ABIGAIL CAVIZO  / ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Laugh tracks, colorful sets and green slime: trademark traits of Nickelodeon, the children’s network many Gen Z-ers grew up with. In its prime, Nickelodeon dominated the early 2000s with well-known shows like “The Amanda Show,” “Drake & Josh” and “iCarly.” These shows and more were created and produced by the self-proclaimed “Nickelodeon king,” Dan Schneider. 

However, HBO Max recently released an exclusive documentary series exposing Schneider and Nickelodeon for their treatment of child actors, women and other on-set workers. “Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV” shatters the glass of the perceived glamorous life of child stardom and Hollywood magic, unveiling the monstrosities and hidden abuses within the industry. 

Breaking the silence about child exploitation within Hollywood is relatively new, especially in Schneider’s case. Since his exit from Nickelodeon in 2018, people have begun to speak out against him. 

In December  of 2022, Nickelodeon alum Jennette McCurdy visited USD to speak about her memoir, “I’m Glad My Mom Died.” The New York Times’ best-selling book discusses what McCurdy endured throughout her childhood, including her experiences and toxic relationship while working under who she called “The Creator.” Many speculate that this is a reference to Schneider, as he’s the creator of McCurdy’s character, Sam Puckett from “iCarly.” 

The docuseries shows clips of old Nickelodeon stars, both on air and behind-the-scenes, displaying Schneider’s alleged sexual fantasies, “Hidden in Plain Sight.” 

A teenage Ariana Grande is seen squeezing a potato with both hands, moaning as she tries to “juice” it. Amanda Bynes and Dan Schneider himself are shown in a hot tub together for a promo. Alexa Nikols struggles to open a tube of jelly so it “squirts” onto Jamie Lynn Spears, zooming in on just her face. Nikols recounts this moment in disgust, comparing it to a “c*m shot”. 

USD senior Alexia Rojas finished watching the docuseries in two nights. As she watched, she reflected on the child actors within the scenes she used to find joy in as a child. 

“As someone who grew up loving these shows and finding comfort in watching them, it breaks my heart to know the extent to which these kids were struggling. I feel incredibly saddened by the sacrifices these kids made in order to entertain us at the expense of their own mental health,” Rojas said. “I hope our favorite childhood actors like Amanda Bynes and Drake Bell are doing the necessary healing they deserve and can find peace within themselves. Watching reruns of these old shows now brings a sense of eeriness rather than entertainment, due to the abuse our favorite childhood stars underwent.”

Not only is there a light shining on the treatment of the children, but the only two female writers to work under Schneider at the time also spoke out about his abuse and hostile work environment. 

While writing for “The Amanda Show,” Christy Stratton and Jenny Kilgen were the only two people on the otherwise all male writers’ team sharing one salary. Schneider would dangle the chance for one of their sketches to be in a show, in exchange for a massage, while he watched pornography. He would frequently make comments that “women aren’t funny,” or have them yell out degrading phrases like, “I’m a sl*t! I’m an idiot!” In one case, Kilgen was telling a story in the writers’ room, when Schneider told her to retell it and act out being sodomized. 

The docuseries comes to a climax in the third episode, “The Darkest Secret.” Drake Bell — best known for his role as Drake Parker in “Drake & Josh” — reveals that he was sexually assaulted by Brian Peck, a dialect coach for the show, when he was 15. For the first time in public, Bell explicitly describes the gruesome horrors of what he experienced. 

The details within the previously closed case come to light in “Too Close to the Sun,” exposing those who supported Peck throughout the trial. James Marsden, Alan Thicke, Joanna Kerns, Rider Strong and dozens more big Hollywood names wrote character letters for Peck, vouching for him, before he was convicted for child molestation in 2004.

For USD junior Travis Kubon, he was shocked to find out about the darker sides of children working in the television industry. 

“It’s crazy how much can be swept under the rug. I think Hollywood needs to have better rules to protect kids and people against things like this,” Kubon expressed. “It’s heartbreaking and difficult to imagine the trauma that [the child actors and workers] endured — especially when there’s support for the people in power with more influence than these children.”

Since the release of the docuseries and its popularity, a fifth bonus episode, “Breaking the Silence” came out on April 7. This episode features more testaments from child stars, including “All That” cast member Shane Lyons and another Drake Bell feature. “Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV” adds nuance to the ongoing discussion about power imbalances and the need for safeguards for child actors in Hollywood. 

For many, it may be a difficult watch — stirring up mixed emotions of sadness, disgust and anger for the people who endured the abuse on the shows that so many look back on with nostalgia. 

The first 2 episodes of the 5-part series were first released on March 17 on HBO Max, or to buy or rent on Apple TV, Prime Video and other streaming platforms. Photo courtesy of @forceofnaturr/Instagram