a toxic and sexist environment in the writers' room of The Amanda Show. The footage also included emotional testimonials from cast members' parents who tried to advocate for their children.

Response from director Dan Schneider

In an exclusive interview given to the actor and presenter BooG!e, the director Dan Schneider responded to the strong statements of the documentary's interviewees Quiet on Set. Schneider formally apologized for his inappropriate behavior during filming, which contributed to the toxic environment at the Nickelodeon caused trauma to teenage artists. The director stated that his actions reflected the excessive demand for audience results from the series he directed.

About the declaration of Drake Bell, Dan Schneider says he is surprised by the revelation of cases of abuse by the actor and producer, Brian peck. Dan stressed that he supports Drake Bell and recalled the Peck trial episode where Drake's mother approached him to help her prepare a speech for the court.

After the release of the trailer, through a spokesperson, the former Nick director spoke out:

Dan cared about the children in his programs, even when sometimes their own families, unfortunately, did not. He understood what they were going through and was their biggest supporter. The fact is that many of the children in these programs are placed in the untenable position of becoming the breadwinner for their family and the pressure that comes with that. Add to that the difficulties of growing up and having to do it in the spotlight while working a demanding job, all as a child. This is why there are many levels of standards, executives, lawyers, teachers and parents everywhere, all the time, on every set, every day. However, it's still a tough place to be a kid and no one knew that better than Dan.

Schneider Spokesperson

Dan Schneider is no longer part of the company's audiovisual productions. Nickelodeon in 2018.

See the full interview (in English):

Where to watch Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of TV Kids

To date, the documentary Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of TV Kids is available in the United States at Prime Video e Max. There is still no forecast for the launch of production in Brazil.

See also other features

Sources: Hollywood Reporter, Variety e Deadline.

Text proofread by: Pedro Bomfim