The docuseries “Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV” has sparked significant conversation about the entertainment industry’s treatment of child actors. The six part series will first air starting in March 2024 on Investigative Discovery. It features deeply affecting testimonies from actors and former child stars who say that they experienced abuse, inappropriate behavior, and toxic working conditions during their time on Nickelodeon productions.
Among the allegations aired in the state’s docuseries are accusations against Brian Peck, a former Nickelodeon dialogue coach. Peck’s legacy is marred by his legal issues. In 2003, he was arrested on charges of “lewd acts with a minor.” His charges included lewd acts upon a child and oral copulation with a person under 16 years of age. As punishment, he was sentenced to 16 months in prison. Peck’s charges included felony level grooming of a minor female victim, first victimized at the age of 12. He ultimately pleaded guilty to felony attempted child endangerment and a misdemeanor charge of disseminating harmful material to juveniles, receiving a two-year probation sentence for child endangerment.
Josh Peck and Drake Bell came together again for an episode of Josh Peck’s podcast, “Good Guys.” That March 2021 reunion lifted those revelations up. This was the first instance of Bell publicly responding to his allegations against Peck since the release of “Behind the Music,” which aired just days before. On the podcast, Bell talked about his disbelief at the extent of abuse directed at his co-star. He explained that he learned a whole lot more about the issue after screening the film.
And at the time, Drake Bell told the AV Club that he regretted a casting choice in the pilot of “Drake & Josh.” He remembered the way that Peck was permitted on set even during investigations. For their encore performance, he said he was sobered, dismayed, and worried about what this means for the future of their new show and other shows.
“Where I felt the most at home, where I was the happiest, was when I was on set with you guys,” Bell revealed during the podcast, reminiscing about creating such a supportive environment between cast members in spite of being thrust into such a chaotic situation surrounding the show.
Josh Peck similarly shared his experience of watching the docuseries as an adult and father. Seeing the documentary at 38 really was an awakening for me. As a parent and adult, I understood the hardships you had to endure. He reflected upon how so many predatory acts were accepted on set that they made it normal in their time.
He said the great thing about being on set is that you were able to experience a day’s worth of magic moments. You just thought, ‘I don’t know if that’d be dope anywhere else but here! Peck went on to detail how the culture in Hollywood often enables this kind of atrocious behavior. As he explained, “I think the assumption was, in Hollywood, like, [this] was just kind of part of it.
Following the release of “Quiet on Set,” Josh Peck reached out to Drake Bell privately to discuss their past and the allegations that had come to light. Bell stated that he was worried about their friendship, considering the severity of the allegations that he had been reporting.
Nickelodeon responded to the allegations raised by the docuseries via a spokesperson. They proceeded to add, “While we cannot confirm or deny the behavior of productions decades ago, all formal complaints are fully investigated as part of our ongoing efforts to provide a safe, professional workplace, free from harassment and other inappropriate behavior.”
“Quiet on Set” is not limited to discussing individual allegations. It shines a light on the systemic problems that are in no way new to children’s television but have been persistently ignored. As the series wraps up, it is an important reminder. We all need to stay engaged and continue advocating for positive changes in the industry that will shield young performers from abusive situations.