‘Quiet on Set’ documentary alleges abusive environment during Nickelodeon heyday — fueling concerns over child acting

“Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV,” an investigative docuseries, unveils dozens of workplace abuse allegations from women and children who worked for Nickelodeon during the network’s prime era — reigniting concerns over children in the industry.

The four-part documentary, which premiered on Investigation Discovery on March 17, investigates allegations of toxic behavior against former Nickelodeon showrunner Dan Schneider, the mind behind hit kids’ TV shows “iCarly,” “The Amanda Show,” “Drake & Josh” and “Victorious.”

Schneider helped launch the careers of Amanda Bynes, Kenan Thompson, Ariana Grande, Jamie Lynn Spears and Miranda Cosgrove.

Documentary participants say child actors and others were afraid to stand up for themselves, fearing that pushback could jeopardize their chances in a highly competitive industry.

“You always felt like disagreeing with Dan or standing up for yourself could result in you getting fired,” said Jenny Kilgen, a female writer for “The Amanda Show,” who claims she was forced to share a salary with the series’ only other female writer.

In an interview with BooG!e, who played T-Bo in “iCarly,” Schneider said watching “Quiet on Set” was “very difficult” for him and labeled some of his past behavior as “embarrassing.”

“I definitely owe some people a pretty strong apology,” Schneider told BooG!e.

“I would snap at people sometimes. I would be snarky when I could’ve given them a nicer answer. I would not give people the time they needed. I would be in too big a hurry to move on to the next thing I had to do and watching that show, there were so many times I wanted to pick up the phone and call some of those people and say, ‘I’m so sorry.’”

Schneider continued: “I could be cocky and definitely overambitious and sometimes just straight up rude and obnoxious and I am so sorry that I ever was. When I watched the show, I could see the hurt in some people’s eyes and it made me feel awful and regretful and sorry.”

When a trailer for the documentary was released in February, a representative for Schneider defended him in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, as the Deseret News previously reported.

“Dan cared about the kids on his shows even when sometimes their own families unfortunately did not. He understood what they were going through and he was their biggest champion,” the statement said, in part.

Following the release of “Quiet on Set,” Nickelodeon released a statement.

“Though we cannot corroborate or negate allegations of behaviors from productions decades ago, Nickelodeon as a matter of policy investigates all formal complaints as part of our commitment to fostering a safe and professional workplace environment free of harassment or other kinds of inappropriate conduct,” Nickelodeon said in the statement, per The Washington Post.

The statement continues: “Our highest priorities are the well-being and best interests not just of our employees, casts and crew, but of all children, and we have adopted numerous safeguards over the years to help ensure we are living up to our own high standards and the expectations of our audience.”

Schneider investigation

During the past decade and especially amid the #MeToo movement, former child actors and women have come forward with hundreds of allegations about toxic environments on sets across Hollywood.

Schneider’s alleged inappropriate behavior publicly surfaced in the wake of the #MeToo movement, per The New York Times. In 2018, ViacomCBS, the parent company of Nickelodeon, investigated the hitmaker before he and the network parted ways.

“ViacomCBS interviewed dozens of employees, according to four people with knowledge of the review who said they were not authorized to discuss it. The review found no evidence of sexual misconduct by Schneider, the people said, but it did find he could be verbally abusive to people he worked with,” The New York Times reported.

In a joint statement released in the spring of 2018, Nickelodeon and Schneider announced their separation, per The New York Times.

“Following many conversations together about next directions and future opportunities, Nickelodeon and our longtime creative partner Dan Schneider/Schneider’s Bakery have agreed to not extend the current deal,” the statement said.

‘Quiet on Set’ calls out Brian Peck

The third episode of the “Quiet on Set” docuseries focuses on Drake Bell, now 37, who made a name for himself on “Drake & Josh” and “The Amanda Show.”

Bell “revealed in the documentary he was the unnamed victim in a child sexual abuse trial that sent a former Nickelodeon dialogue coach to prison in the mid-2000s,” according to The Washington Post.

The former dialogue coach, Brian Peck, pleaded no contest to two charges related to sexual abuse of a minor in 2003. He was sentenced to 16 months in prison and mandated to register as a sex offender, per People. When Peck was charged, the court kept the child actor’s name anonymous.

“Now that Drake Bell has disclosed his identity as the plaintiff in the 2004 case, we are dismayed and saddened to learn of the trauma he has endured, and we commend and support the strength required to come forward,” Nickelodeon said in a statement, per The Washington Post.

Bell recounts the sexual abuse in the documentary, claiming it lasted six months.

“Imagine the worst thing someone could do to someone as sexual assault,” Bell said. “I don’t know how else to put it.”

Peck has not commented to the documentary.

Like Bell, dozens of former child actors have shared stories of child sexual abuse in Hollywood.

In an unpublished autobiography, Judy Garland claims she was frequently molested by men behind the scenes. Shirley Temple, Joan Collins and Marylin Monroe all make similar claims, per The Washington Post.

Corey Feldman (”The Goonies,” “Stand By Me”) claims he and the late Corey Haim were sexually abused by men in the industry during the ‘80s, per The Guardian.

In 2023, Olivia Hussey and Leonard Whiting, the stars of Franco Zeffirelli’s 1968 film adaptation of “Romeo and Juliet,” sued Paramount Pictures for sexual exploitation and child abuse over a nude scene in the movie, per Rolling Stone.

“There’s a dark underbelly to child stardom,” said Bryan Hearne, an “All That” alum, in the documentary. “Children are just a dollar sign when they show up on set. Nobody’s taking anyone’s mental health serious, and that’s completely unfortunate.”

Watch: Trailer for ‘Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV’

“Quiet on Set” premiered on Investigation Discovery on March 17.

It is currently available to stream on Max.