Nickelodeon alum Kenan Thompson reacts to 'Quiet on Set' docuseries: 'Investigate more'
Kenan Thompson is reacting to the bombshell docuseries "Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV."
The "Saturday Night Live" comedian, who starred in "All That" and "Kenan & Kel" at Nickelodeon, confirmed Wednesday during an appearance on "The Tamron Hall Show" that he hadn't seen the docuseries but shared why "it's a tough subject" for him.
"Quiet on Set" investigates claims of abuse, sexism, racism, and toxic workplaces at Nickelodeon in its heyday of the 1990s and early 2000s, with producer Dan Schneider at the center of many allegations.
"It's tough for me because I can't really speak on things that I never witnessed" he said. "Because all these things happened after I left, basically."
While Schneider played a large part in "All That" when Thompson was on the sketch comedy show, his input on "Kenan & Kel" was just a "created by" credit and therefore their worlds didn't overlap that often on that project.
"I wasn't really aware of a lot of it, but my heart goes out to anybody that's been victimized, or their families," he added.
Schneider also co-wrote and appeared in the 1997 film "Good Burger," which Thompson starred in alongside Kel Mitchell playing based on their popular "All That" characters.
Thompson said "It's a good thing that the doc is out and it’s putting things on display that need to be, stories that need to be told for accountability’s sake" but it's hard because he has "fond memories" of his time at Nickelodeon.
"To hear that they’ve gone through terrible things like that, it’s really tough," he continued.
Schneider has responded to the docuseries, saying it made him feel "awful and regretful and sorry." Nickelodeon severed ties with Schneider in 2018.
Nickelodeon has also responded to the series, with the network telling ABC News that while it "cannot corroborate or negate allegations of behaviors from productions decades ago, Nickelodeon as a matter of policy investigates all formal complaints as part our commitment to fostering a safe and professional workplace environment free of harassment or other kinds of inappropriate conduct," adding that it has "adopted numerous safeguards over the years to help ensure we are living up to own high standards and the expectations of our audience."
As Hall noted these responses, notably the network's, Thompson interrupted to urge them to "investigate more."
"It's supposed to be a safe space. It's supposed to be a safe place for kids," he said. "To hear all about that it's just like, 'How dare you.'"
"Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV" recently announced a fifth episode of the docuseries will drop April 7.
