Who is Dan Schneider and what was he accused of in ‘Quiet on Set?’
Buzz has continued to swirl around several big names in Hollywood since the premiere of the Investigation Discovery docuseries “Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV” early this week.
Released in two parts on Sunday and Monday evening, the tell-all documentary shocked viewers with behind-the-scenes stories of some of Nickelodeon’s biggest television shows, revealing the allegedly toxic and abusive environment that was cultivated behind the scenes by adults at the network, including Brian Peck, who served jail time for his sexual abuse of teen star Drake Bell.
Showrunner Dan Schneider was one of the primary focuses of the documentary, as both former child stars and adult coworkers recounted tales of alleged racism, sexism, harassment and verbal abuse at his hands. Described as Nickelodeon’s “golden boy,” Schnieder was behind some of the most successful live-action shows in the network’s history, a level of success that some of his former coworkers say enabled his bad behavior.
What allegedly happened behind the scenes of some of Nick’s most beloved shows and how was Schneider involved? Here’s what we know.
Who is Brian Peck:Ex-Nickelodeon coach convicted of lewd acts with minor back in spotlight
Who is Dan Schneider?
Dan Schneider is a television producer, screenwriter and actor best known for his work in children’s television.
Schneider and his production company, Schneider’s Bakery, are behind some of Nickelodeon’s most well-known shows, including “The Amanda Show,” “Drake & Josh,” “Zoe 101,” “iCarly,” and others.
Schneider dabbled in acting early in his career, landing a few small roles and a recurring spot on the 1980s sitcom “Head of the Class” as Dennis Blunden.
He began working as a writer and producer for Nickelodeon in the 1990s and continued to work with the network until the two parted ways in 2018.
What was Dan Schneider accused of?
Alleged gender discrimination
Schneider was one of the most common subjects of discussion in the documentary, which was inspired by an investigative report by Kate Taylor.
Schneider was accused of engaging in unprofessional and inappropriate behaviors in the workplace, one of the most common of which included frequently asking female employees to massage his neck while on set.
“The Amanda Show” writers Jenny Kilgen and Christy Stratton accused Schneider of blatant displays of discriminatory behavior, saying he made them share a salary as the only two women in the writing room and often made inappropriate comments and demands of them. They eventually went on to sue the network for gender-based discrimination.
Racism allegations
Two former actors on “All That,” Bryan Hearne and Giovonnie Samuels, said they experienced racism on set, alleging they were cast in stereotyped roles and treated poorly by the showrunner.
“Someone said the skin tone should be charcoal. I started to get teary-eyed,” Hearne recalls in the docuseries while discussing costuming for a skit in which he was assigned to play a rapper named “Lil’ Fetus.” At another point, his mother pointed out the implications of her son, the only Black male on the cast of the show at the time, being cast to play a character that behaved like a drug dealer.
Schneider’s shows of the era frequently featured only one or two Black cast members. In the documentary, he and other writers were accused of tokenizing those characters on his shows.
Alleged inappropriate behavior
Adults who worked behind the scenes at the time, including Kilgen and Stratton, said in the doc that Schnieder had a propensity for incorporating too-adult humor into his kids shows. They said Schneider acknowledged at multiple points that he found incorporating innuendo into his children’s programming to be funny.
It was alleged he pushed for short skirts, bikinis and costuming that some actors found to be not age-appropriate. Scenes ranging from pickles being slid through holes in the wall to Jamie Lynn Spears having a gooey substance shot on her face were shown and subject to scrutiny.
Schneider denies the claims
Schneider denied these claims. In a statement, his spokesperson argued: “Remember, all stories, dialogue, costumes, and makeup were fully approved by network executives on two coasts. A standards and practices group read and ultimately approved every script, and programming executives reviewed and approved all episodes. In addition, every day on every set, there were always parents and caregivers and their friends watching filming and rehearsals.”
Schneider was also accused of verbal and emotional abuse in the form of screaming, yelling, threats, insults and other “toxic” behaviors. He has not been accused of any form of physical abuse, sexual or otherwise.
Child stars speak out:Nickelodeon actors allege abuse in ‘Quiet on Set’ doc: These former child stars have spoken up
What shows did Dan Schneider work on?
Schneider worked in the entertainment industry from the ’80s until 2018, wracking up a long list of credits along the way. However, he is best known for his work in family and children’s television, especially with Nickelodeon.
Some of his most popular shows include:
- “Good Burger”
- “Kenan & Kel”
- “All That”
- “The Amanda Show”
- “What I Like About You”
- “iCarly”
- “Drake & Josh”
- “Zoey 101”
- “Victorious”
- “Sam & Cat”
- “Henry Danger”
- “Game Shakers”
What has Dan Schneider said about ‘Quiet on Set?’
Schneider responds:Dan Schneider addresses allegations of a toxic workplace on his Nickelodeon TV shows
In a statement previously given to USA TODAY, a representative for Schneider said, in part:
“Everything that happened on the shows Dan ran was carefully scrutinized by dozens of involved adults, and approved by the network. Had there been any scenes or outfits that were inappropriate in any way, they would have been flagged and blocked by this multilayered scrutiny.”
Another part of the statement read, “In a career spanning 30+ years, Dan worked with thousands of people, many of whom still tell him how much they enjoyed and appreciated working on his shows. But he also knows some people did not have a positive experience, and he is truly sorry for that. Dan knows he should have done better and feels awful about anyone who saw him at his worst, instead of his best.”
Schneider also posted a video response to his YouTube channel on Tuesday following the release of “Quiet on Set.” In it, he speaks to BooG!e, the actor who played T-Bo on iCarly.
“The main thing that I would change is how I treat people and everyone. I definitely at times didn’t give people the best of me. I didn’t show enough patience. I could be cocky and definitely overambitious and sometimes just straight-up rude and obnoxious, and I am so sorry that I ever was,” Schneider said.
How to watch ‘Quiet on Set’
“Quiet On Set: The Dark Side Of Kids TV” premiered on Investigation Discovery (ID) on Sunday, March 17 at 9 p.m. ET. The four-episode series aired in two parts, the second of which was released the following day on Monday, March 18, also at 9 p.m. ET.
The ID channel is available through some cable subscriptions and via live TV streaming services including Fubo, DirecTV, Philo and Sling.
It will also be available to stream after its release on Max, Prime Video, Apple TV, and The Roku Channel.
