Warner Bros. Discovery ANZ today announced Quiet On Set: The Dark Side of Kid’s TV will air this week.
Airing over two nights, starting Friday, 5 April at 9.30pm on ID (Foxtel, Fetch and Binge) the first four episodes of Quiet On Set pulls back the curtain on an empire, built by creator Dan Schneider, that had an undeniable grip on popular culture. Series such as All That and The Amanda Show, among others, were obsessively consumed by children across the world and defined comedy for a generation. But behind the upbeat onscreen presence on these shows with questionable jokes and over-the-top sketches, Quiet On Set reveals an alleged insidious environment rife with allegations of abuse, sexism, racism, and inappropriate dynamics with its underage stars and crew.
Quiet On Set features unprecedented access to key cast members, writers, and crew spanning Schneider’s popular series at Nickelodeon. Former All That cast members Giovonnie Samuels, Kyle Sullivan, Bryan Hearne and Katrina Johnson and director Virgil Fabian pull back the curtain on the culture onset of the beloved teen sketch series. Writers Jenny Kilgen and Christy Stratton expose allegations of a toxic and sexist environment in The Amanda Show writer’s room. Alexa Nikolas offers insight into being a part of Zoey 101. Quiet On Set will feature additional cast and crew from iCarly, Sam & Cat, Victorious, and other iconic series such as Marc Summers from the popular game show Double Dare. The series will also offer emotional testimony from parents of cast members who attempted to advocate for their children on these sets.
Over the course of its four parts, Quiet On Set shines a spotlight on these emotional accounts, chronicling an alleged pattern of gross, abusive, and manipulative behaviour that unfolded across decades. These interviews, woven with archival footage (some of which has never been broadcast), scenes from the shows and social media commentary, will recontextualise many moments within these series that may have seemed silly or off when first aired but now carry a much darker undertone, offering a powerful reframing of these beloved shows.
The additional fifth episode – titled Breaking the Silence – follows on from the four-part docuseries that uncovers the alleged toxic and dangerous culture behind some of the most iconic children’s shows of the late 1990s and early 2000s. Breaking the Silence will continue the conversation around the behind-the-scenes culture at the iconic children’s TV network, with the discussion led by award-winning journalist Soledad O’Brien.
Breaking the Silence will include appearances from Drake Bell and others who participated in the previous episodes of Quiet on Set, including All That cast members Giovonnie Samuels, Bryan Hearne plus Hearne’s mom Tracey Brown. Additional former Nickelodeon stars will also share their reactions to the docuseries, including Shane Lyons.
First four episodes 9:30pm Friday, 5 April, Saturday April 6 on ID and Binge
Fifth episode 9:30pm Friday Friday 19 April on ID and Binge
