The Tragic Side Of Nickelodeon

The following article includes discussions of child abuse and sexual assault.

Throughout the late '90s to the early 2010s, producer and showrunner Dan Schneider was responsible for creating a string of highly successful live-action comedy series for the children's television network Nickelodeon. First establishing himself as a writer and producer on the hit children's sketch comedy series "All That," Schneider created "The Amanda Show" as his first series for the network. From there, he established a tried-and-true formula of handpicking stars from his previous shows to build new series within a loosely shared universe, including "Drake & Josh," "Zoey 101," "iCarly," "Victorious," "Sam & Cat," and later, "Henry Danger" and "Game Shakers."

However, while many who grew up around this time consider these shows an integral part of their childhood, Schneider's Nickelodeon empire has long been shrouded in controversy and allegations. Over the years, the cast and crew of his many shows have spoken out about workplace toxicity, while now-adult viewers have done their own digging into suspicious behind-the-scenes material and circulated concerns online. With the release of ID's mini docuseries "Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV" exposing the long-suspected abuse of cast and crew during the golden age of Nickelodeon, shocking revelations are now coming to light to a much wider audience, igniting crucial conversations regarding workplace safety in the industry.

Allegations of workplace misconduct against Dan Schneider came to a head amid the Me Too movement that swept Hollywood and the rest of the world in 2017. The internet turned its attention to Schneider, with compilations of questionable scenes from Schneider's shows and behind-the-scenes material of visibly uncomfortable set environments circulating online, raising questions about Schneider's intent and behavior. The flood of concerns sparked an internal investigation at ViacomCBS that found evidence of Schneider verbally abusing his employees. As a result, Nickelodeon parted ways with its biggest cash cow the following year, which was announced by a mutual joint statement.

Former colleagues have also come forward with other complaints about his abusive and inappropriate workplace behavior, which included frequent massages from employees, close relationships with minors, sexual innuendos, gender discrimination, and an overall oppressive presence. These allegations against Schneider have been circulating for years but are now gaining more attention after being highlighted in the docuseries "Quiet on Set." Based on the testimonies of the cast and crew featured in the series, Schneider was responsible for fostering an unsafe, hostile work environment for both children and adults alike, whose careers and futures were at his mercy. Although Schneider defended his behavior in a 2021 New York Times interview, he apologized after the airing of "Quiet on Set" for his "over-ambitious" and "obnoxious" behavior in an interview-style YouTube video.

Christy Stratton and Jenny Kilgen, former writers on "The Amanda Show," revealed their experiences working with Dan Schneider for the first time in the "Quiet on Set" docuseries. As the only two women writers on the show, Stratton and Kilgen describe being subjected to a hostile work environment full of misogynistic comments and inappropriate behavior, which began with being asked to split a single salary. Kilgen and Stratton detail instances of degrading jokes and pranks, including one horrifying instance where Schneider asked Stratton to simulate being sodomized as she pitched a sketch idea. Everything was framed in a joking manner, including his requests for massages and the showcasing of pornography on his computer screen. "But you always felt like disagreeing with Dan or standing up for yourself could result in you getting fired," Kilgen explained in the docuseries (via Business Insider).

Stratton was fired after the first season of "The Amanda Show" for using her limited time off for personal matters rather than being openly available to work at all times. Although Kilgen was invited back for the second season — with the stipulation of working 11 weeks without pay — she only lasted a few days before quitting. "There was no way I was going to be the only woman in that f***ing world with him," Kilgen said (via Rolling Stone). Following her departure, Kilgen filed a complaint of gender discrimination against "The Amanda Show" production company, which was settled out of court.

Leading up to Nickelodeon severing ties with Dan Schneider, clips of sexual innuendos found within Schneider's children's shows were gaining traction online among the shows' now-adult viewers. While many were aware of these innuendos previously, "Quiet on Set" brought even more attention to them from the perspective of the cast and crew. Unaware of the hidden meaning as children, actors like Alexa Nikolas from "Zoey 101" and Leon Frierson from "All That" look back on certain jokes through an adult lens with a sense of discomfort and exploitation. Nikolas details a scene where her "archetype male gaze" character squirts goo candy onto Jamie Lynn Spears' character's face in what was supposed to be a pornographic reference obvious to adults but would sail over the heads of children taking part and watching at home.

Frierson references his own experience in a sketch from "All That" titled "Nose Boy," where Frierson was made to wear a revealing skin-tight suit with phallic noses on the shoulders. In it, Frierson unknowingly participates in a similar pornographic innuendo where his character sneezes goo onto another female actor's face. "Quiet on Set" also brings attention to the abundance of child feet shots, seemingly catering to foot fetishes, and the sexualization of a young Ariana Grande in numerous videos posted on the Nickelodeon website, TheSlap. Still, these are just a few examples of the sexual innuendos that were snuck into Schneider's programming.

