Review: Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV is the long awaited exposé of pedophilia within the children’s entertainment industry [MUSE]

Released in March of 2024, “Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV” has provided a deeper look into the atrocities committed by children’s entertainment giant Nickelodeon during its height. This docu-series has done excellent investigative journalism and combined storytelling with personal interviews to create a seamless exposé of the behind the scenes child exploitation present in our generation’s beloved TV shows. 

To set the scene, it’s the late 1990s and early 2000s and Nickelodeon is at the peak of its fame with blockbuster shows like “All That” and “The Amanda Show”. Kids at home tune in everyday to watch their favorite child stars like Amanda Bynes or Drake Bell entertain them. But, behind the scenes, these beloved child stars are facing a hell of their own created by the exploitative producers they are supposed to trust. 

Quiet on Set starts with a mother recounting her daughter Brandi’s experience working on a Nickelodeon show. She starts off by explaining how Brandi had tons of fun on the show and even made a close friend she would regularly email by the name of Jason Handy. Jason was a production assistant on the show and was apparently kind to all kids, especially to 12 year old Brandi. Despite innocent beginnings, this relationship soon took a turn for the worse. After months of constant emails, Handy sent Brandi (a minor) videos of him masturbating. This rightfully shocked and devastated Brandi and her mother, yet they couldn’t do anything about it at the time. Jason Handy was eventually arrested and flagged as a child sex-offender after being caught with child porn and engaging in sexual relationships with multiple pre-pubescent girls. 

This is just the beginning of the sexual exploitation that was present and allowed at Nickelodeon. The documentary then dives into longtime Nickelodeon executive producer Dan Schneider’s history with sexual exploitation of minors by following all of his major hit shows. 

We start by examining Schneider’s first major show, “All That”. This show was designed to be a sketch comedy show for teens, almost like child-friendly “SNL”. This show even launched the careers of well-known comedians like Keenan Thompson and Nick Cannon. Yet actors on the show were often victims of Schneider’s abrasiveness and oversexualization. Bryan Hearne, one of the only black actors on the show, remembered being typecast into roles alluding to drugs/gangs and was oftentimes in skits hinting at him being well-endowed as a Black man. Bryan’s mom also gave an interview where she spoke out against Schneider’s gimmicks but was often silenced and her son was eventually fired because of her complaints. 

The episode also explores how Schneider’s treatment of women in the workplace has always been abysmal. We learn about his only two female writers who had to split a salary, give him odd massages, and be hypersexualized in order to keep their jobs. These two ladies eventually filed a lawsuit against Dan and won, but the sexist and hypersexualized nature of Dan Schneider’s Nickelodeon only continued. 

In the next episode, we get introduced to young Amanda Bynes and how she became Schneider’s golden girl, even earning herself her own show titled “The Amanda Show”. “The Amanda Show” broke numerous records and cemented Bynes and Schneider as forces in the entertainment industry. But it wasn’t all red carpets and movie premieres for Amanda, and the issues she was facing were exacerbated by Schneider’s influence in her life. Amanda was always seen as a child but wanted to start playing more mature characters, but her parents wouldn’t let her. So Bynes filed for emancipation with Schnieders support. When emancipation failed, Schneider (a man in his 30s) helped then 16 year old Bynes run away from home. This was the end of their relationship but people credit Schneider with ruining Amanda Bynes and her entire career. 

The next episode goes into Drake Bell’s story as a child actor and how he was sexually exploited by Nickelodeon dialogue coach Brian Peck. This is truly the most heartbreaking episode as having Drake and his dad recall the sexual torture Drake faced while doing something he loved, truly creates a purpose behind this entire docu-series. Shedding a spotlight on how our favorite child actors sacrificed their childhood to give us ours was the whole point of this docu-series and allowing Drake Bell to share his story as a sexually exploited teen star further demonstrated how child stars had their childhoods robbed from them by adults they were supposed to trust. 

The last episode dives into Schneider’s shows “Zoey 10”, “ICarly”, “Victorious”, and their respective spin-off shows like “Sam&Cat”. Audiences learn about Schneider’s creepy relationship with child stars like Jaime Lynn Spears and Ariana Grande, and how these stars had to please Dan to make sure they got good roles and had career opportunities. The show ends with Dan Schnieder being ousted from Nickelodeon and all the child actors calling for more child protections in the workplace. 

This documentary truly was one of a kind and moved me to tears through its raw storytelling and personal interviews. The only critique I have is the minimization of Amanda Bynes’s struggles, especially relating to Dan Schneider. There are a bunch of rumors out there that Bynes has confirmed relating to Schneider getting underage girls pregnant and coercing them to sleep with him by promising career boosts. It would’ve been nice if these rumors were carefully explored and brought to light to provide justice for people like Amanda Bynes who have had their lives ruined by Dan Schneider. 

Besides that, I believe “Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV” is a must-watch docu-series that came at the perfect time to hold pedophiles accountable for their actions and to warn against corporations covering up dirty secrets to make more money. 

On this blog, members of the Carmel High School chapter of the Quill and Scroll International Honorary Society for High School Journalists (and the occasional guest writer) produce curations of all facets of popular culture, from TV shows to music to novels to technology. We hope our readers always leave with something new to muse over. Click here to read more from MUSE.