“Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV”: The most horrifying revelations from the docuseries
The period spanning the late ‘90s through the mid-2000s is endlessly definable. When it came to children’s entertainment, the era was effectively synonymous with the heyday of Nickelodeon, the children’s television channel that supplied cultural juggernauts like “All That,” “The Amanda Show,” “Drake and Josh,” “iCarly” and “Victorious.” Zany and entertaining, these shows quickly gained meteoric momentum amongst Gen-Z kids — but despite the seemingly wholesome facade, a reportedly toxic and abusive environment festered beneath the surface.
This dark underbelly of child stardom is the focus of “Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV,” a four-part docuseries from Investigation Discovery. The show revolves around Dan Schneider, the resident creator for Nickelodeon’s biggest hits, the house of horrors workplace he allegedly fostered for many staffers and child actors on various sets.
Aside from Schneider’s antics, “Quiet on Set” delves into the sexual abuse endured by former child actor Drake Bell by Nickelodeon dialogue and acting coach Brian Peck, the first time Bell has spoken publicly about being the then-teenaged “John Doe” from the 2003 criminal case. The “extensive” abuse was repeated and, according to Bell, played a significant role in future personal issues and controversy that he would face.
From shows rife with sexual innuendos to documented cases of pedophiles who worked on set at Nickelodeon, here are the most horrifying revelations from “Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV.”
01 Schneider’s conduct on “The Amanda Show” led to a gender discrimination lawsuit
Schneider’s “The Amanda Show” premiered in 1999, featuring a 13-year-old Amanda Bynes in a variety of skit-comedy sketches. Bynes’s personality-driven demeanor made her something of a novelty in the industry, as a stark deviation from the typically innocent and sweet starlets of the time. The show, which was meant to spotlight her innate comedic talent, ultimately became a significant vehicle in propelling her into stardom. For Amanda to land her own show as a female child comedian seemed an ostensible feminist win — securing a solo show as an adult comedian was itself a difficult feat, much less a kid.
Hiring female writers for “The Amanda Show” would seem a prudent next step; however, only two women — Christy Stratton and Jenny Kilgen — would ultimately be made staffers. In the docuseries, Stratton and Kilgen detailed how they were unethically forced to split a single salary despite claiming that male writers were paid as individuals. The women were each also subjected to various forms of sexual harassment. For example, Kilgen recalled one time during a writer’s room meeting when Schneider encouraged Stratton to pitch her idea bent over the table, as though she was being sodomized. “She said no at first,” Kilgen shared. “And then he [Schneider] was just kind of like, ‘Oh come on, come on. It’d be so funny. Just do it.’ And everyone was kind of laughing, too, because he was making it like this big joke. She couldn’t get out of it.”
When the docuseries’ producers asked Stratton if she recalled the instance, she replied, “I’d rather not. I don’t want to talk about that.”
Kilgen also said Schneider often played pornography in the writers’ room and on one occasion asked her in front of male co-workers if she used to be a phone sex worker. She eventually sued Schneider for gender discrimination, a hostile work environment and harassment.
02 A 28-year-old production assistant on “All That” was a pedophile
In April 2003, Jason Handy was arrested for lewd acts with children, per a police report from the Los Angeles police department at the time. Handy’s role on the set of “All That” was primarily to usher kids around, often as the only adult present, outside of parents' supervision. His close relationship with many cast members led him to often exchange phone numbers with them. As is explained in “Quiet On Set,” guileless parents often condoned these interactions because Handy had gained their trust; in actuality, he was preying upon families’ wishes for their children to succeed in the business by maintaining close connections.
When police raided his home, they found a trove of child pornography that included more than 10,000 images, along with Ziploc bags containing “tokens” from a number of young girls Handy presumably interacted with, as well as a personal journal detailing his perverted proclivities. In the docuseries, a woman named only as “MJ, shared how Handy had groomed her adolescent daughter Brandi, an “All That” cast member, for some time over email before eventually sending her a photo of himself naked and masturbating. Not wanting to be perceived as a “bad parent,” MJ chose not to report the incident, and Brandi subsequently left the show. In 2004, Handy was sentenced to six years in prison after being convicted of child abuse and child pornography.
03 Nickelodeon cast members endured uncomfortable skits, racism
Schneider was known for his morally murky sketches, which habitually crossed the line into overt sexualization of young actors. Leon Frierson, an “All That” cast member for two seasons, talked about one sketch in which he portrayed a nose-themed superhero who wore a tight-fitting costume affixed with what he described as phallic-looking decorations on the shoulders. During a makeup session, another “All That” actor, Bryan Hearne, was told his color match was “charcoal.”
