By Nick Nitkowski

“Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV” is a docuseries that has seriously blown up since its announcement and the fallout has only increased over time since it released. This series interviews former Nickelodeon stars of the hit 90’s shows including “All That”, “The Amanda Show”, and “Drake & Josh” to name a few, as they share their stories of what it was really like on the set of those shows revealing some dark secrets that the studio wants to stay hidden.

This series has already taken social media by storm! So much so that more and more is being uncovered that the series doesn’t even touch on. It’s truly astounding.

I remember watching these shows as a kid and I just remember thinking how awesome it would be to be on those shows. It really looked like everyone on set was having fun. Little did I know about all the terrible things that were going on behind the scenes at the time as well as all of the sexual subliminal messages and double entendres that they snuck into the shows and shown on air. I was completely oblivious to all of this until this docuseries opened my eyes to it.

The mastermind behind all of this being Dan Schneider who was able to get away with so much because of his success in creating these multiple hit shows. This series touches on all of his misdeeds and the misdeeds of others working under him and it is not pretty. There is definitely darkness behind the glam.

Some of the former Nickelodeon stars featured in this series include Kyle Sullivan, Leon Frierson, Giovonnie Samuels, and Drake Bell. They also feature some of the stars’ parents and a few behind the scenes artists including writers and editors. All of these interviewees share their personal experiences on sets and what it was really like to work with the people in charge. Some stories being darker than others.

They feature lots of footage from the 90’s showing off all the glitz and glam that came with being a child star on hit TV shows in the 90s as well as actual clips from the corresponding shows. But as the stories are being told, you get to see these clips in a whole new light that is deeply disturbing. Most of these clips I have personally witnessed on TV as a kid, but all of the disturbing truths and the subliminal messages that were aired right in front of me went right over my head. It wasn’t until I watched this particular series and seeing those clips through the eyes of an adult that my eyes were finally opened.

This series is by no means an easy watch. It is actually very difficult to get through because of the subject matter alone. It also serves as a warning to those who may be seeking a career in the industry while also unveiling tremendous abuse of power through control, scare tactics and manipulation.

Series like these I believe are extremely important to this day and age. Not only does in hold the wrongdoers accountable for their actions and revealing to the world the monsters they truly are, but it also helps the victims feel brave enough to come forward and share their stories and hopefully help them to find the peace that they deserve. Definitely give this a look if you can as it shows that the real slime behind Nickelodeon was working behind the scenes the whole time.

5 stars