The following article contains references to sexual and child abuse.
Nickelodeon writer and producer Dan Schneider has cast a dark shadow over the network for some time. While a workhorse for the company, allegations against him have seriously tarnished the brand and raised serious questions over the safety of their child stars.
Schneider himself started as an actor but quickly found an appreciation for the written word. He began work at Nickelodeon and was the mind behind shows that put kids’ programming on the map like All That, The Amanda Show, and later series such as iCarly. He was Nickelodeon’s go-to creative, which unfortunately gave him access to a lot of power. As his status at the company grew, so did his alleged behavior.
Many claims about his toxic onset behavior created a backlash that forced Nickelodeon to investigate. Former iCarly star, Jennette McCurdy makes mention of a power-mad writer in her memoir, I’m Glad My Mom Died. She only refers to him as “The Creator,” but many have put together she could be referring to Schneider. Other claims of reprehensible onset behavior have followed Schneider for many years.
Former writer on The Amanda Show, Christy Stratton, detailed her experiences in the ID documentary, Quiet On Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV. Among many things, he forced her to share a salary with the only other female writer — a requirement that men did not have to adhere to. His practical jokes onset escalated to verbal abuse, particularly aimed at women. Many did not report these incidents for fear of repercussions. Nickelodeon conducted an investigation into these allegations in 2018, which resulted in Schneider’s dismissal. Quiet On Set delves into these issues, as well as many others that caused harm on set. The documentary has forced Schneider to address what industry professionals have been whispering about for years.
What has Dan Schneider said about Quiet On Set?
Schneider notably did not take part in the documentary that aired in 4 parts. The series covered many aspects of the workplace, like Drake Bell’s first public statement about being sexually abused at the network. Schneider was not involved in that situation, and Bell has outwardly stated that Schneider had supported him after the news came out. However, there were many other issues that former employees contend he was involved in.
One of the strangest anecdotes was the strange sexual turn that the television shows seemed to take. In later series like Sam & Cat and Zoey 101, many girls were often shown scantily clad with odd jokes that seemed to lean into sexual innuendo. McCurdy, in particular, noted how she knew enough to never push back on anything Schneider did for fear of repercussions. After the 4 episodes aired, Schneider officially spoke to the claims in the documentary in a conversation with former iCarly star, BooG!E.
“Watching over the past two nights was very difficult — me facing my past behaviors, some of which are embarrassing and that I regret. I definitely owe some people a pretty strong apology.”
Schneider went on to take responsibility, saying that upon reflection, he can see that his actions hurt people and understands that no one should ever feel unsafe on set. Watch the video above to see Schneider’s full statement. All 4 episodes of Quiet On Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV are streaming on Max.