If you were a child during the late 90’s and the early 2000’s, this docuseries will change your life forever, and not in a good way. March 2024, a show that has been advertised for a month finally saw the light of day on MAX streaming. The docuseries Quiet on Set frames the dark side of the production and filming of many iconic Nickelodeon kid shows. With interviews from many past child actors, the show is an exposé on the television channel and its former producers and employees.

In the lapse of all four, 45-minute long episodes, the misbehavior of Dan Schneider as a producer is revealed. Interviews from child actors, Leon Frierson, Bryan Hearne, Katrina Johnson, Raquel Lee, Alexa Nikolas, Giovonnie Samuels, and Kyle Sullivan, make it clear that there was an unsafe and uncomfortable work environment at Nickelodeon studios.

“It was important to be on his good side and he made it known,” said Bryan Hearne, who starred in the sketch show All That before being abruptly cut from its third season.

As a boss, Schneider was rude and inappropriate, especially with his female workers and writers. He was famous for low wages and unfair work hours. He irrationally fired many actors and set workers for taking a sick day or for speaking up against his cruelty. Since there were children involved, of course, there were parents on set. Consequently, Schneider felt constantly threatened by the adult power and the protection they would provided their children. Many of those interviewed stated that Schneider gained and abused his power because of the young and impressionable minds of the children who, scared of losing a job, would do as he said. 

“It was honestly disturbing but I’m glad the truth is finally coming out so that the victims can get their stories heard and it can create awareness for parents and children everywhere,” said senior Jadilah Fernandez. 

In Schneider’s first Nick show, All That, many of the children felt discovered and about to get their big break in the industry. Some of them needed the job to support their families or pay for their stay in Los Angeles. When a child is promised their lifelong dream, they will do just about anything. Additionally, some family members quickly realize their adorable children with dimples and shimmering eyes could be cash cows allowing the parents to never work again and only call themselves “mom-agers.” 

The producers or set assistants saw this mindset and used it to their advantage by promising the children future jobs as a way to manipulate them. 

There were also mentions of more popular figures experiencing disagreeable situations like Ariana Grande, Victoria Justice, Amanda Bynes, Jaime Lee Spears, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Drake Bell. 

“Me as a person was altered for life,” said Alexa Nikolas, one of the stars on Zoey 101.

The show quickly took on TikTok and Instagram as well as other social media platforms that showed awareness of the situation and began encouraging other actors and participants to speak up and voice in their opinions. With posts from Josh Peck, Jerry Trainor, Nancy Sullivan, Jack Salvatore, and many more, awareness is on the rise.

It has become clear with experience and evidence from past child actors, that being in the entertainment industry at such a young age can destroy the innocence, the mental health, and the overall youth experience of the actors. This can be seen in the lives of Amanda Bynes, Lindsay Lohan, and Drew Barrymore, all of whom experienced negative affects such as mental instability and substance abuse. 

Nickelodeon former employees and writers spoke up about problems with their salaries and schedules as well as overall rude comments form their boss. After many awards and money earned through the contributions of producer Dan Schneider, Nickelodeon saw his success and gave him the power he needed to create a hostile work environment untouched by complaints. The series overall greatly encompasses the dangers behind the camera and the importance of speaking up when you encounter something that is patently wrong.