Child actors pushed on set for ratings and box office success has long been the foundation of Hollywood as they become the fresh faces of film and TV tentpole franchises and indie gems.
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But Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV co-directors and executive producers Mary Robertson and Emma Schwartz spotted a fatal flaw in the production of kids TV series and the direction of its child stars with their Investigation Discovery docuseries that focused on toxic environment claims around popular Nickelodeon shows run by prolific producer Dan Schneider.
Former Nickelodeon actors had allegedly been left unprotected and vulnerable to on-set racism, exploitation and sexual abuse at very young ages. For co-director Schwartz, the success of the Quiet on Set series should help lay the groundwork for a more equitable and kinder kids TV set in Hollywood going forward.
“Everybody’s individual actions, how you react, how you treat people, how you handle being in a room where you see something and remain silent – we all have a choice when we’re in those spaces and a project like this creates awareness that can help people think about their own choices if they’re in the industry,” she told The Hollywood Reporter.
For their efforts, Robertson and Schwartz saw their five-part ID series score two Emmy nominations, one for best documentary or nonfiction series and another for best picture editing for a nonfiction program. Quiet on Set tackles the kaleidoscopic complexities of kids TV, where what was celebrated as sweet and harmless comedy in a bygone era today to new eyes looks as if young actors were being sexualized on set, and deliberately so.
Among the more shocking reveals in Quiet on Set was teen star Drake Bell identified as the previously-anonymous child actor who was allegedly sexually abused by fellow All That and The Amanda Show alum Brian Peck, who was convicted of child sexual abuse in 2004.
Schwartz says the Emmy nominations are as much a credit for the series’ creative team as former Nickelodeon child stars, now adults, who spoke up and spoke clearly about their TV industry experiences and trauma after staying silent for so long. “One of the participants said to me, ‘I’m glad for this Emmy nomination because now more people will watch, more people will tune in and hear what we had to say,’” Schwartz told THR.
The idea that putting a halt to the abuse and sexualizing of young actors and holding those that continue to commit such acts accountable could be the focus of the long-form documentary is central to what the ID docuseries accomplished for its co-directors.
“The documentary series, the documentary feature is one of the most powerful ways in today’s culture and in today’s media structures to effectuate accountability. There used to be other mediums that were more dominant. But today, the documentary series really has such an extraordinary power to hold an audience and to move an audience,” Robertson argued.
The ID and Max docuseries has racked up around 20 million viewers since an original four episodes of Quiet on Set premiered on March 17, with a bonus fifth episode, Breaking the Silence , then released on April 7.
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The Quiet on Set series has faced pushback, most prominently from Dan Schneider after he sued ID for allegedly falsely implying that he sexually abused child actors during his time at Nickelodeon. But that’s left the series directors undaunted in their quest to shine a light into the dark corners of kids TV in Hollywood, or elsewhere as their investigative documentary work continues.
“The work I’ve always been drawn to, it always looks ultimately at power and how power functions and usually that’s because there’s questions about how power has been enacted,” Schwartz explained.
The hit docuseries will compete at the Emmys against Beckham , a series following David Beckham’s life and career; The Jinx – Part Two , which looked further into Robert Durst’s apparent murder confession from part one; STAX: Soulsville U.S.A. , a deep dive into the storied Tennessee soul label; and Telemarketers , which follows two employees who stumble on the murky truth behind their work at a call center and seek to expose the telemarketing industry.
Robertson applauds all four rival series as “terrific” and, as it happens, she and Schwartz are working with Jamila Wignot, the director of STAX: Soulsville U.S.A. , on another project at their Maxine Productions banner. “We are both cheering each other on and working together. I celebrate everyone’s success, seeing work of this quality engage a large audience, seeing work of this caliber receive positive critical responses and award nominations is a victory for the future,” she insisted.
Both Schwartz and Robertson aren’t strangers to award season success, but that didn’t stop more than a little trepidation felt before their recent Emmy nomination haul was revealed to the world. Robertson recalled being in a zoom call to discuss heavy lifting required to move along a current project, only to finally answer a text message that popped up on her mobile phone.
“I said, Emma! We just got nominated for an Emmy! So we broke away from work on the next project for a few minutes,” she added. Robertson welcomed being buried in work while the Emmy nominations were announced. “I was pretty nervous, so I was happy to be distracted by the day’s problems,” she recalled.
And both being a touch superstitious, Robertson insists no pen has yet been put to paper for a trophy-winning speech should the Emmy gods ultimately shine on the Quiet on Set docuseries. “There probably will be a moment when we write something down so, in the event we do win, we’re not caught unprepared. But we haven’t given it much thought just yet,” Robertson added.
This story first appeared in an August stand-alone issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe .
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