Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV

Docu-series dealing with troublesome or traumatic events are always tricky. While I believe that such stories need to be told, it is difficult (sometimes downright impossible) to do so with objectivity and clear-headedness. Somewhat unfortunately, Quiet on the Set gets that balance wrong, for the most part-but also features one gut-wrenching story that has the potential (I think) to spur real change.

The first, second, and fourth episodes of Quiet on the Set are pretty poor from a journalistic perspective. Ostensibly, the goal from directors Mary Robertson & Emma Schwartz seems to be to implicate Nickelodeon producer Dan Schneider as a child molester. There is, however, no hard or tangible evidence to point to in this reckoning. As such, viewers get three episodes of circumstantial suppositions and a guilt-by-association angle of trying to link Schneider to other Nick employees who were documented child predators. I do not support such journalism. Was Schneider a weirdo who should not have been afforded as much reign with children as he had? Almost certainly. Am I going to condemn his entire career/reputation based on the scraps of "evidence" this doc submits? Certainly not.

Throughout those three episodes the doc also suffers from the "hindsight is 20/20" problem from nearly all its commentators. To a person, everyone says "someone should have done something to stop this"-but all also come up with excuses as to why they did nothing. It doesn't work both ways like that. One can have regrets for actions or inactions of the past, to be sure, but I have no sympathy for complaining about it and smearing the reputation of others years after the fact. Had any one of these many individuals "blown the whistle" sooner, perhaps much trauma could have been avoided.

On those three eps alone, I'd give this doc maybe 4 stars. So, why the 7-star rating overall? Because the third episode is an important, gut-wrenching tale from star Drake Bell. To me, he seems to be perhaps the only grounded, clear-headed thinker in this entire production. Not only does he tactfully tell a traumatic story (one of legitimate-not supposed-sexual assault), but he does so with a thoughtfulness one might not expect from such a young man. My heart broke for what he went through, but if any good or meaningful change comes from this whole ordeal it will be on the back of his harrowing stories.

So, though the rest of this doc is "tenuous at best", I'll give it a 7/10 overall because of that one extremely compelling story. I hope other viewers are able to separate fact from speculation and not fall into the easily-accessible trap of "guilt by association" that Quiet on the Set is eager to spring.

This is a story that needs to be told. 5 minutes into the first episode and I was already sick to my stomach. I can't even imagine what else was happening behind closed doors seeing what was even allowed to air.

Really engrossing documentary so far and its utterly shocking seeing everything that was allowed and pushed under the rug simply due to the fact that the shows were getting viewers and making money.

I genuinely feel sick I cannot stress it enough, just be advised before you watch. The conditions these literal children were put in at the hands of a disgusting pervert and writers, coaches that allowed it to happen will trigger you. Nervous to even finish the last two parts.

These kids were completely let down by all the adults who had one job - protecting them. Absolutely heartbreaking testimonies from witnesses and victims.

Nickelodeon was unknown to me (as living in another continent) prior to this documentary and I didn't know so many celebs started out there on these shows. So in that sense very educational. What is actually wrong with show business in the US, I have to wonder.

The style of the documentary was not to my taste though and I wish the seriousness of the topic would've been respected more by choosing a more grounded tone. Now it looks too cheap at times and was annoying to follow with all the fast cuts and back and forths.

Recommended regardless.

I just watched the first 2 episodes of the show, and it was a solid start for a Discovery documentary. I definitely learned a lot of new things about the controversy surrounding Dan Shneider and the people he let into his inner circle.

The first episode sets up how Dan became a success, and how he came to weild his power negatively over anyone except cis white men. I certainly have a lot more empathy for Amanda Bynes and the person she is today. The second episode dove deeper into the ways Dan and his on-set friends integrated sex into the children's shows in very non-sublte ways. Unfortunately, we are left on a cliff-hanger, as expected. However, even though we are introduced to the actor who was abused, I still can't wait for the next episode to drop so that we can hear them tell their truth.

I give it an 8, I even rewound the show as a spit take on some of things the grown child actors had to say about their experiences. After watching it, you won't think of pickles the same way.

Wow so much darker and more disturbing than I was expecting, so glad I watched this. I have never seen a documentary bring the topic kids side of TV to such light. This was incredibly sad and yet so captivating. I was literally in the edge of my seat through the second half. I really hope this documentary changes things in the industry. Wanting, if you watch this be prepared to never enjoy watching your favorite Nickelodeon shows again. This was so incredibly heartbreaking and I expect it to sit with me for a few days. Everyone who shared their story was incredibly brave and it means so much for the kids that are being protected through bringing this darkness to the surface.