Nickelodeon Alums Detail Alleged Abuse in Quiet on Set Docuseries _ E! News
Nickelodeon Alums Detail Alleged Abuse in Quiet on Set Docuseries _ E! News
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00:00 Working for Dan was like being in an abusive relationship.
00:05 Investigation Discovery has dropped the trailer for their new four-part docuseries called Quiet on Set, the dark side of kids TV.
00:13 Per a press release, the series alleges there was, quote,
00:16 "an insidious environment rife with allegations of abuse, sexism, racism, and inappropriate dynamics with its underage stars and crew,"
00:25 and specifically focuses on allegations of a toxic work environment involving Dan Schneider,
00:31 the creator of hit Nickelodeon shows such as iCarly and Zoey 101.
00:36 In the trailer, former cast and crew members share their experiences working for the network and Schneider.
00:42 In the early 90s, Nickelodeon was kid everything, and you better hope that your house had cable.
00:50 Wasn't there to educate you. We were there to have fun, to get slugged, to be entertained.
00:55 And this is when Dan Schneider arrives, Nickelodeon's golden boy.
01:02 He created these shows that were hugely successful for them.
01:05 No one had ever really done sketch comedy starring kids for kids.
01:09 He launched the careers of child actors who became major stars.
01:13 For 20 years, he shaped children's entertainment and culture.
01:18 Hey, thank you for being here.
01:20 But that marked one of the darkest chapters.
01:23 Working for Dan was like being in an abusive relationship.
01:33 Dan's treatment of people on your shows was an open secret.
01:37 So my lawyer filed complaints, gender discrimination, hostile work environment, harassment, and it was so devastating.
01:45 How safe can any kids be in that environment?
01:49 There would be even bigger problems down the line with actual pedophiles on set.
01:54 These are three predators who worked at Nickelodeon all in a short amount of time.
02:00 Hey guys, what are you ready for?
02:03 It was a toxic environment. It made me trust people less.
02:07 We were there for so many hours. You get comfortable with people until you're not.
02:13 I had no idea what I was saving my son from. It was a house of horrors.
02:19 They find this enormous trove of child pornography.
02:23 The officer said we found ziplock bags, each one with a girl's name on it.
02:30 Eleven charges of child sexual abuse related to a child actor.
02:36 It made me wonder who was being hurt.
02:42 We've been waiting 17 years for today.
02:45 It wasn't dealing with anybody on the shows or anything, right?
02:50 It was a child actor.
02:52 On one of our shows?
02:54 Yes.
02:55 Have you ever told your story publicly before?
03:00 E! News has reached out to Nickelodeon and Dan Schneider for comment and has not yet heard back.
03:08 In 2018, Nickelodeon and Schneider announced that they were no longer working together.
03:13 In a 2021 interview with the New York Times, Schneider said he never acted inappropriately with people he worked with, stating,
03:20 "I couldn't, and I wouldn't have the long-term friendships and continued loyalty from so many reputable people
03:26 if I'd mistreated my actors of any age, especially minors."
03:30 Schneider also told the newspaper that if people considered him "difficult,"
03:34 this was because of what he called his "high standards."
03:38 As he put it, "I'm very willing to defend creative things that I believe in."
03:42 Quiet on Set, the dark side of kids TV, will premiere across two nights on I.D., March 17th and 18th.
03:49 [MUSIC PLAYING]
03:53 [MUSIC PLAYING]
03:56 (upbeat music)