One of the Best Docuseries of 2024 Just Dropped on Prime (and Already Scored 100% on Rotten Tomatoes)
A new disturbing documentary series has left viewers incredibly horrified, and now even more people will be able to learn the gruesome truth.
Summary
- In early March, a new documentary miniseries debuted on Investigation Discovery.
- It's a harrowing and candid story about the sexual abuse of child actors at Nekelodion in the 90's and 00's.
- The new series is now available to stream on Prime Video.
When it comes to documentaries, Netflix has been the absolute leader in the market for several years now. In 2024 alone, the platform released projects like Bitconned, American Nightmare, The Greatest Night in Pop, Lover, Stalker, Killer, Einstein and the Bomb, American Conspiracy: The Octopus Murders — each has received rave reviews from critics and frequently appears on lists of the best documentaries produced in recent years.
However, documentary filmmakers are not only working with Netflix, and no less exciting stories are being released on other platforms as well.
Of particular note is the recent documentary miniseries that premiered on Investigation Discovery, but was also available for streaming on Max and Discovery+. It has already generated a tremendous amount of discussion across media and social platforms in just three weeks of airing.
Moreover, critics and audiences alike absolutely raved about it (even if they were horrified by its revelations). And now even more people can get to know the new series, as it is now available on Prime Video.
What Is the New Docuseries on Prime About?
We're talking about the documentary miniseries Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV, which aired from March 17 to April 7, 2024 and consisted of only five episodes.
It was produced and directed by Mary Robertson, who co-directed the series with Emma Schwartz. The new documentary delves into the dark side of Nickelodeon, exposing its toxic, exploitative and downright abusive work culture on set, the subtle sexualization of many of its children's shows, and even the molestation of children.
The series is primarily focused on Dan Schneider's tenure as a producer at the network in the '90s and '00s, but the story also digs into the reports of former child actors who were sexually abused by the network's staff, including dialogue coach Brian Peck and production assistant Jason Michael Handy.
What Are Critics and Viewers Saying about It?
Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV received critical and audience acclaim and reignited the debate about exploitative conditions in television. On Rotten Tomatoes, the critics' score was a perfect 100%. Many praised the cohesiveness of the story and the relevance of the subject matter.
The miniseries proved to be a powerful statement against exploitative conditions in the entertainment industry, while providing a platform for survivors of years of abuse and sexual harassment.
Quiet on Set is frank, hard-hitting and infuriating, but definitely a must-see, as we are all familiar with children's television — but not familiar with the horrors that go on behind the scenes.
The viewers' opinion is a bit colder, as the score stands at 78%. Some noted that the show shields parents who turn a blind eye to the harsh conditions on the set (even if they do not know all the gruesome details) and send their children there for monetary value. Still, many people echoed the critics in their assessment of this disturbing story of abuse and mistreatment.
How and Where to Stream This Series?
Max — The series is available for streaming on the HBO-owned service. Subscriptions start at $9.99 per month.
Discovery+ — The documentary is also available on this platform. Subscription plans start at $4.99 per month.
Prime Video — And of course, as mentioned, the show is now available on Prime. Except that in addition to Amazon's standard subscription (starting at $8.99 per month), you'll need to combine it with the aforementioned Max or Discovery+ subscriptions.