"Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV" Documentary Review

    When thinking about children's TV, which shows immediately come to mind? “iCarly?” “The Suite Life of Zack & Cody?” Or perhaps “Victorious?” Regardless of the shows you enjoyed growing up, networks like Nickelodeon and Disney Channel held considerable sway over young viewers' lives. Yet, their influence extended beyond the screen, leaving lasting impressions on the child actors who contributed to these shows. In the compelling new documentary, “Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV,” the veil is lifted, uncovering the unsettling realities behind the scenes of our cherished childhood favorites. 

    Streaming exclusively on Max, the ongoing five-part documentary guides viewers through the timeline of horrific events that transpired during Nickelodeon's rise to popularity. The timeline begins in the 1990s with the emergence of television creator Dan Schneider. Schneider is the visionary behind some of Nickelodeon's most famous shows and stars, including “iCarly,” “Victorious,” “Drake & Josh” and “The Amanda Show.” However, his big break was with “All That,” a children's sketch comedy show much like “Saturday Night Live.” “All That” launched the careers of stars like Kenan Thompson and Amanda Bynes. 

But while children across the world sat in admiration of Schneider’s shows, the child stars helping to create them were suffering from unspeakable hardships. Child actors, management and other contributors recount Schneider's persistent mood swings and inappropriate conduct toward female colleagues, including forcing two of his female writers to share a salary. Things only continued to get worse for Nickelodeon as three on-set employees were discovered to be sex offenders, sexually abusing the child actors for years. In a 2003 trial surrounding vocal coach Brian Peck, one of those children testified against him. The identity of the actor has never been released, until now. It was Drake Bell who confronted Peck in the courtroom that day. He remembers walking into the room to see Peck’s side full of people in support of him while on the opposite side sat Bell, his mom and his brother. This is only one of the many harrowing narratives that come to light in this documentary. 

    As a younger child, I didn’t watch a lot of Nickelodeon; I was always more of a Disney girl. But as more of the popular Nickelodeon shows began appearing on streaming platforms, I began to explore them. Yet, after watching this documentary, I’ve started to notice so many disturbing elements in every episode. One of the journalists in the documentary discussed how Schneider liked to “push the boundaries” when it came to what was deemed child-appropriate content and the evidence is undeniable. As a kid, one might overlook adult references or innuendos but upon revisiting certain scenes, the evidence is unsettling. Teenage girls in suggestive poses, phrases with dual meanings and inappropriate references to adult content. 

    Despite its alarming nature, this documentary remains captivating. It seriously makes you question the influence people in power have on our society. I would rate this a disquieting 10/10, as I’m eagerly awaiting the release of episode five. If you grew up watching Nickelodeon or Disney Channel I definitely would recommend giving this a watch.