Content warning: This post contains detailed discussions of child sexual assault.
The Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV documentary has fans revisiting old episodes from their childhood, and now they're realizing just how sexually suggestive and uncomfortable some of the scenes were.
The four-part series explores the dark side of children's television and uncovers some of the disturbing allegations of sexual assault, abuse, racism, inappropriate adult/child dynamics, and toxicity of some of the most popular shows from the '90s and '00s like The Amanda Show, All That, iCarly — all of which were created or produced by Dan Schneider.
One of the most shocking revelations came when Drake & Josh star Drake Bell came forward alleging he was sexually assaulted when he was 15 by actor and dialogue coach Brian Peck. Brian was convicted in 2004 of a lewd act against a child and oral copulation of a person under 16.
Outside of the predators on set, another common theme discussed in the docuseries was the sexual innuendos hidden in the scenes and scripts of programs geared toward kids.
A spotlight was put on a few of Ariana Grande's scenes when she starred as Cat Valentine on Victorious. In the documentary, the scenes are described as "online extras that the network didn't know what to do with."
The scenes included Ariana's character sticking her foot in her mouth, which added to the rumor that Dan Schneider had a foot fetish, as well as Ariana squeezing a potato while she opens her mouth and grunts with her eyes closed.
In 2019, Skarlett Akira released a compilation video on their YouTube channel called Ariana Grande Being Sexualized on Victorious for 2 Minutes Straight, which included those two scenes and more.
View this video on YouTube
Nickelodeon parted ways with Dan in 2018. Dan has since watched the docuseries and said there are definitely things that he would "do differently."
Nickelodeon also released a statement to BuzzFeed regarding alleged behavior 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.”
You can find more information on these allegations by watching Investigation Discovery's Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV, which is currently streaming on Max.
If you or someone you know has experienced sexual assault, you can call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673), which routes the caller to their nearest sexual assault service provider. You can also search for your local center here.
If you are concerned that a child is experiencing or may be in danger of abuse, you can call or text the National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-422-4453 (4.A.CHILD); service can be provided in over 140 languages.