A new four-part docuseries on Investigation Discovery exposes the troubling underbelly of the seemingly cotton-candy world of children’s television. In Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids’ TV, former child actors allege a concerning range of abuses and toxic behavior on the sets of hit Nickelodeon shows like All That, The Amanda Show, Drake & Josh, and more.
On Wednesday’s show, Megyn was joined by Alexa Nikolas, who shared her experience starring as Nicole Bristow on Zoey 101 in the docuseries, to discuss the exploitative and predatory nature of the entertainment industry for minors.
They explored a variety of the allegations made against Nickelodeon and some of the network’s current and former employees in Quiet on Set, and The Megyn Kelly Show reached out to those involved for comment. Below are the statements we received:
Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon provided the following statement regarding alleged behaviors on past production sets:
“Though we cannot corroborate or negate allegations of behaviors 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.”
And Nickelodeon offered this in regards to actor Drake Bell identifying himself as the ‘John Doe’ in the 2004 sexual abuse case against former former Nickelodeon dialogue coach Brian Peck:
“Now that Drake Bell has disclosed his identity as the plaintiff in the 2004 case, we are dismayed and saddened to learn of the trauma he has endured, and we commend and support the strength required to come forward.”
Dan Schneider
A representative for Dan Schneider, who was the creator and executive producer of Nickelodeon shows like Drake & Josh, Zoey 101, iCarly, Victorious, and more, offered the following statement:
“Dan is apologizing for his behavior. He never ever should have asked for massages. Period. He crossed the line in the writer’s room with the jokes that he told and the pranks that he pulled. They were inappropriate and never should have happened. Some of the On Air Dare sketches went too far. Dan wishes they hadn’t done those and he’s truly sorry to the young actors who weren’t comfortable. And all around he is sorry for how he treated people…if he could do it again he would have been a better boss and a better person.
Dan absolutely never intended for any of those jokes that are now being seen as sexualized content to be anything other than funny for kids. Kids don’t look at things the same way as adults. The jokes were funny for kids, and only funny. But now, twenty to twenty five years later adults are looking at a handful of those jokes and looking at them through adult lenses and it’s making some people uncomfortable so Dan thinks those jokes should be cut from the reruns…
Dan was there for these young actors often when nobody else was. You see Dan was there for Drake after that unspeakable and unforgivable act by Brian Peck. You see Dan was there for Amanda when she was going through a rough patch. While Dan didn’t have the best relationship with every young actor and some did not have a good experience on his shows, it is not accurate or even ok in any way to imply that his relationship with any of the actors was in any way inappropriate, that’s just not true.”
Brian Peck
In 2004, The former Nickelodeon dialogue coach pleaded no contest to two of the 11 charges against him, including oral copulation with a minor under 16 and performing a lewd act with a 14 or 15 year old. He was later sentenced to 16 months in prison and ordered to register as a sex offender. We reached out to Peck for comment but did not receive a response.
Additionally, we reached out to some of the 41 celebrities and public figures who wrote letters of support for Peck ahead of his 2004 sentencing, including James Marsden, Taran Killam, Ron Melenedez, Rider Strong, Will Friedle, and Kimmy Robertson, but did not hear back.
You can check out Megyn’s full interview with Nikolas by tuning in to episode 751 on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you like to listen. And don’t forget that you can catch The Megyn Kelly Show live on SiriusXM’s Triumph (channel 111) weekdays from 12pm to 2pm ET.