Over the past few days, Investigation Discovery’s Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV has generated a considerable amount of attention. The bombshell production takes a deep dive into the rise of former Nickelodeon super producer Dan Schneider, who produced a number of the network’s most popular Nick shows of the ‘90s and beyond. In the doc, a number of crew members and notable actors from his productions came forward with various allegations. Now, Schneider himself is addressing the various claims leveled against him. In doing so, he also shared some stories about former child stars Amanda Bynes and Drake Bell, the latter of whom is in the doc.
This isn’t the first time that Dan Schneider, who was cut from Nick in 2018 amid misconduct allegations, has spoken out on the series. His reps released a statement on Monday, saying that “everything that happened on the shows Dan ran was carefully scrutinized by dozens of involved adults, and approved by the network.” Schneider, like a number of others, tuned in for the program, as he revealed in a video shared with THR. The veteran writer and producer, while speaking with iCarly alum BooG!E, that it was “very difficult” to watch the show. Not only did he express regret for his past actions, but Schneider also admitted that he “definitely owe[s] some people a pretty strong apology.” The 58-year-old went on to say:
When I watched the show, I could see the hurt in some people’s eyes and it made me feel awful and regretful and sorry. I wish I could go back, especially to those earlier years of my career, and bring the growth and the experience that I have now and just do a better job and never, ever feel like it was okay to be an asshole to anyone, ever.
A number of former Nickelodeon stars appear on the show, including All That cast members Giovanni Samuels and Jack DeSena and Zoey 101’s Alex Nikolas. AT alum Bryan Hearne also spoke about young Black actors being put in demeaning situations. As a whole, the actors recalled negative experiences while working on the Dan Schneider-produced shows. As mentioned, among them was Drake Bell, who spoke out about being sexually abused by dialogue coach Brian Peck. In this video, Schneider claims he didn’t hire Peck himself and recalled learning of what happened from Bell, who was a John Doe victim in Peck’s 2004 sexual assault trial:
When Drake and I talked and he told me about what happened, I was more devastated by that than anything that ever happened to me in my career thus far. And I told him, ‘I’m here for you.’
The Drake & Josh creator also made note of a purported instance in which Bell’s mother got in contact with him to ask if he’d write a speech that would be read in court. The producer also recalled Bell having to be present for a hearing, where supporters of Brian Peck were present. Others have since shown support for Bell since he made this revelation. However, he was upset when the Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide cast joked about the docuseries.
During the 20-minute interview, Dan Schneider also recalled his interactions with Amanda Bynes, who starred on All That and headlined her own variety series, The Amanda Show. Schneider alleged that he helped Bynes, who was under a conservatorship that ended in 2022, when she was 16 or 17 and having problems with her parents. He specifically reflected on a supposed phone call they had:
It was very late. Well, after midnight, or one or two in the morning, the phone rang. I answered it and it was Amanda. She was in distress. She had had some conflict with her parents, I think her father, and she called. I was immediately concerned for her safety.
He went on to say that he “felt better” after police arrived to escort the young actress to safety. As of this writing, neither Amanda Bynes nor Drake Bell have verified the anecdotes shared in the video. Time will tell whether they choose to do so and whether Quiet on Set might elicit responses from other actors who once worked alongside Dan Schneider.
All four episodes of Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV, which is a major title on the 2024 TV schedule, is now available to stream with a Max subscription.