The four-part documentary series is currently airing in the US.
Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV is a tell-all documentary series, exploring the on-set experiences of Nickelodeon child stars and crew during the late ’90s and early 2000s.
The four-parter investigates allegations of inappropriate behaviour and a toxic work environment on sets run by Dan Schneider, who created some of Nickelodeon’s biggest television programmes, including Victorious, The Amanda Show and iCarly.
Since the documentary began airing in the US, Schneider has directly addressed the allegations made in the documentary.
In an interview published on Schneider’s official YouTube channel, DanWarp, he admitted that watching the series was “very difficult” as he faced his “past behaviours – some of which are embarrassing and that I regret”.
“I definitely owe some people a pretty strong apology,” he added. “I hate that anybody worked for me and didn’t have a good time.”
He continued: “I would snap at people sometimes. I would be snarky when I could have given them a nicer answer. I would not give people the time they needed. I would be in too big a hurry to get onto the next thing I had to do.
“Watching that, there were so many times I wanted to pick up the phone and call some of those people and say ‘I’m so sorry’ and ‘let’s talk about it’.”
He added that “seeing the hurt in some people’s eyes… made me feel awful and regretful and sorry”.
The docuseries features the revelations from Drake Bell (former Nickelodeon star) about the alleged sexual abuse he suffered at the hands of former dialogue coach, Brian Peck. Peck was convicted of committing a lewd act against an unnamed minor in 2004 and was sentenced to 16 months in prison and ordered to register as a sex offender.
In response to Bell’s allegations, Schneider said in the interview that when Bell told him what had happened, he “was more devastated by that than anything that ever happened to me in my career thus far”.
Schneider claims he did not hire Peck on his productions.
Prior to releasing the interview on YouTube, a spokesperson for Schneider said (via The Hollywood Reporter) in response to the documentary: “Everything that happened on the shows Dan ran was carefully scrutinised by dozens of involved adults, and approved by the network. Remember, all stories, dialogue, costumes, and makeup were fully approved by network executives on two coasts.
“A standards and practices group read and ultimately approved every script, and programming executives reviewed and approved all episodes. In addition, every day on every set, there were always parents and caregivers and their friends watching filming and rehearsals. Had there been any scenes or outfits that were inappropriate in any way, they would have been flagged and blocked by this multilayered scrutiny.”
Prior to Schneider’s interview, a Nickelodeon spokesperson said (via Sky News): “Though we cannot corroborate or negate allegations of behaviours from productions decades ago, Nickelodeon as a matter of policy investigates all formal complaints as part of our commitment to fostering a safe and professional workplace environment free of harassment or other kinds of inappropriate conduct.
“Our highest priorities are the well-being and best interests not just of our employees, casts and crew, but of all children, and we have adopted numerous safeguards over the years to help ensure we are living up to our own high standards and the expectations of our audience.”
RadioTimes.com has contacted Schneider and Nickelodeon for further comment.
The documentary has become available to watch on ID and Max for American viewers in recent days, but can UK viewers tune into it?
How to watch Quiet on Set
Quiet on Set is available to watch now in the US on Max.
Can you watch Quiet on Set in the UK?
Currently, Quiet on Set isn’t available to watch in the UK.
Quiet on Set is available to stream on Max in the US and this service is not available in the UK.
As with most shows that air on Max they often become available to watch on Sky, but that is yet to be confirmed.
Check out more of our Documentaries coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to see what’s on tonight.
Try Radio Times magazine today and get 10 issues for only £10 – subscribe now. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.