“Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV” was released on Max in March of 2024. The show tells the harrowing stories of child actors and those who worked on the sets of some very famous tv stations. Specifically, Nickelodeon, known by all children, has some dark secrets hidden within. If you have not watched the show, be forewarned because this article will have a lot of spoilers. This article will also talk about sensitive topics, so here is a trigger warning.
Dan Schneider took Nickelodeon to a whole new level in the 2000s. He is credited with starting the careers of major stars like Amanda Bynes, Ariana Grande, Victoria Justice, Miranda Crossgrove, Jennette McCurdy, and Drake Bell. He was worshiped by children and adults. He was their golden boy, untouchable in the eyes of Nickelodeon. That is why so many women felt like they could not come forward with Dan’s abusive and inappropriate behavior.
Although no rape allegations have come out against Schneider, he was hit with inappropriate behavior towards female workers. He would constantly ask female workers for massages or show them pornography on his computer. He would use his power to make women feel like they had to comply or they would get fired. He would make cruel and/or sexual jokes in the writers’ room. Schneider held the belief that men were superior to women, which was evident when it came to the writers of the script. He would call female writers “unfunny” and compare them to male writers. He made female writers share a salary, but not male writers.
Overwhelmingly, however, the most disturbing thing about Dan Schneider is how he sexualized the young girls on his set. There are so many instances where it is seen clearly, but to name a few: Amanda Bynes’s character being named “Penelope Taynt,” him making Ariana Grande pour water on herself in a sexual manner, having someone squirt goo on Jamie Lee Spears’s face, or his obsession with feet. He was aware of what he was doing and how sexual it looked but showed not an ounce of care. There are pictures and videos of some of the actors seemingly looking uncomfortable, crying, or trying to create distance between themselves and Dan.
Schneider had a close but odd relationship with the star of “The Amanda Show,” Amanda Bynes. She was the “It Girl” of Nickelodeon if you will. Her career was launched by Dan Schneider and their bond seemed unbreakable–until it was broken. Schneider created roles specifically for Amanda such as Penelope Tyant in the “The Amanda Show,” Kaylee in “Big Fat Liar,” and Holly Tyler in “What I Like About You.” He seemed to care for her, maybe a little too much. At 2 o’clock one morning, Bynes called Schneider after getting into a fight with her father. She wanted to stay with them for a little while. Schneider called someone to pick her up so she was safe. When Bynes was 16-17 she wanted to become emancipated from her parents. It was not uncommon for child stars to become emancipated from their parents at the time which allowed them to work longer hours and explore more opportunities. The strange part about the situation was that Schneider supported Bynes’ decision. Bynes spent a lot of time at Schneider’s house at the time, but never legally left her parents. There was a lot of speculation about Schneider’s and Byne’s relationship or as to why “The Amanda Show” ended so abruptly. It was hard, however, to get an answer because Amanda Bynes dealt with substance abuse and was not in the right state of mind to speak up.
Although it was never confirmed if Schneider ever touched the children, there were two pedophiles working on the set. The first one, Jason Michael Handy, was a former production assistant. Handy’s job was to show the young actors around the set. However, the parents of the children did not know his sinister predilection.. Handy would exchange his email with the kids. The mother of an actress on “The Amanda Show” recounts her daughter’s experiences. His emails were normal at first, but then he started to email more often. A few months later Handy sent the child an inappropriate picture of himself. The mother never called the police because she did not want to seem like a bad parent, so, Handy went on to do this to other children.
In 2003, police received a tip that Handy had inappropriate material at his house. Police found over 1700 images of children in compromising positions, seven videos of children engaged in sexually explicit behavior, and ziplock bags for each girl with some sort of “token” in them. In his diary, Handy wrote how he was a pedophile and struggled not to rape the girls on set.
The second pedophile on set was Brian Peck, former actor, dialogue coach, director, and producer. His victim was the 15-year-old star of Drake and Josh, Drake Bell. Peck joined the set of “Drake and Josh” during the second season. Bell and Peck bonded over the history of Hollywood. Peck was well known, having worked with famous stars which was great for Bell. Bell and his father went over to Peck’s house so Bell could receive acting lessons. Bell notes that Peck had a picture of a clown in his basement. Behind it was a letter from John Wayne Gacy, a notorious serial killer. Brian Peck and John Wayne Gacy were friends. Drake’s father was unsettled by Peck, he knew something was not right.
Peck was showing warning signs, constantly finding ways to touch Drake. Peck integrated himself into Bell’s life, going to his concerts that were far away. Peck got into Bell’s head and made him believe his father was the problem. He said things like “he’s stealing money,” “no one likes him,” or “he’s bad for your career.”
Peck was able to twist Bell’s mom as well. After staying with his mom, Bell decided that his father should no longer be his manager. Bell’s father begged his ex-wife not to leave Drake alone with Peck but she did. Peck would drive Bell to his auditions and would stay the night. Here’s where the worst part of it comes. Bell woke up one morning to find Peck on top of him, sexually assaulting him. It was not a one-time thing either. The only person to notice was Bell’s girlfriend’s mother. She saw the signs of Bell’s strange behavior and talked to Bell’s mother. Bell eventually told his mother about the abuse and a report was filed. Peck was arrested in 2004 and sentenced to 16 months in jail. Sadly, Peck was supported by many actors and actresses.
Viewers won’t know the truth about what happened on the set of Nickelodeon. There is a large chance that some victims are too afraid to speak up. Some stars have also been given hush money not to talk about their experiences. There is a chance that the next season will be about similar occurrences on the sets of the Disney channel, but that is just a rumor. It is hard for some of us who watched Nickelodeon while we were growing up to know what was happening to our favorite actors behind the scenes.
