For kids of the 2000s-2010s, Nickelodeon was golden. If Disney had shows like The Suite Life of Zack & Cody; Wizards of Waverly Place; Hannah Montana and even Liv & Maddie, Nickelodeon came strong with iCarly; Victorious; Sam & Cat, and Zoey 101.
I liked Victorious as a child and still love every episode of it as an adult. I guess kids of all ages, including me, growing up with Nickelodeon or Disney would agree it is an important part of our childhood. But with Nickelodeon, spotlights only shone brightest on-stage, and the world behind the curtain was a dark space where no lights could pierce through. This time, let’s talk about Nickelodeon and its “recent” scandal.
Before you read: This article is mainly based on my own observation and research, information from various sources will be used for reference but it might contain holes and shortcomings. Read at your own discretion.
Don’t forget to subscribe to Station 101 for more similar articles!
1. Darkness Behind The Stage
News has been circulating around lately about a new documentary called “Quiet on Set”, which revealed some of the most disturbing and heinous facts of the shows on Nickelodeon, involving sexual abuse and toxic manipulation towards its child actors. It breaks my heart that the victims only get to tell their stories 20 years later when everything had already burned into their souls and haunted their minds.
Dan Schneider
Dan Schneider - The man, the network’s golden boy, the predator. Image source: www.businessinsider.com
If you are familiar with the names such as iCarly; Victorious; Drake & Josh; Sam & Cat; and even The Amanda Show, you would already know about the creator of these shows, Dan Schneider. He has been bombarded by the public lately for his allegations of child abuse and sexual misconduct against his actors who were mostly children at that time.
People are wondering why he was not sentenced to life in jail.
Dan Schneider is an American television producer, screenwriter, and actor who has created the most well-received teen sitcoms on Nickelodeon in the 2000s-2010s. Known as Nickelodeon's "golden boy," Schneider created the network's most successful live-action shows, a degree of achievement that some of his previous colleagues believe to have facilitated his inappropriate conduct. Schneider initially explored acting in the early stages of his career, securing several minor roles and a recurring position on the 1980s sitcom "Head of the Class" as Dennis Blunden [1]. However, his acting career did not turn out so well, he found himself on a new path: a writer and producer for Nickelodeon in the 1990s, maintaining this position until his departure from the network in 2018.
“Quiet On Set”, highly recommended. Image source: variety.com
The four-part docuseries "Quiet on Set" premiered on March 18th, 2024, featuring Nickelodeon cast and crew who share horror stories about on-set experiences working with Dan Schneider during the late 90s and early 2000s [2]. The series exposes numerous allegations from child actors and production members, who assert they encountered abuse, sexism, racism, inappropriate relationships between adults and children, and other misconduct while working on Schneider's Nickelodeon series.
Amanda Bynes, 13 years old, was believed to be “groomed” by Dan Schneider (sitting next to her). Image source: dbknews.com
Following the MeToo movement, information regarding his purported sexual misconduct and gender discrimination allegations towards Nickelodeon employees, including many who were underage, surfaced publicly starting in 2018. In reaction to these accusations, Nickelodeon terminated its long-time collaboration with Schneider [3].
Two days after the series premiered, Schneider broke his silence by sharing his thoughts in a 19-minute interview on YouTube. The interviewer, iCarly cast member BooG!e, stated in the video that he had contacted Schneider to inquire if he wished to address the allegations.
Schneider, who had maintained a low profile since going on "hiatus" in 2021, apologized for the behaviors revealed in the documentary, beginning with the accusations of pressuring employees for massages.
"It was wrong I ever put anyone in that position," Schneider said, adding that he would "never" do it today.
Addressing the allegations of creating a hostile work environment, especially for female writers on his shows, Schneider was aware that he had “made practical jokes” that crossed the line due to his immaturity and lack of experience, saying "Wouldn't happen today, but I'm just really sorry it happened."
