Nickelodeon actors allege abuse in 'Quiet on Set' doc: These former child stars have spoken up
The same colorful, slap-stick TV shows that had kids of the '90s and 2000s laughing at their screens were secretly nightmares for the kids acting on them behind the scenes, according to the upcoming Investigation Discovery (ID) documentary "Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV."
Set to premiere Sunday, the tell-all doc promises to take viewers behind the scenes of Nickelodoean's golden age, unveiling the toxic and even allegedly abusive environments some of the era's biggest child stars say they worked in.
The documentary, inspired by investigative reporting by Kate Taylor of Business Insider, features the voices of some former Nickelodeon royalty who have not spoken publicly before, notably Drake Bell, who recently revealed the alleged sexual abuse he claims he suffered at the hands of former Nickelodeon dialogue coach Brian Peck.
Some other familiar faces are set to appear, like Alexa Nikolas of "Zoe 101" and several cast members of "All That," alongside people who worked behind the cameras on the shows that defined children's television of the time. While some Nick alumni have been vocal about their experiences for a while, like Nikolas, others, like Bell, will be sharing their stories publicly for the first time.
Here is what we know so far about who is set to appear in the doc and who has already commented on their lives behind the scenes at Nick.
Drake Bell speaks:Drake Bell alleges 'extensive' and 'brutal' sexual abuse by Nickelodeon dialogue coach Brian Peck
What child stars are appearing on 'Quiet on Set?'
- Drake Bell of "Drake & Josh," "The Amanda Show" - Drake Bell is set to appear in the third installment of the series. He has been making headlines lately for allegations of sexual abuse by former Nickelodeon dialogue coach Brian Peck. Peck was arrested in August 2003 and convicted in 2004 on charges of lewd acts with a child that stemmed from a 2001 incident. Bell had not previously disclosed himself as the plaintiff in the 2004 case.
- Alexa Nikolas of "Zoe 101" - Nikolas has already been very vocal about her experiences at Nickelodeon, appearing on social media, on podcasts and giving interviews to reporters. Nikolas has consistently alleged extensive bullying and a toxic work environment on the set of "Zoe 101." She left the show and Nickelodeon after the second season wrapped.
- Giovonnie Samuels, Kyle Sullivan, Bryan Hearne and Katrina Johnson of "All That" - All prominent members of the "All That" cast, Samuels, Sullivan, Hearne and Johnson are also speaking publicly for the first time about their experiences at Nickelodeon. In one scene, Hearne describes a "traumatizing" stunt in which he was covered in peanut butter and had to let dogs lick it off his body.
- Marc Summers, host of "Double Dare" - Summers was the host and producer of Nickelodeon's game show "Double Dare" from 1986–1993. According to a press release from ID, Summers will speak alongside other adult cast members and even parents who "attempted to advocate for their children on these sets."
Additionally, producers, writers and other behind-the-scenes workers from shows like "All That," "The Amanda Show," "Zoey 101," "Sam & Cat, "Drake & Josh" and "Victorious" will be speaking on the doc, among others.
"All That" director Virgil Fabian and"The Amanda Show" writers Jenny Kilgen and Christy Stratton are some of the behind-the-scenes characters set to appear, according to the ID channel.
'Quiet on Set':What Nickelodeon star Drake Bell is expected to detail in documentary
Other former stars that have spoken out against Nickelodeon
Some big names associated with Nickelodeon's popular shows aren't set to appear in the doc but have made public comments about their time at the network in the past.
- Jennette McCurdy of "iCarly," "Sam and Cat" - McCurdy's hit 2022 memoir, "I'm Glad My Mom Died," addressed her experiences at Nickelodeon, which she described as overwhelmingly negative. She does not name any specific adult whom she worked under in the memoir, but does speak of a character she calls "The Creator," alluding that he contributed to the unpleasant work environment created on set and making specific claims of misconduct. She also spoke of turning down a $30,000 offer of "hush money" from the network in exchange for her never speaking of her experiences.
- Daniella Monet of "Victorious" - Monet spoke to Business Insider as part of the expose that inspired the upcoming doc. She told reporter Kate Taylor that she felt the show had many overly-sexualized components and found the character's outfits to be "not age-appropriate."
- Angelique Bates of "All That" - Bates also spoke to Taylor as part of the BI investigation, claiming Dan Schneider had screamed at her until she cried.
- Raquel Lee of "The Amanda Show" - Lee told Taylor that she was made to feel "disposable" and dehumanized, saying in part "It's not about being a human. It's not about being a child. They don't care about that."
- Avan Jogia of "Victorious" - Famously made a TikTok seemingly confirming rumors that partying happened on the site of Victorious, though the cast were teenagers at the time. In it, he says he doesn't remember the plotline of a single episode of the show but does remember partying hard "every night," implying that alcohol was involved.
How to watch 'Quiet on Set'
"Quiet On Set: The Dark Side Of Kids TV" will premiere on Investigation Discovery (ID) on Sunday, March 17 at 9 p.m. ET The four-episode series will air in two parts, the second of which releases the following day on Monday, March 18, also at 9 p.m. ET
The ID channel is available through some cable subscriptions and via live TV streaming services including Fubo, DirecTV, Philo and Sling.
It will also be available to stream after its release on Max, Prime Video, Apple TV, and The Roku Channel.