Sexual predators are far more common in Hollywood than anyone would like to admit. While it may be true that the industry has come a long way in regards to holding offenders accountable and putting up safeguards — such as the much-too-late and still frequently ignored Child Protection Act put into California law in 2012 — the problem is far from resolved. Hollywood has long been an elite club of who knows who, which is why so many of these predators go unchecked until it's too late. As it turns out, Nickelodeon has been a hub for these criminals.

The docuseries "Quiet on Set" highlights three sexual predators previously employed at Nickelodeon: Brian Peck, a dialogue coach convicted in 2004 for child sexual abuse and sentenced to 16 months in prison; Jason Handy, a production assistant convicted in 2004 for molesting two girls and sentenced to six years; and Ezel Channel, an already convicted registered sex offender hired as an animator convicted in 2009 for child sexual abuse and sentenced to seven years. However, a little extra digging reveals the list is much more extensive. Some of these other names include Marty Weiss, a Nickelodeon talent manager convicted in 2012 for lewd acts with a child and sentenced to one year; John Kricfalusi, the creator of "Ren & Stimpy" accused of sexually harassing and grooming two teenage employees; and Joby Harte, a former Nickelodeon actor found liable in a civil suit as recent as 2024 for sexually abusing child actor Ricky Garcia.

Up until the release of "Quiet on Set," the victim of Nickelodeon dialogue coach Brian Peck's sexual abuse remained anonymous for the safety of the child. Although initially hesitant to get involved in the docuseries, "The Amanda Show" and "Drake & Josh" star Drake Bell chose to come forward and tell his story for the first time. Drake Bell and Brian Peck originally met on the set of "The Amanda Show" in 2000 when Bell was around 14 years old and Peck was 40. Under the care of his mother, Bell began spending nights at Peck's home to save on long commutes between auditions and work. One morning, Bell awoke to Peck sexually assaulting him. Feeling uncertain about what to do next, Bell was persuaded by a deeply apologetic Peck to keep the matter a secret. "The abuse was extensive and it got pretty brutal," Bell explained in the docuseries (via Variety). "I was just so scared to say anything, I didn't know how to explain [it.] I still don't ..."

The weight of it all eventually forced Bell to tell his mother everything. Peck was arrested in August 2003 and pleaded no contest to child sexual abuse charges in October 2004, resulting in 16 months in prison and registering as a sex offender. After his release, he was hired to work on Disney Channel's "The Suite Life of Zack & Cody."

According to the cast and crew featured in "Quiet on Set," when Amanda Bynes joined the cast of "All That" in 1996, Dan Schneider showed obvious favoritism toward the breakout child actor. This led to Schneider's first Nickelodeon show, "The Amanda Show," starring Bynes, and a string of other projects designed to push Bynes' stardom. The two formed a close relationship that extended beyond work. When Bynes faced issues with her parents, Schneider backed her wish for emancipation, even encouraging it. As she tried to leave home, Bynes sought to stay with Schneider and his wife, Lisa Lillien, although Lillien insists she never moved in.

Following her retirement from acting in 2010, Bynes has publicly struggled with her mental health, and it's hard not to make the connection to her formative years on Nickelodeon. After some legal trouble related to substance abuse and mental health challenges, Bynes was placed under a conservatorship and hospitalized for a mental health evaluation. During this period, an unconfirmed Twitter account claiming to be Bynes, using the alias Ashley Banks, posted disturbing tweets alleging industry abuse, including an allusion to the unconfirmed claim that she was impregnated by her boss and forced to have an abortion at the age of 13. A 2018 Paper interview announcing her four years of sobriety indicated progress in the right direction for Bynes. Her conservatorship ended in March 2022, and she continues to make strides in her mental health journey. Bynes has not publicly commented on the "Quiet on Set" docuseries.

In her memoir "I'm Glad My Mom Died," "iCarly" and "Sam & Cat" star Jennette McCurdy recounts her experiences with a controlling and demanding figure she refers to as "The Creator," widely speculated to be Dan Schneider. Describing an overall uncomfortable and toxic work environment while she was working as a child actor for Nickelodeon, McCurdy details disturbing instances with "The Creator," alleging that he encouraged underage drinking, insisted bikinis be included in wardrobe fittings, gave unwanted massages, and berated her during the filming of an "iCarly" kissing scene. "My whole childhood and adolescence were very exploited. It still gives my nervous system a reaction to say it," she told The New York Times.

