Quiet On Set: The Dark Side Of Kids TV has made a lot of noise in pop culture as of late, as cast members from some of Nickelodeon's most iconic shows of the '90s and 2000s opened up about their experiences. The doc, available with a Max subscription, features interviews from Drake Bell and many other former child stars from the era who shared their unpleasant experiences with former Nickelodeon creator Dan Schneider and others who worked on the sets. All That and Kenan & Kel star Kenan Thompson did not participate in the docuseries, but he had some thoughts to share on it.
Thompson was a guest on Tamron Hall and was asked about the docuseries. Hall confirmed that Thompson has not yet seen the series, but that he had a good reason for not doing so. The actor shared why he hasn't watched, as well as why it's a difficult thing for him to hear about:
Yeah, I mean, it's tough. It's a tough subject. It's tough for me because I can't really speak on things that I've never witnessed, you know what I'm saying? All these things happened after I left, basically. Dan [Schneider] wasn't really on Kenan & Kel like that. I mean he got a 'created by' credit but, you know, it was a different showrunner. Our worlds weren't really overly overlapping outside of All That, necessarily. And then all that negativity started happening outside of our tenure there. I wasn't aware of it, but my heart goes out to anybody that's been victimized or their families. I think it's a good thing that the doc is out, and it's putting things on display and stories that need to be told for accountability's sake. It's definitely tough to watch because I have fond memories of that place, and I have fond memories of my co-stars. To hear that they've gone through terrible things is really tough.
Kenan Thompson may be one of the most notable actors to emerge from All That, so it's understandable that he'd have fond memories of the show that effectively launched his career. Additionally, Thomspon noted that much of what was discussed occurred after he'd left, so he couldn't speak to the allegations.
That said, Thompson followed up with a strong support of Quiet On Set: The Dark Side Of Kids' TV, even though he hasn't watched. When Tamron Hall was wrapping up the questioning and mentioned the production company was investigating these claims, he added the following:
Well, investigate more! I mean because it's like, supposed to be a safe space. It's supposed to be a safe place for kids. To hear all about that is like, 'How dare you.'
Kenan Thompson hit the nail on the head with his response, and hopefully, the conversation around Quiet On Set: The Dark Side Of Kids TV will really spark some changes for child actors working in Hollywood. Hopefully, there will be more investigations and people who step up and speak out about abuses they've suffered on the sets of their shows.
Quiet On Set: The Dark Side Of Kids TV is available to stream on Max. Tune in and hear about the situations these former child actors were allegedly subjected to, which will certainly make viewers look back on those shows in a different light.
More to come...
