Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV is a 2024 American five-part documentary television series that details the toxic behind-the-scenes world of children's television programs from the 1990s to the 2000s, with a special focus on Dan Schneider's tenure as a producer and showrunner at Nickelodeon. The first four episodes aired March 17–18, 2024, on Investigation Discovery, and the fifth episode aired on April 7. The series was simultaneously released on HBO Max and Discovery+, and produced by Maxine Productions with Sony Pictures Television Nonfiction and Business Insider; it was loosely based on a Business Insider article about Nickelodeon from 2022.
After the series was released, the show was positively reviewed by audiences and critics, with praise given to individuals who alleged having negative experiences working at Nickelodeon. However, some critics accused the documentary of not going into enough detail about Nickelodeon's workplace culture. Schneider has since released an apology video on his YouTube channel, fueling further discussions from other Nickelodeon stars and further comments from the individuals featured in the documentary. In addition, several of the individuals who wrote pleas for leniency for sex offender Brian Peck following his conviction have publicly renounced supporting him, especially in light of the documentary. The series has also led to a widespread debate, particularly on social media, around industry practices with regards to child actors, the loss of innocence, and the cost of fame for child stars.
The series received two nominations at the 76th Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards, including for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series.https://www.televisionacademy.com/shows/quiet-set-dark-side-kids-tv
Synopsis
Quiet on Set: the Dark Side of Kids TV focuses primarily on the rise of television producer Dan Schneider, who was later accused of fostering a hostile work environment. The series depicts Schneider's work in chronological order, starting with his first big hit as a writer on All That in 1994. Interviewed writers Christy Stratton and Jenny Kilgen accuse Schneider of underpaying them for their work on The Amanda Show and presiding over a rampant culture of misogyny in the writers' room. As the show progresses, issues regarding the actors in Schneider's productions are covered. Former actress Alexa Nikolas appears detailing her experience working in the series Zoey 101. Former cast and crew members of All That, The Amanda Show and other Nickelodeon shows appear as well.
In the third episode, Drake Bell reveals that he was sexually abused by former Nickelodeon dialogue coach Brian Peck (no relation to Bell's Drake & Josh co-star Josh Peck) in 2001. Peck was arrested and charged in 2003 for child sexual abuse, but the victim's name had been sealed. Letters to the presiding judge in support of Peck were also revealed, including from actors James Marsden, Kimmy Robertson, Taran Killam, Alan Thicke, Joanna Kerns, Rider Strong, and Will Friedle along with director Rich Correll and producer Tom DeSanto. Kerns issued a statement to the documentary maker in this episode that she was unaware of the full extent of the case at the time and now regrets her letter of support.
Another sexual abuser, production assistant Jason Michael Handy, described himself as a "pedophile, full-blown" while also sending a sexually explicit photograph to a former child actress. Handy would be sentenced to six years in prison for other charges in 2004.
Production
In 2018, in response to the #MeToo movement, Viacom International's MTV Networks interviewed dozens of employees regarding their experiences with Dan Schneider. Although their review found no sexual misconduct by Schneider, the employees expressed that Schneider was controlling and verbally abusive towards them. In March of that year, Schneider and Nickelodeon announced that their partnership was dissolving and Schneider would be let go.
During that time, director and producer Mary Robertson noticed a string of viral videos showcasing inappropriate scenes from Schneider-produced shows. One video she noted was one of Ariana Grande as Cat Valentine from Victorious pouring water on her face while lying upside down. Another clip depicted Jamie Lynn Spears as Zoey Brooks in an episode of Zoey 101 getting viscous liquid squirted onto her face. Robertson thought that the two clips evoked pornographic imagery.
Robertson (with Emma Schwartz) later partnered with Business Insider reporter Kate Taylor to reach out to dozens of actors and crew members who worked on the sets of Schneider's shows. Taylor previously wrote about Nickelodeon in a 2022 Business Insider article entitled "Inside Dan Schneider's 'disgusting' Nickelodeon empire". Taylor's article partially influenced the direction of the series. Schwartz noted that the many individuals who responded to the offer were relieved that they could share their negative experiences, but several more were still afraid to come forward with their experiences. They also attempted to reach out to Schneider, but he refused to appear on camera. His responses were shown throughout the series through text. After Bell's interview was filmed, he would tell Robertson that a weight was lifted from him. On The Sarah Fraser Show podcast on March 22, 2024, Bell revealed that he went to rehab after his interview for the documentary. Bell was previously offered to be in a similar documentary, but he refused. Bell revealed in 2024 that he received criticism for not appearing in the other documentary.
Before they sat down with Bell, the directors petitioned the court to make the letters supporting Brian Peck public. They told Variety "We didn't know what we would find...[b]ut what the letters allow us to do is get a window into who, in Hollywood, was supporting this man during a time that he had been convicted as a child sex offender." After the trailer for the documentary was released, Robertson told US Magazine that she attempted to reach out to Rider Strong and Will Friedle but neither responded. Kate Taylor and Olivia Singh later published several letters featured in the documentary on Business Insider.
