'I'm Upset': Nickelodeon Actors Who Participated In Quiet On Set Are Not Happy About Where The Show Landed
The show premiered in March.
Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV has emerged as one of the most-talked about titles on the 2024 TV schedule. The five-part documentary series features former child actors and crew members who worked for Nickelodeon during the ‘90s and 2000s. And, throughout the course of the show, many share negative experiences regarding their time work amidst the tenure of former super producer Dan Schneider. Since the bombshell program finished up, many of its interviewees have continued to speak out. More recently, some have expressed displeasure with the network on which the series landed.
Produced by Business Insider, Maxine Productions and Sony Pictures Television, the show was released by Investigation Discovery, which is known for producing introspective documentaries, many of which are related to true crime stories. A few of the ex-Nick stars that were involved with Quiet on Set are now claiming that they were unaware that the production was being handled by ID. One of the people to speak out was Zoey 101 alum Alexa Nikolas. She explained to IndieWire that she initially wasn’t aware of the network and weighed in on how its approach to content impacted the doc:
Even before the docuseries aired, Alexa Nikolas had been vocal about her working experience with Nick in the early 2000s and has continued to be since the premiere. (She also went viral for blasting Dan Schneider’s response to the production.) These latest claims come on the heels of comments made about the producers making QoS under false pretenses. Just weeks ago, former Double Dare host Marc Summers said he felt “ambushed” while giving an interview for the doc.
It’s said that Alexa Nikolas ultimately feels that some good came from the show, though she also believes it was exploitative in some regards due in part to ID’s distinct “style.” Similar thoughts were shared by Raquel Lee Bolleau, a veteran of The Amanda Show, who shared her story on the show. Like Nikolas, she reportedly filmed her interview in the spring of 2023 and apparently only knew that the then-untitled project was being crafted by Maxine Productions. They supposedly didn’t learn of the ID connection until early 2024. Lee Bolleau shared her account, saying:
Though she’s “upset” over how everything reportedly played out, Raquel Lee Bolleau doesn’t hold a grudge against ID. She is, however, placing blame on another entity. During her interview, she also shared thoughts on the series being available to Max subscribers:
Aside from Alexa Nikolas and Raquel Lee Bolleau, Quiet on Set also featured interviews with other Nickelodeon alums like Giovonnie Samuels, Bryan Hearne and Drake Bell, who revealed he was sexually abused by former dialogue coach and convicted sex offender Brian Peck. It’s currently unclear if more actors will speak up on ID’s participation with the show and, as of this writing, it’s unclear whether the network or the production companies plan to build on the doc in any way as Lee Bolleau opined.
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Erik Swann is a Senior Content Producer at CinemaBlend. He began working with the publication in 2020 when he was hired as Weekend Editor. Today, he continues to write, edit and handle social media responsibilities over the weekend. On weekdays, he also writes TV and movie-related news and helps out with editing and social media as needed. He graduated from the University of Maryland, where he received a degree in Broadcast Journalism. After shifting into multi-platform journalism, he started working as a freelance writer and editor before joining CB. Covers superheroes, sci-fi, comedy, and almost anything else in film and TV. He eats more pizza than the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.