Disturbing details about what some former Nickelodeon child stars endured are coming to light following the release of "Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV," a documentary series that highlights alleged abuse and inappropriate behavior on set at some Nickelodeon TV shows in the 1990s and early 2000s.
Parts one and two of the four-part series, which aired Sunday on Investigation Discovery (ID), particularly tracks the influence Nickelodeon producer Dan Schneider had on shaping the network, creating shows and launching the careers of actors who would become major stars, like Amanda Bynes and Drake Bell, TODAY.com reports.
In the episodes, some writers and former child stars who worked at Nickelodeon allege that Schneider, as well as other higher-level staffers, created an atmosphere behind-the-scenes that was toxic, dysfunctional and abusive. It features allegations and testimonials from cast members on "All That," "Drake & Josh," "iCarly" and more.
One video clip from the series shared by the Daily Mail on TikTok outlines one of the disturbing allegations, which involves Nickelodeon dialogue coach Brian Peck and Chicago serial killer John Wayne Gacy.
@dailymail Former All That star Kyle Sullivan revealed the dark, unsettling discovery he made in the home of Nickelodeon dialogue coach Brian Peck's home. The revelations surfaced in the upcoming docuseries Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV, which premieres on ID on March 17. #brianpeck #nickelodeon #quietonset #drakebell ♬ original sound - Daily Mail
"I remember, at the time, I think it was about two-and-a-half years in, everyone went to Brian's house for a barbecue," former 'All That' star Kyle Sullivan says in the clip. "And his house was a little off."
Sullivan went on to describe what he saw in rooms in Peck's house, including vintage toys and comic books, as well as a garage that had been converted into what appeared to be a "Planet of the Apes shrine."
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"I noticed a painting in the room that stuck out to me because it had nothing to do with 'Planet of the Apes,'" Sullivan said. "It was of a birthday clown holding balloons."
After asking Peck about the painting, Sullivan, who was 14 at the time, said Peck "got very excited" to share that the painting had been a personal gift to Peck by John Wayne Gacy. Gacy, a serial killer and rapist in who in the 1970s murdered at least 33 teenage boys and young men in Cook County, was known at the time by the nickname "Killer Clown."
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"He flipped the thing around," Sullivan said, "and on the back, it said 'To Brian, I hope you enjoy the painting. Best wishes, your friend, John Wayne Gacy.'"
Sullivan added that Peck showed off the painting to parents who were also present at the barbecue. Peck also revealed to the group that he and Gacy were pen-pals, Sullivan said.
"He kept, like, this pile of letters and photos from John Wayne Gacy in his nightstand next to his bed," Sullivan continued. "And he pulls them out, and starts showing them to me...it was one of those classic, like, failures of group psychology."
According to TODAY.com, Sullivan and his "All That" co-stars later learned Peck had been accused of 11 counts of sexually abusing a minor. He went on to spend 16 months in prison.
The documentary also reveals that Drake Bell, former child star of the Nickelodeon show" Drake & Josh," was Peck's unnamed victim in a 2004 case.
"I've never talked about this outside of therapy," Bell said in the series, sharing for the first time that he was sexually abused by Peck.
In a March 15 statement made to TODAY.com, Nickelodeon said, “Now that Drake Bell has disclosed his identity as the plaintiff in the 2004 case, we are dismayed and saddened to learn of the trauma he has endured, and we commend and support the strength required to come forward.”
Parts three and four of "Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV," will air on ID and stream on Max Monday.