Robertson told The Hollywood Reporter that if the series became successful, she hoped they could make more episodes of Quiet on Set. On March 22, 2024, Rotten Tomatoes listed a fifth episode called Breaking the Silence. On March 26, 2024, Investigation Discovery confirmed that the fifth episode would premiere on April 7 and that Bell would make another appearance. Jason Sarlanis, a Warner Bros. Discovery executive, stated that the episode would dig "deeper into the crucial conversations the docuseries ignited and exploring the lingering questions left in their wake to provide further insight from the brave voices who've spoken out previously and those who are coming forward again."
Episodes
Cast In alphabetical order:
Drake Bell (actor and musician) Joe Bell (Drake Bell's father) Tracey Brown (Bryan Hearne's mother) Mike Denton (cameraman) Rick Ellis (journalist) Virgil L. Fabian (TV director) Leon Frierson (actor) Bryan Hearne (actor) Anne Henry (co-founder, BizParentz Foundation) Katrina Johnson (actress) Jenny Kilgen (writer) Scaachi Koul (culture writer for BuzzFeed Canada) Raquel Lee (actress) Shane Lyons (actor) Alexa Nikolas (actress) Soledad O'Brien (journalist) Pam Penn (Raquel Lee's mother) Kimmy Robertson (actress) Giovonnie Samuels (actress) Christy Stratton (writer) Kyle Sullivan (actor) Marc Summers (TV host and producer) Kate Taylor (journalist for Business Insider) Karyn Finley Thompson (TV editor)
Reception
On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, 100% of 12 critics gave the series a positive review with an average rating of 7.6/10. The website's critic consensus states, "Respectful and thorough in giving voice to the collateral damage of an entertainment empire that was only kid-friendly on the surface, Quiet on Set is a vital showbiz exposé." On Metacritic, the series holds a weighted average score of 77 out of 100 based on four critics, indicating a "generally favorable" show.
Richard Roeper from the Chicago Sun-Times positively reviewed the series, giving it three out of four stars. He wrote that the documentary expanded on a report by Business Insider and described the documentary as a "journalistically solid, straightforward and at times heartbreaking expose." Eric Deggans from NPR praised the individuals on the show for speaking out while also hoping that documentaries like Quiet on Set could "change popular attitudes about how child actors are treated in the same way that other works have changed ideas about sexual assault, harassment and codes of conduct in the workplaces which fuel Hollywood's dream factory".
Nick Schager, entertainment critic for The Daily Beast, positively reviewed the series, writing that it "resonates as a continuation of a tale as old as Hollywood itself, and yet another warning to moms and dads that they should think twice before agreeing to help their juvenile offspring chase A-list glory". Jack Seale of The Guardian rated the series four out of five stars, writing "Anything that makes [child sexual abuse] less likely to happen again is invaluable. Quiet on Set has, commendably, played its part."
Candice Frederick of Huffington Post gave the show a mostly-positive review. She liked that the series presented stories other than Drake Bell's testimony. However, she criticized the series for not going in-depth with Nickelodeon's overall workplace culture, writing "If that's true, how many of them still work at, or with, Nickelodeon? This is the kind of thing we should also be asking." Vultures Ben Rosenstock had similar issues with the docuseries, criticizing it for certain omissions; such as allegations where Schneider tried to get teenage actors to drink alcohol, the sexual assault accusations against Bell, and a paucity of former employees of Nickelodeon willing to talk openly about the workplace culture beyond Schneider's heavy involvement.
Kelly Lawler of USA Today wrote that she "can't help but empathize" with the notion that children's television should be more regulated in order to keep future child actors safe. She also pointed out that many individuals featured in Quiet on Set would never let their own children be a part of the acting industry. Lawler concluded "Even as Quiet has encouraged a conversation about child actors, who at least have some legal protection, there is a wild west of child influencers on TikTok and Instagram".
According to Nielsen Media Research, the first two episodes were viewed by 0.614 million viewers with a 0.40 household rating and a 0.11 18–49 rating. The next two episodes were viewed by 0.641 million viewers with a 0.42 household rating and a 0.13 18–49 rating. Reelgood reported that the docuseries was the fifth most streamed television series across all streaming platforms from March 14 to March 20, 2024. From March 18 to March 25, 2024, Quiet on Set was the most streamed television series in the United States according to the streaming aggregator JustWatch. On March 26, 2024, Investigation Discovery reported that the first four episodes were watched by over 16 million viewers across cable, Max, and Discovery+. It was also the most-viewed unscripted series on Max since its launch on May 23, 2023.
Nickelodeon's response Just before the series premiered, a Nickelodeon spokesperson issued statements to Variety and NBC News that stated, "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 also told Variety that they investigate "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."