Peace on set: The dark side of children’s television may have exposed the dark side of ’90s children’s television, but the documentary series, which is nominated for Best Documentary at this year’s Emmy Awards, also has a lot to offer.
In Deadline’s conversation with the executive producers and participants of the Investigation Discovery project during Contenders Television: The Nominees, former All that Actor Bryan Hearne says he believes there is a “100 percent” chance that things will change for the better now that executive producers Mary Robertson and Emma Schwartz have shed light on this dark time.
The documentary series, which is also competing for an Emmy in the category of Best Picture Editing for a Nonfiction Program, aims to expose the toxic and dangerous culture on the sets of Dan Schneider’s Nickelodeon children’s shows in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
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“We were both pretty active,” added Giovonnie Samuels, who starred in Nickelodeon’s All that with Hearne and participated in the docuseries. “There’s a program associated with SAG that deals with this very issue and I’m going to continue to shout it from the rooftops in any way I can. Bryan’s nonprofit has been helping people and making sure they know and understand. I’m in the process of turning my acting workshops into a nonprofit so I can help more people and get the word out. We’ve been talking to Congress and trying to make this a federal law so everyone is covered and protected.”
And what would a federal law look like if it were passed?
“If child molesters aren’t allowed to go to school, then they shouldn’t be allowed on set, period,” Samuels said. In the docuseries, former child star Drake Bell talks about being physically abused by former voice coach Brian Peck. “It’s not about making it complicated. Sometimes laws need to be simple or provide common sense (for children) to be protected.”
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In the documentary series, authors Jenny Kilgen and Christy Stratton reveal allegations of a toxic and sexist environment in The Amanda Show Authors’ room. Alexa Nikolas offers insights into working with Zoey101. The documentary series also features additional cast and crew members from iCarly, Sam and Cat, Victorious, and Marc Summers from the popular game show Double challenge. Peace on set also includes emotional statements from parents of the actors who tried to advocate for their children’s rights on these sets.
Peace on set became the most-streamed show in Max’s history, with the first four episodes alone reaching 1.25 billion minutes of viewing time between March 18 and March 24. Robertson and Schwartz said a priority during production was to make participants feel free to tell their experiences in the way that felt right to them.
Check back on Monday to watch the panel video.
