The Darker Side of Nickelodeon
Were Boundaries Pushed to Far
Trigger warning deals with Child Abuse and Sexual assault!
Disney and Nickelodeon were the only channels geared towards kids in the 1990s before entertainment could be found on computer screens, but Nickelodeon was unique because these were shows aimed toward kids and starring kids.
But Nickelodeon also had a darker side. Dan Schneider became a producer around 1994, but around 2017 allegations of inappropriate behavior began to surface, including long hours and abusive behavior.
Convicted pedophiles would later work with some of these shows, including Drake Bell, one of Nickelodeon’s biggest stars. Drake Bell talks about the abuse not with Dan Schneider, but with Brian Peck a vocal coach.
While Brian Peck coached Nickelodeon’s child stars, it was not just Drake Bell who alleged abuse. In fact, Brian Peck, 43 at the time, was arrested in 2003 on 11 charges — including sodomy, lewd acts on a child 14 or 15 by someone 10 years older, and oral copulation under anesthesia — but until now, Bell has come forward to identify the victim. In a video released after the premiere of Quiet on the Set Nickelodeon executive and “Drake & Josh” creator Dan Schneider addressed allegations of emotional abuse and sexualization of child actors against him.
