Disclaimer: This article contains mentions of abuse. Reader discretion is advised.
Investigation Discovery’s Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV will feature former Nickelodeon child actor Drake Bell. In the upcoming series, Bell accuses his former dialogue coach, Brian Peck, of sexual abuse. The four-part series dropped a new clip suggesting that Bell will speak out about his alleged abuse by Peck. The latter has previously worked as a dialogue coach on Nickelodeon’s All That and The Amanda Show.
Quiet on Set dropped a new clip suggesting that Bell will speak out about his alleged abuse by Peck, reported Variety. A press release says that Bell “will be sharing publicly, for the first time, the story of the abuse he suffered at the hands of Brian Peck, his former dialogue coach.” Additionally, the release mentions Peck’s 2004 conviction for his crimes against Drake.
The four-part docuseries also investigates the alleged toxic environment on ’90s sets run by Dan Schneider. He is known for creating Nickelodeon programs like The Amanda Show, Drake & Josh, Zoey 101, iCarly, Victorious, and Sam & Cat.
Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV premieres on ID on March 17, 2024, at 9 p.m. ET. The series will also be available to stream on Max.
What did Drake Bell say about Brian Peck’s alleged abuse?
Before the premiere of Quit on Set, Investigation Discovery dropped new bombshells that will be featured in the upcoming docuseries. The announcement revealed that former actor Drake Bell will speak about the alleged sexual abuse he faced by his then dialogue coach Brian Peck. The two worked together on Nickelodeon’s The Amanda Show, reported Entertainment Weekly.
In a press release, the network stated that Peck “was convicted in 2004 for his crimes against Drake and ordered to register as a sex offender.” Variety reported that Peck was arrested in 2003, and the following year, he pleaded no contest, resulting in a conviction.
Per Variety, the release states, “The clip reveals that former Nickelodeon star Drake Bell will be sharing publicly, for the first time, the story of the abuse he suffered at the hands of Brian Peck, his former dialogue coach who was convicted in 2004 for his crimes against Drake and ordered to register as a sex offender.”
The Hollywood Reporter further stated that in the new clip, an unnamed person mentions Brian Peck in the interview. This individual, who then emerges as Drake Bell, says, “To hear Brian Peck was a sexual predator, it made me wonder immediately about who was being hurt.” However, the clip does not reveal other details about Bell’s allegations against Peck.
Was Brian Peck ever charged?
Variety‘s report further details Brian Peck’s conviction from two decades ago. In August 2003, Peck faced accusations of molesting an unnamed minor, leading to his arrest. Eventually, in May 2004, he pleaded no contest to performing a lewd act with a 14 or 15-year-old and to oral copulation with a minor under 16. He then spent 16 months in prison and was also ordered to register as a sex offender.
Recently, Peck was in the news after an episode of Rider Strong and Will Friedle’s podcast, Pod Meets World. Cast members Strong and Friedle recalled working with Peck on the show. Moreover, after Peck faced the sexual abuse allegations, he allegedly asked Strong and Friedle to support him in court, which they did.
Friedle remembered, “We’re sitting in that courtroom on the wrong side of everything … The victim’s mother turned and said, ‘Look at all the famous people you brought with you. And it doesn’t change what you did to my kid.’ I just sat there wanting to die. It was like, ‘What the hell am I doing here?’ It was horrifying all the way around.”
He then expressed remorse for taking Brian Peck’s side, “There’s an actual victim here, and he turned us against the victim to where now we’re on his team. That’s the thing where, to me, I look back at that as my ever-loving shame for this entire [thing]. Getting taken in by somebody who’s a good actor and a manipulator, I could chalk that up to being young and that’s the way it is. It’s awful.”
Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV premieres on ID on March 17, 2024.