Christy Stratton – The Western Howl

Written by: Taylor Duff | Staff Writer

Content warning: this article contains mentions of sexual assault.

Dan Schneider, former Nickelodeon producer and writer, is suing the producers of “Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV,” stating that the show implies sexual assault of young actors with whom he routinely worked.

Schneider is suing Warner Bros, Discovery, Maxine Productions and Sony Pictures Television, who worked on the production of the series. The case will be brought before the Los Angeles Superior Court on the grounds of alleged defamation with misleading allegations of sexual abuse against child actors.

Schneider’s lawyers declared that the alleged false statements and implications harmed his reputation and legacy at Nickelodeon. The first four episodes of “Quiet on Set” premiered on March 17 and 18, 2024 while the fifth episode was released on April 7, 2024.

Schneider responded to the docuseries with a YouTube video titled, “Dan Schneider Talks about Quiet on Set” on Schneider’s YouTube channel, “DanWarp.” In the video, Schneider sits with BooG!e, born Bobby Bowman, who plays T-Bo on one of Nickelodeon’s hit shows, iCarly, that Schneider produced.

In this video, BooG!e recounts the docuseries and Schneider addresses allegations raised, such as pressuring female employees to perform massages, constant harassment and making co-writers uncomfortable in the writer’s room.

Concerning the alleged massages, Schneider said, “It was wrong that I ever put anybody in that position… I’d never do it today, I’m embarrassed… I apologize to the people who were walking around Video Village or wherever it happened because there were lots of people there who witnessed it who also may have felt uncomfortable so I owe them an apology as well.” Regarding writers, Schneider stated, “No writer should ever feel uncomfortable in any writer’s room ever, period, the end.”

The docuseries also features two writers, Christy Stratton and Jenny Kilgen, who remember Schneider illegally forcing the women to split their payment “I have nothing to do with paying writers, I never have. I’ve never made a writer’s deal and of all the writers I’ve been in a writer’s room with, I never even knew how much most of them were getting paid… it’s very simple, there’s a common practice in television when hiring… writers for your first job are willing to share a salary, you can both have the job (and) they have the opportunity to say ‘Yes, that sounds good’ or ‘No, no thank you,’” Schnieder said.

Back in 2000, Kilgen filed a lawsuit against Schneider for gender discrimination because of the alleged harassment and illegal payment, prompting an internal investigation. The lawsuit settled for an undisclosed amount.

Schneider states as the lawsuit is served to the producers of “Quiet on Set,” “… I sadly have no choice but to take legal action against the people behind it. In their successful attempt to mislead viewers and increase ratings, they went beyond reporting the truth and falsely implied that I was involved in or facilitated horrific crimes for which actual child predators have been prosecuted and convicted…”

Contact the author at tduff23@mail.wou.edu

Written by: Taylor Duff | Staff Writer

Content warning: this article discusses sexual assault, child abuse, racism and toxic workplace environments.

“Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV” is a new 5-episode docuseries released to the streaming service Max, that discusses the trauma and horrors inflicted behind the scenes of some of the most beloved 90s and early 2000s Nickelodeon shows. These shows include “All That,” “The Amanda Show,” “Zoey 101,” “Drake and Josh” and “iCarly.”

What all of these familiar titles have in common is the showrunner, Dan Schneider. Schneider is responsible for making many children laugh, but also for causing trauma to multiple young cast members. The series talks about Schneider’s verbal abuse on the sets of his shows and his use of many inappropriate euphemisms during production. In “Quiet on Set,” many child actors recount their trauma and abuse while working for Schneider and Nickelodeon.

Leon Frierson, a cast member of “All That,” talks about his trauma of portraying a character named Nose Boy who had a skin-tight costume with suggestive male body parts as design. Frierson remarks about his treatment being one of the few African Americans on the set as well as Bryan Christopher Hearne who played various characters during his time on “All That”. Hearne had a similar experience and was mocked for his skin color and appearance while doing costume designs and makeup.

Schneider ignored labor laws and urged the child actors to work rigorous hours. Those who have worked alongside Schneider have expressed how harsh and demanding he was — especially from the women he hired. Two female writers, Christy Stratton and Jenny Kilgen, recount Schneider illegally making the women split a salary, as well as pressuring the women into performing acts including screaming profanities, giving Schneider massages and performing sexual reenactments in front of him and others.

Most shocking within the docuseries were the three different child predators hired by Schneider and Nickelodeon. These men were hired to help coach or even mentor the children on set. Most notable is the case of actor, producer and dialogue coach Brian Peck during his time working on “All That.” Peck was charged with many accounts of sexual abuse towards Drake Bell, a child actor who was well known for his starring role in “Drake and Josh,” but also made appearances on “All That” and “The Amanda Show.” Bell was 15 when these events occurred, and in August 2003, Peck was arrested. Peck was charged with 11 counts of lewd acts towards a minor. Peck served just 16 months in prison and was ordered to register as a sex offender. This is the first time Bell has spoken about his abuse and trauma — as a result of Peck’s identity and charges were made public. A new episode of “Quiet on Set” was released on April 7, 2024, and continues to unveil the story behind the scenes of Nickelodeon and Schneider.

Contact the author at tduff23@mail.wou.edu

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