Eroticization would be seen in Schneider’s later shows like “iCarly” and “Victorious,” where he often made female actors’ feet a focal point of various scenes. “Quiet on Set” also highlighted several clips in which future pop star Ariana Grande, who starred as Cat on “Victorious,” was engaged in acts that seem to be obvious innuendos, like squeezing a potato to extract juice while moaning. Another clip from “Zoey 101” seems to mimic pornography. Alexa Nikolas, who played “Nicole” on the show, talked about an episode wherein her character inadvertently squirts neon goo onto the face of the character Zoey (Jamie Lynn Spears) effectively creating a “cum shot.”
Other shows on Nickelodeon, while perhaps not sexual in nature, were simply odd. In “On Air Dares,” which interviewees for “Quiet on Set” described as a sort of “Fear Factor” for kids, actors were made to partake in challenges such as being submerged in a tub of live worms and being covered in peanut butter before dogs proceeded to lick it off them.
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04 Drake Bell publicly details his sexual abuse for the first time
The former Nickelodeon actor, who starred on “The Amanda Show” and “Drake and Josh” spoke out about being sexually abused by his dialogue and acting coach, Brian Peck, when he was a minor. Peck was arrested in 2003 regarding the monthslong abuse of a teenager, who at the time was only listed as John Doe.
Bell shared how he met Peck on the set, eventually becoming close with him through shared interests, a move Bell observed was likely “calculated.” As Peck began to ingratiate himself further into Bell’s life — taking him on trips to Disneyland and attending his band’s concerts — he began to alienate the young actor from his father, Joe Bell, who was acting as the teen’s manager. Joe Bell, noting the strangeness of Peck's interest in and inappropriate yet brazenly open touching of his son, brought concerns to producers who ultimately dismissed him as “homophobic.” Peck attempted to persuade Bell that his father was misappropriating his money, eventually convincing him to ditch his father as manager.
With Joe Bell out of the picture, and Bell’s mother somewhat ignorant of the increasingly disconcerting situation, Peck was able to persuade her to permit Bell to stay over at his home before work to save on long commute times.
Bell recalled how one morning when he was 15, he woke up to Peck sexually assaulting him, the first instance of repeated and “extensive” abuse. “I was sleeping on the couch where I usually sleep and I woke up to him . . . I opened my eyes and I woke up and he was . . . he was sexually assaulting me,” Bell said. “And I froze, and was in complete shock and had no idea what to do or how to react.”
When asked by “Quiet on Set” producers if he would be comfortable expounding upon the nature of the assaults, Bell said: “Why don’t you think of the worst stuff that someone could do to somebody as a sexual assault and that will answer your question.”
Peck was ultimately arrested in August of 2003 after Bell “exploded” during a phone call with his mother, divulging what had been happening.
In 2004, Peck pleaded no contest to two charges of sexual abuse: oral copulation with a minor under 16 and performing a lewd act with a 14- or 15-year-old. He spent 16 months in prison and was mandated to register as a sex offender.
05 Brian Peck received support from numerous figures in Hollywood
Following Peck’s arrest in August of 2003, he garnered 41 letters of support from various celebrities and industry names, including James Marsden, Alan Thicke, Taran Killiam, Will Friedle and Rider Strong. During Peck’s sentencing hearing, Bell recalled, Peck’s entire side of the courtroom was packed with supporters and “recognizable faces.” Bell had only arrived with his mother and brother.
Some of the individuals who at the time vocalized support for Peck have since reneged. “X-Men” producer Tom DeSanto, in a statement released last week, said “I want to personally apologize to Drake and his family and emphatically state that had I been fully informed of all the accusations, my support would have been absolutely withheld.”
“Growing Pains” actor Joanna Kerns told the docuseries’ producers, “Knowing what I know now, I never would have written it.
06 Brian Peck was allegedly pen pals with notorious serial killer, John Wayne Gacy
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During the second episode of “Quiet on Set,” former “All That” cast member Kyle Sullivan recalled going to a barbecue at Peck’s house with other cast members and their families around the time he was 14.
"His house was a little off," Sullivan said. "He had a room that was just dedicated to vintage toys and comic books. And he converted his garage into a 'Planet of the Apes' shrine. I noticed a painting in the room that stuck out to me because it had nothing to do with 'Planet of the Apes.' It was of a birthday clown holding balloons."
"Brian got very excited when I asked him about it," Sullivan continued. "He flipped the thing around and on the back, it said, 'To Brian, I hope you enjoy the painting. Best wishes, your friend, John Wayne Gacy.'"
Gacy, a part-time clown, murdered dozens of teenage boys and young men during the 1970s before ultimately being caught and later executed in 1994.
"Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV" is streaming on Max.
