Plot Synopsis

Directed by Mary Robertson and Emma Schwartz, QUIET ON SET: THE DARK SIDE OF KIDS TV is four-part documentary series that uncovers the toxic and dangerous culture behind some of the most iconic children's shows of the late 1990s and early 2000s. 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 country 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 insidious environment rife with allegations of abuse, sexism, racism, and inappropriate dynamics with its underage stars and crew. The series 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 on set 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. Poignantly, the series also offers 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 a pattern of gross, abusive, and manipulative behavior that unfolded across decades, as well as exclusive stories about child predators on set. These interviews, woven with archival footage (some of which has never been broadcast), scenes from the shows and social media commentary, will re-contextualize 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 re-framing of these beloved shows. QUIET ON SET: THE DARK SIDE OF KIDS TV premieres across two nights on Investigation Discovery from 9-11pm ET/PT on Sunday, March 17 and Monday, March 18, 2024:

"Rising Stars, Rising Questions" (Sunday, March 17, 2024 at 9pm): In the 1990s, a new creator emerges at Nickelodeon, showrunner Dan Schneider, who brings laughter and mentorship to kids' TV; he champions young talent like Amanda Bynes, but behind the scenes, some female writers face a toxic and sexist environment.

"Hidden in Plain Sight" (Sunday, March 17, 2024 at 10pm)

"The Darkest Secret" (Monday, March 18, 2024 at 9pm): A former child-star reveals how he survived abuse at the hands of his acting coach; the harrowing account traces how he met his abuser on set, the ways this coach upended the child's family and the challenges faced when the actor sought out police.

"Too Close to the Sun" (Monday, March 18, 2024 at 10pm)