Lex Valluzzi, Staff Writer
Every 90’s and 2000’s kid remembers the joy of switching on Nickelodeon to watch our favorite childhood shows. Nickelodeon was a staple for kids of all ages. Over the years, we watched plenty of childhood stars grow up on screen. However, the fun and chaotic television channel we have grown to know and love has recently been under fire.
Directors Mary Robertson and Emma Schwartz present a documentary series titled Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV, an episodic documentary featuring interviews with child actors on Nickelodeon, their parents, and staff members who worked for the company. They all come forward to share their experiences with the public about what it was like working under Dan Schneider; Nickelodeon’s most popular creator. The interviewees reveal some disturbing and unsettling stories from their youth about the sexism, racism, and all-around uncomfortable situations they were put in by the higher-ups who worked for Nickelodeon.
The series highlights the rise of creator Dan Schneider, “The Golden Boy of Nickelodeon.” Schneider took over the world of children’s entertainment by developing some of the best and funniest kids’ shows of the 90’s and early 2000’s. However, the humor Schneider put on screen was not as innocent as it looked. The series takes a deeper look into some crude jokes and suggestive imagery that was worked into the shows, which is even more disturbing considering they were shows for kids.
Aside from the child actors, former members of the writing team have also come forward to share behind-the-scenes information and reveal Schneider was not the only person to watch out for. Additional information has been released about higher-ups that were employed by Nickelodeon were sexual abusing kids since the beginning. The show also features a shocking reveal of a child actor who suffered at the hands of a crew member, telling his story publicly for the first time ever.
Some of the shows mentioned throughout the documentary include All That, The Amanda Show, On Air Dare, Drake and Josh and more. Schneider has worked on the majority of shows Nickelodeon has produced. Schneider himself, as well as the Nickelodeon company, have responded to the accusations and questions from the producers. They both deny everything that has been stated.
As a former Nickelodeon enjoyer myself, the series is a tough watch for anyone whose childhood was spent getting excited when that catchy Nickelodeon tune came on.
So far, the documentary has released four episodes with a bonus episode coming out April 7th. Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV is available to stream on Max.
This is one of the scariest things I have ever watched. Now I am obsessed with learning more about what happened and these poor children who were destroyed by the The whole situation. It is very disturbing that parents left their children alone with these adults and thinking that they could be trusted. I am sad to see that these children were abused by people they were supposed to be trusting. I am actually wondering when Amanda Bynes will come forward now?