STORY BY JONATHAN SINTORA, STAFF WRITER
PHOTO COURTESY OF PIXELS
On March 17, “Quiet On Set: The Dark SIde of Kids TV” was released as a four-part documentary aimed at showing the dark side of child-acting at Nickelodeon.
The documentary interviewed several Nickelodeon cast and production members, all of whom worked under Nickelodeon’s star Producer, Dan Schneider.
Schneider broke onto the Nickelodeon scene as a writer in the mid-1990s comedy skit, “All That.” Once there, he quickly created a favorable image for being outgoing and friendly with cast and crew members.
Throughout my childhood, I remember seeing the “Schneider’s Bakery” logo at the end of many Nickelodeon classics. At the time, I knew it had to be important considering how many shows were under the Schneider’s Bakery name. However, the events that would unfold over two decades would horrify viewers.
Schneider’s rise in power at Nickelodeon slowly led to abuse and mistreatment towards those around him. In the documentary, writers Christy Stratton and Jenny Hilgen spoke out about their experience working for Schneider.
Immediately, Stratton and Hilgen were concerned when they were informed that they would be sharing one salary between the two of them. Out of fear of losing their job, both remained silent until Hilgen discovered that Schneider’s salary decision went against union rules.
Schneider threatened Hilgen explaining that her job would be lost if he found out she was conspiring against him. Stratton shared an experience where Schneider jokingly told her to read a line while bending over a table. The experience left Stratton uncomfortable and unable to speak up out of fear of losing her job.
Hearing the stories of Stratton and Hilgen fascinated me as someone who has always been interested in the entertainment industry. I would never have thought that such acts of discrimination and unprofessionalism would occur at Nickelodeon considering they were a reputable kids’ television network.
Schneider’s intimidating presence eventually made its way on set, creating an uncomfortable environment for cast members. Cast members recalled Schneider making inappropriate comments, asking for messages, and putting actors in uncomfortable situations for his productions.
Many of the cast members involved in Scheider’s productions found themselves in uncomfortable situations where they felt they couldn’t speak up out of fear of losing their jobs. Additionally, it wasn’t just Schneider who made cast members feel uneasy.
In 2003, Production Assistant Jason Handy was arrested on charges of lewd acts on a child, child exploitation, and distributing sexually explicit material by email.
When Hardy was introduced in the documentary, he was introduced as a friendly production assistant who made cast members and families feel welcome. I was shocked to find that his charm was used as a method to attract young actresses. The behavior that was taking place throughout the documentary painted a bigger picture than fans had originally suspected.
Activities around Schneider’s productions took a turn for the worse leading up to the filming of Schneider’s upcoming production, “Drake and Josh.”
Dialogue coach Brian Peck, who had worked closely with Schneider, grew closer with child star Drake Bell. Bell described several instances where Beck sexually assaulted him at his home. Bell kept the incidents a secret because production for “Drake and Josh” was set to begin soon after they took place.
Bell and several other Nickelodeon cast members recounted feeling uncomfortable within Schneider’s hostile work environment. I found these experiences to be incredibly disheartening and having victims share their experiences firsthand was even more emotional to see. While watching, I felt a sense of sorrow for those victimized by Schneider and started to question the film industry, specifically for children.
In Jennette McCurdy’s memoir, I’m Glad My Mom Died, she discussed her time on the set of “iCarly” and “Sam and Cat.” McCurdy spoke about the uncomfortable environment Schnieder had for cast members. In her memoir, McCurdy shared her experience working with a producer who was “very abusive” and was not in a position to share how she felt about that producer. Many speculate that the producer is Dan Schneider as he worked with her on both “iCarly” and “Sam and Cat.”
McCurdy ultimately did not show up to Nickelodeon’s “Kids Choice Awards” in 2014, when Schneider was awarded a lifetime achievement award for his work with the company.
From a storytelling perspective, I was thoroughly invested in each interviewee’s personal experience working for Nickelodeon. The documentary covered the important topic of children’s entertainment and had a great call to action.
The arrests of Jason Handy and Brian Peck sickened most viewers, including myself, and spoke volumes about the work environment Schneider ran at Nickelodeon. As mentioned in the title, it truly shows the dark side of kids’ television.
After completing the documentary, I was left with several conflicting emotions. I felt awful for the victims who suffered under Schneider and the Nickelodeon studio. I also felt betrayed as a viewer who grew up watching Nickelodeon cartoons. It was a shock to see such beloved characters experience harassment and discrimination. The worst part is that every cast member involved was a child.