Who Are Dan Schneider and Brian Peck, Accused of Sexual Misconduct in Nickelodeon Scandal?
The docuseries 'Quien on Set' delves into the scandals of abuse experienced in the production of series for teenagers and children
Over the past few years, various scandals have surrounded Nickelodeon, one of the television channels for children that has produced the most successful series in the early 2000s, including The Amanda Show, All That, Drake & Josh, iCarly, or Zoey 101, among others. Some names have stood out more than others, and until now, Dan Schneider, former Nickelodeon producer and screenwriter, was one of the most visible faces of public complaints from employees about alleged misconduct.
Schneider parted ways with the network in 2018, amid several complaints about his behavior, which included disturbing behaviors towards young actresses, such as posting images of their feet on X (formerly Twitter).
Shortly thereafter, it was revealed through an investigation by The New York Times that the decision to part ways with Schneider and Nickelodeon came because the parent company, ViacomCBS, conducted an internal investigation that showed Dan had verbally abused his colleagues, although the allegations of sexual misconduct were not proven.
In 2022 Business Insider gathered new accusations of gender discrimination. Jenny Kilgen, a former writer for The Amanda Show, commented that Schneider engaged in inappropriate sexual jokes, asking her if she had «a history of phone sex» and requesting massages.
«He would say things sometimes like, ‘Can you please give me a massage? I’ll put one of your sketches in the show’. And he would always present it like a joke, you know, and he would be laughing while he said it, but you always felt like disagreeing with Dan or standing up for yourself could result in you getting fired,» Kilgen publicly revealed.
These accusations are reviewed in the new Investigation Discovery and Max documentary, Quiet on Set: The Dark Side Of Kids TV, which includes various interviews with those who worked with Schneider on some of Nickelodeon‘s big hits, including iCarly, Victorious, Sam & Cat, or The Amanda Show.
One of the most impactful moments in the investigation may be Drake Bell’s appearance, one of the co-stars of Drake & Josh, and his firmness in denouncing the sexual assault he experienced while working in the Nickelodeon series. Bell points to a name involved in the production: Brian Peck.
Who is the Child Actor in ‘Quien on Set’?
Brian Peck (who has no relation to Bell’s co-star on the show, Josh Peck) is a former actor, dialogue coach, and producer, convicted as a sex offender. He was first arrested in August 2003 for his inappropriate conduct with a minor, facing 11 different charges. Now, following the release of the documentary Quiet on Set, the alleged acts he committed against Drake Bell (who was 15 at the time) have been revealed.
At the time of his conviction, the identity of the child actor Peck abused was unknown (presented under the pseudonym John Doe), however, the documents have been unsealed nearly 20 years later, revealing it was Bell.
@mianimesha This is so sad omg. BRIAN PECK YOU ARE A MONSTER!!! #quietonsetthedarksideofkidstv #Drakebell #hbomax #nickelodeonkids ♬ original sound – miani mesha
«The abuse was extensive, and it got pretty brutal, pretty brutal. I don’t know how to elaborate on that on camera, really. Just think of the worst thing someone could do to you, like sexual abuse, and that would answer your question. I don’t know what else to say about that. It wasn’t a one-time thing,» Drake reveals in one of the interviews on «Quiet on Set.»
Drake also expresses his disappointment that, at the time of Peck’s prosecution, 41 people wrote letters in support of him, which were used to influence the judge during sentencing. Some of the people who supported Peck at that time were Melendez, Alan Thicke, James Marsden, Rider Strong, Will Friedle, and Bell’s former The Amanda Show co-star Taran Killam.
Little else is known about Peck’s current whereabouts, as he has been retired from the entertainment industry since 2019.
Dan Schneider’s Apologies
Following the airing of Quiet on Set, Schneider, as a former Nickelodeon producer and one of the figures implicated in the network’s scandals, has issued his apologies online. Although he declined to be interviewed for the docuseries, Schneider reportedly decided to apologize for several of the allegations, including asking for «massages» on set, sexual jokes, and a hostile work environment.
«Watching over the past two nights was very difficult, me facing my past behaviors, some of which are embarrassing and that I regret, and I definitely owe some people a pretty strong apology,» Schneider reveals in an interview on his YouTube channel, moderated by the actor known as BooG!E, who appeared on iCarly.