Despite multiple former cast members expressing their discomfort with perceived sexual innuendos in Schneider's shows, he defended the content, stating the jokes were intended for a young audience. Schneider asserted that the higher-ups or executives had not raised any concerns about the content's appropriateness at that time. If they had, it would have been removed from the shows.
Although Schneider addressed the allegations and offered explanations for his past behaviors while expressing remorse for any harm caused, the public and his victims would apparently be more satisfied if he received a sentence rather than putting out a "weak" apology.
So who were the child actors who suffered from the horrible treatment while working with Dan Schneider? Some of the faces are quite familiar.
Amanda Bynes
Amanda Bynes had been the star of the stars in Nickelodeon from the 90s, beloved by audiences worldwide for her joyful and adorable personality. She was so loved that after the success of “All That” - A “Saturday Night Live” kind of show for Nickelodeon audience [4], she had her own show called “The Amanda Show” (October 16th, 1999), created by Dan Schneider.
“The Amanda Show”, featuring Amanda Bynes herself, along with Nancy Sullivan, Drake Bell, Josh Peck & Dan Schneider. Image source: best-tv-shows.fandom.com
In 1996, Bynes became a regular on “All That” at 10 years old [5], in fact, she had an agency by the time she was 7 years old working with commercial contracts [6]. While the show was still running, Dan Schneider would occasionally make guest appearances. In one of the episodes, he appeared to be enjoying himself in a hot tub with Amanda wearing a swimsuit, who was only 13 years old at the time.
“Quiet On Set” later revealed the disturbing relationship between Bynes and Schneider, quote:
“I definitely saw Amanda being very close physically with Dan. There were many times that I saw Amanda sitting behind him hugging him, or like giving him a neck massage or whatever. Dan and Amanda had a close relationship, and I didn’t think anything different than that.” - Karyn Finley Thompson, editor on “All That” [7]
In August 2019, Twitter user @ObiscureNick claimed that Bynes was a "favorite" among the adults who worked with her because "her parents did not interfere at all." Even more concerning, "they even provide her with Adderall ... to make her more hyper for the scenes." [8]
You might remember Amanda Bynes & Channing Tatum from “She’s The Man” (2006). Image source: www.eonline.com
According to “All That” alum Leon Frierson, Schneider’s preference for Bynes was obvious on set.
“We had to go to school on set. There would be times when Amanda would just be missing,” he recalled in the docuseries. “A lot of times we would hear she would be with Dan, pitching ideas and writing. We see them grow closer to each other on set.” [9]
Additionally, Journalist Kate Taylor alleged that there was one point where Amanda Bynes wanted to run away from home, so she turned to Dan for help.
“But around this time, Amanda turns to Dan and other reps to get her emancipated and get her to a new level of independence. This plan takes her parents completely by surprise.” [10]
Things got taken to court where Dan was believed to be trying to emancipate Amanda from her parents so that she could come and live with him and his wife. Justifying his actions, Dan Schneider claimed that he just “supported” Amanda’s desire to be emancipated from her parents.
Amanda’s supposedly old tweets. Courtesy: https://www.tiktok.com/@kadishalynnnn
In June 2010, Amanda Bynes announced via Twitter that she was retiring from acting and got put under the conservatorship. During that time, someone claimed that Bynes was operating a clandestine Twitter account, revealing additional distressing allegations regarding her experiences at Nickelodeon, one of which was that she was impregnated by “her boss”, saying:
“I've been forced to deny this account to prevent them from having me committed against my will. AGAIN! Can you imagine having an abortion at 13 because your boss impregnated you. Committed because your father touched you? […]” [11]
People believed Dan Schneider to be the culprit as he was fully responsible for her career path when she was 13. However, there aren’t any official statements confirming the relationship between Schneider and Amanda Bynes (except for Dan trying to deny it multiple times), so there is nothing certain about the possibility.
Drake Bell
Though he wasn’t a direct victim of Dan Schneider, Drake Bell suffered a horrible nightmare during his time working on Schneider’s shows.
