Quiet on Set: Brian Peck’s sinister connection to John Wayne Gacy

Ahead of the release of Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV, former Nickelodeon star and convicted sex offender Brian Peck’s sinister connection to John Wayne Gacy has been revealed. 

Quiet on Set airs over the weekend, lifting the curtain on the kids TV empire built by Nickelodeon hitmaker Dan Schneider, examining allegations of abusive behavior and a toxic work environment. 

Ahead of the docuseries’ release, Drake & Josh star Drake Bell’s appearance has been unveiled as he opens up about being sexually assaulted at age 15 by dialogue coach and Nickelodeon’s “Pickle Boy,” Brian Peck. 

Across two episodes, numerous former Nickelodeon stars and staff members discuss their experiences with Peck, including a sinister anecdote relating to serial killer John Wayne Gacy.

Quiet on Set: Brian Peck’s sinister connection to John Wayne Gacy

In Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV, All That and The Amanda Show star Kyle Sullivan shares a disturbing anecdote about Brian Peck, who he says had developed a pen pal relationship with serial killer John Wayne Gacy. As well as owning one of his clown paintings, Sullivan states that Peck had a pile of letters from the murderer. 

For the uninitiated, Gacy perpetrated a series of heinous crimes in the 1970s, having sexually assaulted, tortured, and murdered at least 33 young men and boys. He was also known as the “Killer Clown” due to the fact that he performed at children’s parties and charity events as his alter ego, Pogo the Clown. Following his arrest and conviction, Gacy was executed by lethal injection in 1994.

Sullivan explains that he first spotted the clown painting while at a barbecue at Peck’s house, saying it stood out as it was placed in a room that was dedicated to Planet of the Apes. “It was of a birthday clown holding balloons,” he says. “And Brian got very excited when I asked him about it. He flipped the thing around and on the back it said, ‘To Brian, I hope you enjoy the painting. Best wishes, your friend, John Wayne Gacy.’

“It was a self-portrait of the serial killer, John Wayne Gacy. At this point, I’m like 14. I didn’t know the details but I knew this guy’s a serial killer who killed a lot of young men and boys. My instinct was like, everyone has to see this. And so all the parents and the kids come in the room and Brian presents the painting again.”

Sullivan goes on to explain that Peck had developed a pen pal relationship with Gacy. “He kept this pile of letters and photos from John Wayne Gacy in his nightstand next to his bed. And he pulls them out and starts showing them to me. Your instinct is to give someone the benefit of the doubt if you’ve known them for that long, even in the face of this really bad sign.”

In 2004, Peck – who is not related to Drake & Josh star Josh Peck – was sentenced to 16 months in prison for abusing a minor and was put on the sex offenders list, although Quiet on Set is the first time Bell has shared his identity as the victim.

The Gacy anecdote has added another sinister layer to the case, with one YouTube comment stating: “The fact that Brian Peck willingly wrote letters to John Wayne Gacy and was pen pals with this serial murderer should have been a red flag from the very start.”

“It seriously makes me upset how many adults were aware of this thing yet NOTHING HAPPENED FOR YEARS,” commented another, while a third added, “This is terrible, but I agree with Kyle Sullivan – Brian Peck and Nickelodeon should be held accountable for this. This is very inappropriate for kids’ content! They deserve better than this.”

Quiet On Set: The Dark Side Of Kids TV premieres across two nights on ID from 9pm-11pm ET/PT on Sunday, March 17 and Monday, March 18. It will also be available for streaming on Max, which you can sign up for here. And for more upcoming true crime and documentaries this month, head here. 

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