Dan Schneider addresses accusations revealed in Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV
On 17 March 2024, the first episode of Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV dropped, and it set the internet on fire. Stories of abuse and toxic work relationships began to emerge, with Nickelodeon ringmaster Dan Schneider at the centre of it all.
Clearly wanting to get ahead of the firestorm, Schneider made sure to have his team address the media narrative. Shortly after the documentary’s trailer was released, a representative for the TV producer told UNILAD: “Dan cared about the kids on his shows even when sometimes their own families unfortunately did not. He understood what they were going through and he was their biggest champion. The fact is many of the kids on these shows are put in the untenable position of becoming the breadwinners for their families and the pressure that comes along with that. Add on top of that the difficulties of growing up and having to do so under the spotlight while working a demanding job, all as a child.”
“That is why there are many levels of standards, executives, lawyers, teachers and parents everywhere, all the time, on every set, every day. However, it is still a hard place to be a kid and nobody knew that better than Dan,” the statement continued.
For context, Schneider was a TV producer, screenwriter, and actor who created some of the most successful kid’s TV shows to date, including the likes of iCarly, Victorious, Drake & Josh, and Zoey 101. While he was once considered a respected and adorned feather in Nickeodeon’s hat, recent rumours and accusations over the past few years have tarnished Schneider’s position in the entertainment industry.
Most recently, in 2022, Zoey 101 actor Alexa Nikolas came forward with some incredibly seedy revelations about the TV producer. Specifically, Nikolas has revealed a lot of insight into Schneider’s inappropriateness on set, claiming that the TV executive would often demand to participate in each one of her costume fittings when she was just 12 years old.
Speaking about these situations while appearing on the podcast Real Pod in 2022, the actor shared: “Whenever I had wardrobe fittings, [Schneider] always had to be in them. Thank God there was a curtain, but he was literally [sitting] on [a] chair right outside of the curtain.”
@etalkctv Zoey101’s #AlexaNikolas shares her “uncomfortable” experiences in wardrobe fittings with #DanSchneider (🎥: Real Pod with Victoria Garrick)
♬ original sound - etalk
Nikolas continued: “[It was] to the point where he would sit in the chair, and I would come out and do a little spin. [Schneider] would look at the wardrobe artist and say, ‘Can I have the Polaroids?’”
In another interview, Nikolas also accused Schneider of frequently taking pictures of the young actors’ feet. Moreover, a number of netizens have said that they believe Ariana Grande’s character Cat was heavily sexualised during her stint on the Nickelodeon show Victorious. And don’t even get me started on the creepy things the documentary revealed about Schneider’s relationship with Amanda Bynes.
Back in 2022, when these allegations first began circulating, a representative for Schneider came out with a statement refuting any and all speculations regarding the producer’s behaviour on set: “Dan has said himself that he was a tough boss to work for and, if he could do things over again, he would act differently. But let’s be clear, when Dan departed Nickelodeon, a full investigation was done and again, all that was found is that he was a challenging, tough and demanding person to work for and with, nothing else.”
Jeanette McCurdy, another famous Nickelodeon actor who appeared on both iCarly and the spin-off Sam & Cat, has also made comments about an “un-named” TV producer/creator on set who would constantly yell at her.
Lots of netizens have unleashed their anger on Schneider and other Nickelodeon execs on X, formerly Twitter:
So you mean to tell me all of those adults stayed quiet while Dan Schneider and Brian Peck sexually assaulted those children…. Regardless of an NDA, I would’ve lit that whole studio up #QuietOnSet pic.twitter.com/CRvQaN8En3
— Dai (@alourdai) March 19, 2024
With the documentary airing out even more of Schneider’s secrets and resurfacing moments that have us all feeling extremely queasy inside, it’s evident that TV producer is feeling well and truly blacklisted. Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV is now fully available to stream on Max.
