By Emily McLaughlin
The recent documentary series “Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids’ TV” shows past child Nickelodeon actors alleging the abuses and toxic behaviors of directors on different shows such as “All That,” “The Amanda Show,” “Drake & Josh,” “Victorious” and many more.
Dan Schneider, the “golden boy,” created and produced children’s shows on Nickelodeon from 1994 to 2019. Schneider is the main accuser in the documentary for his inappropriate content in different shows. Along with Schneider, three other child predators were mentioned in the documentary: Brian Peck, Jason Handy, and Ezel Channel.
Schneider used specific wording to write adult jokes into the shows and was intramental in choosing revealing clothing for the child actors. Many employees just figured those jokes were the things that amused Schneider.
The documentary lists what Schneider said to the actors during the set. Inappropriate interactions such as calling people idiots, buffoons, stupid, dumb, sloppy, careless, and spineless.
When wanting to make inappropriate jokes in different shows, many crew and cast members would ask what the joke is and how it is funny. The element of those jokes is that the creators could pull a fast one and get away with it, which became the joke itself.
Crew members and parents would notice the questionable racist remarks and sexual implications on set, but being in that environment made it difficult to express those concerns. In the documentary, several cast members expressed their uncomfortable feelings towards the material even if they did not know exactly what those remarks of sexual and racist content meant.
In the documentary, Peck was mentioned as the “pickle boy,” referring to his inappropriate references and appearing on “All That” with the motto “likes to hurt and tease pickles.” Cast members just saw this as Peck being his usual funny self.
According to Kyle Sullivan, who performed alongside Peck in “All That,” Peck was pen pals with John Wayne Gacy. During a visit to Peck’s residence, Sullivan, 14, and other guests were shown extensive written exchanges with Gacy and Peck and a portrait of a clown.
NBC Chicago quoted Sullivan as saying, “He kept this pile of letters and photos from John Wayne Gacy in his nightstand next to his bed,” Sullivan continued. “And he pulled them out and started showing them to me.”
Drake Bell, who rose famously on “The Amanda Show” and “Drake & Josh,” reveals he was one of the victims in the criminal case. Working closely with Peck as Bell’s dialogue coach, Bell explains in the documentary that Peck sexually assaulted him when he was a teenager at 14.
TRT World explained through Bell, “Everything changed one morning,” he recalls waking up to see Peck sexually abusing him. “It became worse and worse, and worse… and worse, and I was just trapped.”
Bell said he told his mother later on, and she called the police, leading Peck to be arrested in August 2003 for forcible penetration, employment of a minor for pornography, forcible penetration, and more. After spending 16 months in prison, Peck returned to the child entertainment industry.
Jason Handy was a production assistant on Nickelodeon shows “All That” and “The Amanda Show.” In the documentary series, they point out a specific interaction with the child star Brandi, an extra in “The Amanda Show.” Brandi’s mother, MJ, talks about how her daughter booked a background role in one episode and began corresponding with Handy through Email.
Distractify said in one email with Handy, there “Was a picture of him naked masturbating, and he said he had sent it to her because he wanted her to see that he was thinking of her,” MJ explained as she tearfully contemplated what to do.”
Going back and forth, MJ decided not to call the police. Deciding instead, MJ made Brandi leave the businesses and never return. Finally arrested in April 2003, Handy received a six-year sentence and was charged with multiple felony counts involving inappropriate acts and material.
Another employer associated with being a predator that Nickelodeon hired was Channel. Channel was a registered sex offender and was arrested in 2005 for suspension of molesting a 14-year-old boy at Nickelodeon.
In response to the documentary, Schneider said he apologizes for his behavior on set. Schneider also rejects the control of the content on different shows and the level of scrutiny.
When addressing the inappropriate jokes, Scheider replied on CBS News, “Every one of those jokes was written for a kid audience because kids thought they were funny—and only funny.” Schneider explained that he was not responsible for hiring Peck. When Bell told him about the assault, Schneider was “More devastated by that than anything that ever happened to me in my career, thus far,” said CBS News.