The reaction to Investigation Discovery’s “Quiet On Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV” documentary series from viewers, reporters and former child actors, as well as its large viewership, inspired directors Mary Robertson and Emma Schwartz to film a fifth installment. Titled “Breaking the Silence,” it continues the discussion by including unprecedented footage, an interview with “All That” star Shane Lyons, and other Nickelodeon stars’ reactions to Dan Schneider’s post-“Quiet On Set” interview.
“We made ‘Quiet On Set’ to be the ultimate work on a very specific period of time. And by discussing that period, shining a light on some systemic problems, what [the series] did was start a conversation much bigger than just that,” Jason Sarlanis, president of linear and streaming at ID, told TheWrap.
“Hundreds of media outlets and creators have started developing that story. But what ‘Breaking the Silence’ allows us the opportunity to do is join that conversation,” Sarlanis continued. “And more importantly, give the really brave contributors who are part of ‘Quiet On Set’ the opportunity to talk about how the aftermath of our documentary has affected their lives, and in some ways changed them forever. So really, Part Five is a reaction to the reaction.”
ID released the four-part series, which revealed the alleged abuse that occurred during Schneider’s time in the early ‘90s and 2000s, over two nights on March 17 and 18. Now, Sarlanis said, the series has been seen by over 20 million viewers and became the top show in all of streaming.
“That kind of support from the audience demonstrates that we struck a chord on something that needed to be discussed,” Sarlanis said. “We couldn’t have predicted this specific success of this story. We did anticipate that it would be meaningful. So much of what ‘Quiet On Set’ represents the direction we’re taking at the network in general, and I’m excited about many of the upcoming projects, some of which we are also working on with [Mary Robertson’s] Maxine Productions.”
In “Breaking the Silence,” Robertson and Schwartz go further by introducing new interviewees and hearing from Nickelodeon stars discussing how their lives have been since the show’s release. The filmmakers and Sarlanis began early talks about doing more filming after social media’s widespread reaction to the “Quiet On Set” trailer.
“In Part 5 you’re going to hear from [Shane Lyons] of the ‘All That’ cast, who hasn’t previously come forward,” Robertson said. “You’re going to watch never-before-seen footage, and award-winning journalist Soledad O’Brien is engaging with Gio[vonnie Samuels], and Bryan [Hearne] and Bryan’s mother, Tracy [Brown] — who were all featured in the original four episodes — and engaging with them on some of the questions around the video that Dan [Schneider] offered, how the impact of participating in the documentary has affected their lives.”
“We’re also, of course, talking directly with Drake Bell again,” Robertson added, “and hearing from him about how the project has affected his life. And he’ll be addressing some of the questions about the letter writers that have come up recently, too.”
As the conversation continues to grow, the group said they believe the series has sparked a movement that could ultimately help change the situation for child actors at a legislative level.
“We are seeing a movement come together around the film and beyond the film,” Robertson said. “We’re hearing calls for federal regulation. Right now, there is no federal regulation, there’s no federal legislation that governs or regulates children working in entertainment. There’s a variety of state laws.”
Some participants in the series have expanded the discussion to include adults on set needing better protections as well, Schwartz said.
“We certainly heard from a number of participants. One of the major concerns, even before this started, was the idea that there’s not a requirement for universal background checks for people working on sets, which is how you saw someone like Brian Peck ending up on other shows with children,” Schwartz explained. “I think they are very concerned about whether that can be something that can be changed in the law.”
“Jenny Kilgen, one of the writers who participated in the project, has written a letter to SAG-AFTRA about examining rules regarding the treatment of children and other people on sets,” Schwartz continued. “A number of the other participants have discussed whether there should be social workers and mental health specialists. You know, you’re talking about putting kids in an adult environment — especially when there are adults who are mistreated as well, that has a lot of layers and impact.”
As for what happens after Part 5, the group said they haven’t stopped researching and are open to seeing where new discoveries and insight take them.
“We’re definitely hearing from people every day with experiences, stories, and continuing to reach out,” Schwartz said. “If anyone has stories they want to share in this universe at large, we are interested in pursuing that.”
Sarlanis said he and the network fully support Schwartz and Robertson’s mission.
“I highly doubt this is the end of this story,” Sarlanis said. “One of the wonderful things that Mary and Emma did with ‘Quiet On Set’ was customize a documentary to empower this specific story, the specific participants. Our openness and our mission goes beyond just this specific story. Whatever form that might take, we’re here to support Mary and Emma for future endeavors in this space.”
Part 5 of “Quiet On Set,” “Breaking the Silence” will debut Sunday, April 7 at 8 p.m./7 p.m. Central on Investigation Discovery. All four episodes of “Quiet On Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV” are now available to stream on Max.