In Quiet On Set, he opened up for the first time in 20 years about how he was sexually abused during his time as a Nickelodeon star.
Drake and Amanda in “The Amanda Show”. Image source: www.teenidols4you.com
Bell, known for his roles in Nickelodeon's "The Amanda Show" from 1999 to 2002 and as the titular character in "Drake & Josh" from 2004 to 2007, claimed he experienced sexual abuse from former Nickelodeon dialogue coach Brian Peck. Peck was arrested in August 2003 and convicted in 2004 on charges related to lewd acts with a child, stemming from a 2001 incident. But the public didn’t know Bell was the minor involved in that case until now.
Drake Bell in Quiet On Set, reveals his incident with Brian Peck. Image source: bak.una.edu.ar
Initially, Bell's father - Joe Bell, served as his manager and grew uneasy about the amount of time Peck spent with his son, prompting him to voice his concerns to the production team. “I go, ‘I don’t see anything abnormal but it just doesn’t — I don’t have a good feeling,'” he recalled. According to Joe Bell, production responded by stating that Peck is gay and suggested, “Maybe you’re just homophobic and you just don’t understand that he’s a touchy-feely guy.”
Joe Bell eventually was fired by Drake, he could no longer keep an eye on his son. He went on and tell his wife about his concerns over Peck’s behaviors. It seemed like his wife took what he said in one ear and out the other. Drake Bell and his mother resided in Orange County, making it more convenient to stay at Peck's residence in Los Angeles when he had auditions. It wasn’t irregular for children to stay over at Peck’s as “All the parents loved him too. Everyone trusted Brian,” said Kyle Sullivan, who appeared on “The Amanda Show” and “All That.”
Drake Bell on sharing his worst trauma. Image source: www.commercialappeal.com
And then, one morning everything changed. Shocked and bewildered, Drake realized Brian Peck was anything but genuine.
“I was sleeping on the couch where I would usually sleep. I woke up to him — I opened my eyes, I woke up and he was sexually assaulting me. I froze and was in complete shock and had no idea what to do or how to react, and I have no idea how to get out of this situation.” [12]
Drake was only 15 at the time, confused and afraid. The only thing he could do was keeping this a secret because he knew if he stopped going to Peck’s, people would ask questions. Peck was apologetic, promising he would never do that again.
“He figured out how to convince my mom and everyone around to, anytime I would have an audition or anytime I needed to work on dialogue or anything, I somehow ended up back at Brian’s house and it just got worse and worse and worse and worse. I was just trapped. I had no way out.”
[…] “The abuse was extensive and it got pretty brutal. I don’t know how to elaborate on that on camera, really… Why don’t you think of the worst stuff that someone could do to somebody as a sexual assault, and then I’ll answer your question. I don’t know how else to put it.” [13]
Finally, Drake called and told his mom everything that happened, resulting in an investigation to take place, which was “brutal” to Drake as he needed to “make a phone call to Brian and get him to admit what he’d done.”
Brian Peck was arrested, and everyone at Nickelodeon at that time didn’t know who the victim was.
Additional note: It was also revealed by Kyle Sullivan in “Quiet On Set” that Brian Peck was friend with the infamous John Wayne Gacy. Peck and Gacy were penpals while Gacy was in prison.
“[…] a BBQ at Peck’s house, where he had a shrine to “The Planet of the Apes” in the garage and one painting that didn’t belong — a birthday clown with balloons. When the kids asked Peck about it, he proudly showed them that it was a gift from serial killer John Wayne Gacy, and on the back was a message: “Brian, I hope you enjoy the painting. Best wishes. Your friend, John Wayne Gacy.”
Ariana Grande
If you are a fan of Ariana Grande, or if you enjoy her music to the extent that you tap into her Wikipedia page, you would know that Ariana began her career early on with the role of Cat Valentine in "Victorious," a Nickelodeon show that premiered on March 27th, 2010.
