Nickelodeon Documentary Series Alleges Horrific Behavior During Iconic Shows
Even with your head buried in the sand, it would be nearly impossible to have missed the mounting allegations against Nickelodeon’s Dan Schneider. For years and years, Schneider was at the center of the biggest shows on the network but would later face allegations of inappropriate behavior from employees who chose to speak out. Now, Investigation Discovery has launched a trailer for their upcoming four-part docuseries, titled Quiet On Set, a production that promises pull back the curtain and shine a bright light on the allegations, while giving voice to the people who were silenced.
The teaser picks up during what many would consider to be the golden age at Nickelodeon, during the ‘90s when shows like All That and Keenan & Kel were playing on television sets across the country. We’re told that it was around this time when Dan Schneider entered the picture, lifting up the voices of young stars and creating a genre that had never been thoroughly tapped before. From Miranda Cosgrove to Josh Peck and Drake Bell, Schneider would ultimately be the man responsible for launching so many unknown names into stardom where many of them still find success today.
But behind the scenes, there was no glitz or glamor with one of the ex-staff members interviewed going on record to refer to it as “an abusive relationship.” Dan Schneider became synonymous with issues like gender discrimination and creating a toxic work environment not just for the cast members of these Nickelodeon shows but also for writers, directors, and crew employees. And, the troubles didn’t just end with Schneider as seedy personalities, and even pedophiles made their way onto sets where they were working with minors day in and day out.
Throughout the docuseries, audiences will learn about the scandals from those with lived experience, including The Amanda Show writers Jenny Kilgen and Christy Stratton, and a handful of stars involved with shows including iCarly, Sam & Cat, and Victorious along with the legendary Marc Summers who many will know as the host of Double Dare. Now that some time has passed, many of the parents and child stars of yesteryear were willing to sit down and tell their stories with Giovonnie Samuels, Bryan Hearne, Kyle Sullivan, Katrina Johnson, and more digging into their harrowing experiences at Nickelodeon.
“Working for Dan [Schneider] was like being in an abusive relationship.”
-Christy Stratton, former The Amanda Show writer, in Quiet on Set
It’s almost a bit surprising that it’s taken this long for a documentary to come out chronicling the allegations of abuse that were taking place at Nickelodeon over those years. In 2018, the studio dropped Dan Schneider from its staff list after multiple allegations of abuse were lodged against him by several staff members. Since then, stars like iCarly’s Jennette McCurdy have spoken out about what they’ve experienced – even in off-the-record ways like McCurdy did in her autobiography, I’m Glad My Mom Died, in which she alludes to Schneider’s inappropriate behavior but never calls him out by name.
Quiet On Set follows suit with the previously released The Price of Glee documentary which investigated the whispers surrounding the long-running teen comedy-drama, Glee. The series premieres on March 17 and will conclude on March 18.
