The Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV docuseries directors “are committed to continuing the investigation” into the toxic culture of kids’ TV shows on Nickelodeon in the ’90s and ’00s, they tell Yahoo Entertainment in a new interview. A new fifth episode — called “Breaking the Silence,” which aired Sunday on Investigation Discovery (ID) — shared more of their revelations.
After roughly 20 million people tuned into the first four episodes — which included allegations of sexual abuse, racism and sexism behind the scenes of Dan Schneider shows on Nickelodeon — “we observed a really passionate voluminous response, questions started swirling, and conversation was ignited,” says co-director Mary Robertson. “We came pretty quickly to understand that we could bring value and engage with some of the questions that were downstream of the documentary.”
For the fifth episode, Peabody Award-winning journalist Soledad O’Brien conducted new interviews with Drake Bell, who had revealed he had been sexually assaulted as a child by The Amanda Show script coach Brian Peck, as well as All That’s Giovonnie Samuels and Bryan Hearne, who experienced racism. Shane Lyons, who was also on All That, revealed for the first time that Brian, 27 years his senior, made “passes” at him when he was 14.
“We know there’s been a big conversation since the series came out [on March 17 and 18] and that’s had an impact on some of the participants as well,” says Emma Schwartz. “This is a chance for people to hear more from some of those people about how it shaped their lives.”
Future episodes could follow. “We’re passionate about the subject matter. We’re committed to continuing the investigation,” Robertson says. “We’re here to provide a home to those who want to share their stories that are relevant and related when they’re ready to share them.”
As for what they thought of Schneider’s video addressing the doc allegations — in which he apologized for some “embarrassing” past behavior but said Nickelodeon’s investigation of him uncovered no wrongdoing — Robertson says, “We offered Dan an opportunity to sit down for an interview. We put his response in our film. The video that Dan offered publicly stimulated strong feelings with some of the contributors and they share some of these feelings” in the latest episode.
Many past Nickelodeon stars have reacted to the doc. However, others — like Victorious and Sam & Cat star Ariana Grande, who appeared in sexually suggestive scenes — have been radio silent. People have called for Grande to address the allegations, but the doc makers say no one should be forced to speak out.
“Hopefully people can be mindful that everyone is in a different space and be more respectful of where people are and whether they have stories to share or don’t,” says Schwartz.
Adds Robertson, “We never want to pressure anyone to speak when they’re not ready. When individuals are ready to share their stories, we would love to help create a comfortable and respectful environment in which they can share those stories.”
On the day of our interview, host of Nickelodeon’s Double Dare Marc Summers — who’s featured in the first episode — claimed on a radio show that Schwartz and Robertson misled him about the project’s subject matter. He said he was told it was about Nickelodeon, but not about Schneider, who he’s never met, nor abuse and toxicity allegations. The directors disagree, saying they were clear in their pitch.
“I haven’t seen the interview,” Schwartz says. “All I would say is, look, I feel like we’re as transparent as we can with people and definitely have always said that the project looked at the shows of Dan Schneider and the arc of that experience.”
‘Breaking the Silence’
In the fifth episode, Bell said the reason he revealed his abuse allegations for the first time was because the docmakers made him feel “comfortable.”
“It was a really hard decision to make because I had been approached before and … said no,” Bell revealed. “But when the people from the doc reached out to me and I was speaking with Emma, she just made me feel really comfortable and she took her time and was really sensitive. I was able to feel like I could open up to her and … I just felt maybe this is the time to tell my story.”
Bell said he went to rehab after meeting with the Quiet on Set producers, undergoing trauma therapy and group therapy. He said hearing others share experience with sexual abuse helped him process his own.
Bell talked more about Brian and those who wrote the letters supporting him after Brian pleaded no contest to sexually abusing Bell in 2004. He said none of them have reached out to him personally to apologize. He talked about social media being hard on his Drake & Josh co-star Josh Peck (no relation to Brian), saying they did connect behind the scenes and maintain a “close connection” and “unique bond.” He also talked about people “coming for” his mother for allowing Brian to be Bell’s manager. He said Brian “was so calculated” and the one to blame.
He maintained that his working relationship with Schneider was a positive one, saying, “Dan was really the only one from the network that even made an effort to help me and make sure I was OK” after the abuse allegations surfaced. However, he didn’t want to dismiss any one else’s experience with Schneider, who has been accused of being verbally abusive, sexist and inappropriate with employees.
Samuels appeared with Hearne and opened up again about being the only Black male and female cast members on the show at the time — and agreed they felt they were “tokenized” roles. They also laughed at Schnieder’s interview, with Hearne calling it a performance.
“I just feel: What’s an apology without accountability?” Hearne said.
Samuels said that Schneider actually called her a week before the documentary aired, asking her to give a quote on his behalf. She declined, telling him she was “terrified” of him when he was her boss.
Hearne also praised the doc makers for being “real people.” He said, “We didn’t know who they were,” going into the project, so “we definitely had our guard up.” But they realized they “care about the people, they care about the story and they want to get the truth out.”
Lyons wasn’t in the previous episodes but agreed to appear after Bell told his “brave” and “gut-wrenching” story. Lyons appeared on All That from 2002 to 2004 and said while he wasn’t sexually abused or assaulted, Brian made “some passes” at him. He recalled being 14 and Brian talking about male genitalia.
He called for better protection for child actors, including background checks on everyone, because Brian went on to work at the Disney Channel after his child molestation conviction.
The fifth episode of Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV is now streaming on Max.
