It is practically common knowledge that Hollywood and the entertainment industry are corrupt institutions, but the new Max docu-series Quiet on Set demonstrated how this corruption was even more sickening and twisted than one might expect, especially in the world of childhood entertainment.

  The series focuses on the horrors that went on behind the scenes of many Nickelodeon shows produced between the late 90s and early 2010s. At the head of all the mistreatment and disturbing stories is producer Dan Schneider, whose offenses included sexism, workplace discrimination, and sexual assault. The disturbing ways that Schneider demonstrated his power on camera throughout his time as a Nickelodeon producer made my stomach turn, and the testimonials from child actors and adult writers alike about what he was like off screen were even worse.

  One of the saddest yet most well-done parts of the documentary was seeing how the actors began their careers with high hopes and passion, but these positive emotions became overshadowed by the abuse of power by the adults on set. The stories of “Brandi” (which is presumed to be an alias) and Drake Bell were especially sickening to hear about, and learning how people who were so excited to start their acting careers had their experiences destroyed by disgusting adults who were supposed to be trustworthy mentors was heartbreaking.

  Seeing so many parents of child actors who felt that something was off at Nickelodeon but had their concerns dismissed by people in positions of authority was horrifying. Drake Bell, who was groomed and assaulted by dialogue coach and frequent guest star Brian Peck, had an odd relationship with Peck from the beginning, which Bell’s father picked up on. However, producers and executives at Nickelodeon dismissed these suspicions and tried to turn Bell’s father against him.

  This was Bell’s first time publicly sharing his story, and viewers can really see how much Peck’s abuse affected him. While Bell was pretending to be happy-go-lucky for his young fanbase, he was dealing with poor mental health and substance abuse issues behind the scenes. Twenty years after being assaulted, the pain in Bell’s voice and expressions is still so poignant.

  Although the documentary barely touches on Schneider’s own child sexual assault allegations, other creepy things that he did to exert his power over his employees were haunting. In one video clip, Schnieder explains how he can make the teen actors on his show do “anything he wants,” which was almost as disturbing as some of the graphic depictions of what other Nickelodeon employees had done. Regardless of his supposed inappropriate sexual behavior, Schnieder was still verbally abusive and aggressive to the children on set, which was incredibly saddening to hear about.

  One of the best things about this documentary is that it ends with a call to action. Each of the former child stars interviewed for the documentary explains that their experiences, no matter how seemingly positive, had some dark undertones.  In the entertainment industry, the children were not seen as individuals to be protected, but rather concepts to be marketed. In response to this, many of the former stars called for stricter security and regulations for minors working on TV sets.