Cat Valentine is a bubbly, joyful, weird, dimwitted, and a bit naive character in the show. It was implied throughout the 4 seasons of Victorious that Cat was brought up in a troubled family with a mentally unstable brother, explaining the reason why she got such characteristics.
It was not until now that people started to point out the way Dan Schneider exploited this character’s personality to satisfy his own fetish: feet.
A questionable scene where Cat sucked her toe in a video posted on The Slap, a website that acted like “Facebook” for fans of the show. Image source: www.buzzfeednews.com
Dan Schneider’s excessive obsession with feet has been shown a lot in his shows specifically, ready for another one?
Another questionable scene in “Victorious” where André (Leon Thomas III) pours ketchup on Tori’s (Victoria Justice) feet. Image source: www.reddit.com
Sam and Carly from “iCarly” showed their feet in an episode for no reason. Image source: twitter.com
I could show you all the feet scenes that got cut from his shows for the whole day but now, let’s just get back to Ariana. Young audiences might not pick up these scenes as weird and out-of-place, they would just have fun and laugh about it. However, there is clearly a problem with those scenes that only adults could point out. And unfortunately, Cat appears to be one of the most over-sexualized characters in the show.
The old scenes of Grande in “Victorious” started circulating on the Internet again after the premiere of “Quiet On Set”. Image source: nypost.com
However, there was one scene that stirred quite a rage from the public lately, featuring Ariana pouring water all over herself in a questionable camera angle. The video was so disturbing and weird (It gets on my nerves, so I’m not gonna include the video here) that people couldn’t contain their disappointment and disgust for Schneider anymore. And so, they started to look for more clues indicating Schneider had forced his young actors to act in such a scene against their will. There’s a video of Elizabeth Gillies and Ariana Grande that people believe to have demonstrated it best. Check it out:
However, the details of this are unconfirmed, as most of what was shown in the video consisted of hints and gestures that the public believed to have something to do with Dan's presence. Furthermore, some argue that Ariana once gave a shout-out to Dan when she received an award, so the accusations are biased. Thus, the rumor remains just that—a rumor.
Final Words?
It would be best if you watch “Quiet On Set” to have a clearer look at the whole situation, or you can have a look at the memoir written by a former actor of Nickelodeon, Jennette McCurdy, called “I’m Glad My Mom Died” in which she recounted her struggles as a child actor working with Dan Schneider. Highly recommended!
There could be more victims out there who suffered mistreatment while working under Schneider’s supervision, not limited to the child actors. Some of them have come forward about what happened, while others remain silent and let it all be rumors. Needless to say, it’s horrible not only for the cast and crew members but also for the audience looking back. As we grapple with these disturbing revelations, it's imperative to remember the impact of abuse on everyone and create safer environments for all of our children.
In reflecting on the revelations unearthed by "Quiet On Set," it's evident that the entertainment industry still has its majority stay hidden before our eyes, where the children might be the most vulnerable. The fact that someone like Brian Peck, thanks to his connections within the industry, was only given 16 months in prison (he was hired to work on The Suite Life of Zack & Cody with Disney after his release, bruh.), while victims such as Drake Bell must forever live with his trauma just gives me this unsettling feeling.
For better or worse, these revelations have shown us the dark realities lurking behind the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry, challenging us to demand accountability and strive for a safer environment for all.
Thanks for reading Station 101! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.
One of the first few publications that I subscribed to when I just started out on this platform, Always Learning offers a captivating blend of tech, business, life, and future with weekly posts. Every article makes me feel like I’m reading The New York Times. Informative, insightful and a great way to catch up with latest news.
while in many ways, it could be too late for the abovementioned victims, we can all be glad that this dark and morbid secret is finally out in the open.
Tiktok failed to load.
while in many ways, it could be too late for the abovementioned victims, we can all be glad that this dark and morbid secret is finally out in the open.
This is a great recollection of the Nickelodeon controversy. Thanks for the shoutout as well, you words were very kind.