It’s been a turbulent few years for Nickelodeon, as more and more stories have surfaced about Dan Schneider – the creator of many of shows including All That, The Amanda Show, iCarly, Victorious, and Sam & Cat – and his alleged inappropriate behaviour on set. Now, Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV, a four-episode documentary series directed by Mary Robertson and Emma Schwartz, has delved more deeply into the dysfunction behind the scenes.
Below, find everything you need to know about Quiet on Set, including what allegations have been made against Schneider, who is speaking out against him, and how Nickelodeon has responded to the documentary.
Below, find everything you need to know about Quiet on Set, including what allegations have been made against Schneider, who is speaking out against him, and how Nickelodeon has responded to the documentary.
How many years of alleged wrongdoing does the documentary cover?
Quiet on Set takes viewers all the way back to the early 1990s, when Schneider was first hired at Nickelodeon, and carries the narrative forward to the present day. Journalists, including Scaachi Koul and Kate Taylor, provide context for the immense power Schneider amassed within the children’s TV industry during his many decades in Hollywood.
What celebrities have spoken out about Schneider and Nickelodeon’s toxic culture?
Former Zoey 101 actor Alexa Nikolas has been calling out Schneider and Nickelodeon since 2022, alleging that the network failed to protect her from abuse on set while she was filming the show. Jennette McCurdy, one of the stars of iCarly, also claimed in her best-selling 2022 memoir, I’m Glad My Mom Died, that Nickelodeon offered her what amounted to hush money to prevent her from going public with her own experiences. Additionally, former Drake & Josh star Drake Bell has opened up about being sexually abused by Nickelodeon dialogue coach Brian Peck.
What, exactly, has Schneider been accused of?
Schneider has faced criticism for years for including sexually suggestive jokes and gags in his shows (which, let’s not forget, were marketed directly to children), but Quiet on Set also alleges that he insisted women weren’t funny, played pornography on a television in the writers room, forced two female writers to split a single staff writer’s salary, and would frequently request massages from staffers on set. Schneider, for his part, denies hiring Peck, who in 2004 pleaded no contest to oral copulation with a minor under 16 and performing a lewd act with a 14- or 15-year-old and was sentenced to 16 months in jail. (Peck went on to continue working in children’s programming until 2018 or 2019.)
Has Schneider responded publicly to the documentary?
This week, Schneider gave an interview on YouTube in which he said that it was “very difficult” to watch the four-episode documentary and “[to face] my past behaviors, some of which are embarrassing and that I regret. I definitely owe some people a pretty strong apology.” Nikolas later responded to Schneider’s comments by saying that she would have preferred a private apology, adding, in her own YouTube live stream, “I know everyone deals with their own emotions in their own way, but I don’t feel anything from you, Dan. I don’t feel a thing.”
What has Nickelodeon’s response to the documentary been?
A Nickelodeon spokesperson told CBS News that the network can’t “corroborate or negate allegations from productions decades ago.” The statement continued: “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. 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.”
This story was originally published on Vogue.com.
