By Hank Holland | Reporter
The new mini docuseries “Quiet On Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV” details accounts of abuse on the set of Nickelodeon, as told by various production assistants, writers and even former child actors.
“Quiet on Set” levies several allegations against now-exiled showrunner Dan Schneider, who was ousted from the kids channel in 2018. Multiple women who worked on his shows shared their experiences in an environment so toxic that it reminds me of the horror stories of Shirley Temple in the late 1930s.
Looking at some of the clips that made it on air, it’s extremely concerning how the behavior was idly condoned for an audience almost exclusively of children.
“Quiet on Set,” which is on Max, is a revelation for someone like me, who grew up watching shows like “Drake and Josh” and had sisters who loved shows like “Victorious” and “iCarly.”
The centerpiece of the documentary is the story of Drake Bell, whose tale of assault at the hands of convicted sex offender Brian Peck is a visceral shock.
It’s unimaginable that something as archaic as on-set harassment was happening at the time many current Baylor students were incredibly impressionable. Even worse, these situations are still likely to happen in the future as a result of questionable child labor laws.
All in all, “Quiet on Set” is truly a chilling watch, and I can’t recommend it enough to anyone who grew up thinking the child actor lifestyle was an easy one.
