‘Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV’: 6 key takeaways from the documentary

Beginning in the late 1990s, Nickelodeon flourished with back-to-back hits in the kids’ television space with shows like “All That,” “The Amanda Show” and more. These are some of the key takeaways from “Quiet on Set.” Christy Stratton, a writer on Nickelodeon’s “The Amanda Show,” speaks about what it was like to work for Dan Schneider. “Our highest priorities are the well-being and best interests not just of our employees, casts and crew, but of all children, and we have adopted numerous safeguards over the years to help ensure we are living up to our own high standards and the expectations of our audience.” A spokesperson for Schneider issued a statement on Monday as well, saying that the TV creator “could get frustrated at times, and he understands why some employees found that intimidating or stressful” and that “he also knows some people did not have a positive experience, and he is truly sorry for that.” Bryan Hearne, a performer on “All That,” recalls a segment where he was covered in peanut butter and it was licked off his body by dogs — something that he now likens to “an awkward fantasy from a freaky dude.” Child actors were asked to perform risque material and gross dares In “Quiet on Set,” numerous colleagues and former cast members allege that Schneider tested boundaries by writing off-color jokes and creating provocative visual gags that were clearly out of place on a show aimed at — and starring — children. In one of the more stark examples, he created a character called Penelope Taynt — as in the bawdy slang term for the perineum — who was played by Bynes on “The Amanda Show.” The series also shows footage of other scenes from Schneider’s shows and clips he uploaded to the web in which underage actors were inappropriately sexualized, including a sequence in which future pop superstar Ariana Grande doused herself in water while lying upside-down off the side of a bed and another in which she attempted to “milk” a potato by squeezing it with both hands. While nobody alleges any specific misconduct, they do point to situations that seem at least a bit problematic in hindsight — including scenes Schneider scripted for the two of them, like a hot tub scene where he’s fully clothed and she’s in a swimsuit, in “The Amanda Show.” The series also asserts that Schneider was heavily involved not only in Bynes’ professional life but in her personal life as well, including trying to help her get emancipated from her parents.