Topline
Drake Bell’s former co-star on Nickelodeon’s “Drake & Josh,” Josh Peck, broke his silence on a new docuseries, “Quiet on Set: The Dark Side Of Kids TV,” in which Bell revealed he had been sexually abused while working for Nickelodeon.
Key Facts
In a post on Instagram Thursday, Peck said he finished the docuseries and “took a few days to process it,” adding he wanted “to give my support for the survivors who were brave enough to share their stories of emotional and physical abuse on Nickelodeon sets.”
Peck said he reached out to Bell privately in the post, which Bell confirmed in a TikTok Wednesday encouraging fans to “take it a little easy on [Peck]” after Bell “noticed a lot of comments” on Peck’s social media posts criticizing him for not commenting on the abuse.
Peck went on to say in the post that “children should be protected” and he hopes that the docuseries is “healing for the victims and their families” and “brings necessary change to our industry.”
Crucial Quote
“I just want you guys to know that he has reached out to me, and it’s been very sensitive,” Bell said in his Wednesday TikTok about Peck. “But he has reached out to talk with me and help me work through this. And has been really, really great.”
Key Background
Bell and Peck portrayed teen stepbrothers on Nickelodeon’s “Drake & Josh,” which ran from 2004 until 2008 and was created by Dan Schneider, who was the primary subject of Investigation Discovery’s “Quiet on Set.” The docuseries aired Sunday and Monday and provided “the untold story of the toxic and abusive environment inside ’90s kids’ TV, specifically on the set of Schneider’s shows at Nickelodeon. Schneider was described as a sort of golden child for Nickelodeon and was the mind behind hit shows like Amanda Bynes’ “The Amanda Show” and Miranda Cosgrove’s “iCarly. ” The docuseries featured interviews with former child stars—including Bell, but not Peck—and crew members who alleged Nickelodeon producer Schnieder ran a toxic workplace. Schneider released a video Tuesday in which he apologized for his behavior and said he was “embarrassed” by how he ran a writers’ room and admitted there were times he “said things that went too far” because he was “inexperienced” and “immature.” The documentary was the first place Bell revealed he was the John Doe in a sexual abuse case involving former Nickelodeon dialogue coach Brian Peck. Brian Peck has no relation to Josh Peck.
Tangent
Schnieder also said in his apology video he did not hire Brian Peck, Bell’s abuser. He said he was was “more devastated by (what happened to Bell) than anything that’s ever happened to me in my career thus far.” Schneider teared up in the video discussing the situation and said Bell’s mother asked for his help writing her speech to read in court against Brian Peck.