During her time on "iCarly," "The Creator" promised McCurdy her own spinoff, but she was blindsided when she was told she'd be sharing the spotlight with Ariana Grande in "Sam & Cat." While Grande was growing her music career during the show's filming, McCurdy faced unfair treatment and was prevented from pursuing other career opportunities. When "Sam & Cat" ended after one season in 2014, McCurdy claimed she was offered $300,000 in what felt like hush money to stay silent about experiences with the network, which she refused.

One of the most vocal former Nickelodeon child actors, Alexa Nikolas, has been outspoken about the workplace harassment and abuse she experienced on the set of "Zoey 101" at the hands of the cast and crew, including Dan Schneider and co-star Jamie Lynn Spears. Nikolas has recounted instances of bullying on set by the other child actors, who took cues from Spears. Nikolas was advised to avoid voicing any complaints or risk being fired. However, all of this came to a head when Spears' sister, pop idol Britney Spears, confronted and threatened a 14-year-old Nikolas for bullying her sister — which Britney later apologized for. Nikolas was then forced to finish a scene right after the incident, during which she was intentionally pushed by one of the other girls. In a private meeting following the incident, Schneider berated her for being difficult rather than mediating the situation. As a result, Nikolas' mother pulled her out of the show.

Nikolas' experience on "Zoey 101" has inspired her to take a more public stance against industry abuse. She founded the Eat Predators collective with a mission to "bring an end to the pervasive cover-up of sexual abuse and predatory behavior within the music and entertainment industry," and she brings awareness to related issues on her YouTube channel. She also appeared in the "Quiet on Set" docuseries, discussing the inappropriate behavior she encountered while working on Schneider's show.

In addition to all the former Nickelodeon actors featured in "Quiet on Set," numerous other Nickelodeon stars are speaking out amid the docuseries' release. Drake Bell's "Drake & Josh" co-star, Josh Peck, released a statement via Instagram after taking a few days to process the docuseries, calling for "necessary change to our industry" and explaining that he reached out to Bell privately. Nancy Sullivan from "Drake & Josh" also voiced her support for Bell in an Instagram post. And while Devon Werkheiser from "Ned's Declassified" initially made an insensitive joke about the docuseries in a TikTok live, he later apologized on X, formerly known as Twitter, and on his podcast after receiving backlash from Bell and others.

Actors such as Allie DiMeco from "The Naked Brothers Band" and Amber Frank from "The Haunted Hathaways" have come forward with accounts of their own traumatic experiences after viewing the docuseries. On TikTok, DiMeco shared an instance where she was scripted to kiss a 30-year-old man as a child, while Frank shared how she found child pornography on Nickelodeon's computers. Jack Salvatore Jr. from "Zoey 101" also shared allegations in an Instagram video, including claims that executives withheld antidepressants from Jennette McCurdy after her mother died and Dan Schneider scared writers with a shotgun. Earlier Nickelodeon stars like Kenan Thompson from "All That" and "Kenan & Kel" and Melissa Joan Hart from "Clarissa Explains It All" acknowledged very different personal experiences working for the network while expressing solidarity with the victims.

In response to the "Quiet on Set" docuseries, Dan Schneider posted a YouTube video where he addresses and apologizes for some allegations while ignoring and denying others. Bobby "BooG!e" Bowman from "iCarly" conducts the interview, with Schneider initially apologizing for his "embarrassing" behavior, including on-set massages, inappropriate conduct in writers' rooms, and his overall hostile attitude. However, the rest of the interview serves more as a defense of his actions.

Schneider defends certain allegations, including criticized inappropriate jokes, asserting they passed a rigorous approval process. He acknowledges the need to remove these jokes but has yet to take action. Schneider goes on to address some of the dares from Nickelodeon's "On Air Dare," admitting that they "went too far" while making excuses for their inclusion. He also commends himself for his efforts to promote diversity in his shows when faced with the docuseries' allegations of racism and claims to have no part in negotiating the salaries of his employees, yet acknowledges that "The Amanda Show" writers Christy Stratton and Jenny Kilgen were asked to split a single salary. He argues this is "a common practice." Regarding his relationship with Amanda Bynes, he maintains that he provided appropriate support and nothing more. The overall response to Schneider's apology has been highly divisive. Nickelodeon released its own statement in response to the docuseries, emphasizing its commitment to investigating all complaints for a safe workplace and prioritizing employee well-being.

If you or anyone you know may be the victim of child abuse or sexual assault, contact the relevant resources below:

• The Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453) or contact their live chat services.
• The Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).