Investigation Discovery's Quiet On Set: The Dark Side Of Kids TV is showing its viewers the unsavory side of '90s and 2000s children's live-action television on Nickelodeon and the shadiness surrounding the man running some of its most successful shows, Dan Schneider. Schneider was ousted from Nickelodeon in 2018, and now years later, the actors and writers who worked on his sets have come forward to tell their stories. It's pretty heavy, which is why viewers didn't take kindly to a former cast member of Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide making jokes about it.
Actor Devon Werkheiser co-hosts a podcast with his former co-stars from Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide, Lindsey Shaw and Daniel Curtis Lee. Werkheiser went live on TikTok while watching the docuseries on the 2024 TV schedule with Shaw and others, and he started riffing on the series while speaking to fans on the livestream. Part of his comments started making rounds via PopBase and can be read below:
[laughs] 'Daniel, we told you never to speak about that! Get back in your hole, Daniel! And give me your holes!' Sorry, we shouldn't joke about this, we really shouldn't. Because this was about us. Listen, our set was not like that. And no, it's fucking awful. The Drake Bell shit is crazy to hear, like that's fucked, man. And that never came out, which is really wild...Guys we can't joke like this, Jesus! Sometimes humor helps us move through things, ya know?
The comments did not sit well with many, including Drake Bell. The Drake & Josh star took to social media and re-shared the video while calling out Werkheiser for his remarks:
Ned’s Declassless…this is wild…laugh it up guys…laugh it up…'Give me your h*les?!!' Really?!
Devon Werkheiser acknowledged he shouldn't be joking about the docuseries, and he acknowledged that Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide was one of the shows Dan Schneider had no involvement in. He also noted the travesty of what happened to Drake Bell, who agreed to the documentary to tell the story of his sexual abuse by a member on set. Despite the acknowledgment, many Quiet On Set viewers didn't appreciate seeing the circulating video of the Ned's Declassified stars, and @andrewscomet said what many were thinking:
Why are they low key being insensitive towards this issue?
It's a valid question, considering Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide stands right along with all these other shows available with a Paramount+ subscription that allegedly had some troubling issues occur on set. @ThnkVNext pointed out why the video and jokes were problematic, despite the actor saying humor helped them move through it:
Yes, laughing and making jokes about young women being [sexually harassed] on set.
The video is surprising, especially considering the things Lindsey Shaw talked about concerning her struggles with body dysmorphia triggered by her experience in Hollywood. People were thrilled to see the Ned's Declassified cast reunite just a couple of years ago, but based on these latest comments from @buffys and others, many are not thrilled with them right now:
It’s not funny it’s not cute.
Quiet On Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV touches on many sensitive topics, including demeaning situations that Black child actors faced on set. It's all very upsetting to watch, and @node_ks and others don't know how the cast of Ned's Declassified could make light of it:
The entire cast of Ned’s declassified is fucking trash. Why would you joke about something like this? #QuietOnSet
It's possible that more former Nickelodeon stars will open up about their thoughts on Quiet On Set: The Dark Side Of Kids TV as the show continues. Out of all that has been released on the 2024 TV schedule, it's certainly the most riveting story for viewers who grew up with these actors and had no clue what was going on behind the scenes.
Quiet On Set: The Dark Side Of Kids TV has concluded on Investigation Discovery, but all episodes are available on streaming with a Max subscription. Check it out to learn the dark stories behind some of the most beloved Nickelodeon shows, and the crimes committed on those very same sets.
