Contains discussions of sexual misconduct.
Summary
- Dan Schneider faced allegations of inappropriate behavior and mistreatment towards employees in Nickelodeon shows.
- Nickelodeon canceled Schneider’s contract in 2018 due to public outcry, ending their longtime partnership.
- After a hiatus, Schneider announced new projects in 2021 aimed at adults, departing from children’s TV.
Max’s new documentary series Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids’ TV delves into the controversies surrounding Dan Schneider, and here is what happened to the producer after the events that the show covers. Dan Schneider was a producer who prominently worked in kids’ TV, with him producing some of Nickelodeon’s most popular sitcoms like iCarly, Victorious, Zoey 101, and more. However, Schneider’s name has mostly been associated with inappropriate behavior on these sets in recent years, something that Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids’ TV highlights, although there are still questions about the show’s ending.
Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids’ TV is a five-part Max series that looks at the dark underworld of some of Nickelodeon’s most popular live-action shows, highlighting the treatment of children by some involved in the creation of these series. Various allegations have come out surrounding Dan Schneider and other prominent figures within several of Nickeldoeon’s shows, and while Nickelodeon has taken action against the accused individuals, many don’t know what happened to them after the events of the series. So, here is a full breakdown of Dan Schneider’s post-Nickelodeon career after the events of Quiet on Set.
The Allegations Against Dan Schneider Explained
Although Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids’ TV looks at several dark moments from the production of these Nickelodeon shows, Dan Schneider is the main focus of episode 1 of the series. The series delves into several major accusations, with the most prominent being the fetishization of children. The documentary highlights jokes in TV shows like Zoey 101, All That, and Victorious that seemed to put underage actors in sexual situations, with this being concerning to viewers of the shows. Although many of these jokes were strangely feet-based, some of them went much farther and into creepier territories.
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Another major accusation against Dan Schneider in Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids’ TV has to do with Dan Schneider’s treatment of his female employees. Episode 1 heavily focuses on two All That writers, Christy Stratton and Jenny Kilgen, who explain that Schneider would frequently make inappropriate sexual jokes towards them. They state that Schneider would ask them to simulate sexual acts under the guise of a joke, humiliating them. They also state that Schneider would ask female employees on his sets to give him massages throughout the day, with these employees feeling pressured to do so.
There are also several allegations involving unfair treatment on Schneider’s sets that didn’t involve sexual harassment. Stratton and Kilgen explain that when they were first brought on All That they were asked to split the salary of one writer. This goes against the rules of the Writers Guild of America, leading to a gender discrimination lawsuit against Schneider. The two writers reveal that they were fired from their jobs, ending their time with Schneider in an even more tragic way. Although there are more specific allegations in Quiet on Set, these are the most prominently featured ones.
Nickelodeon Canceled Dan Schneider’s Contracts In 2018
Although problematic behavior from Dan Schneider had been going on for years before based on Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids’ TV, the conversation surrounding Schneider really started in the mid-2010s. Talks about Schneider’s seeming obsession with feet began gaining traction online, directing a more critical eye at Dan Schneider and his time with Nickelodeon. Although several of Schneider’s shows were still going, Nickelodeon decided to cancel Dan Schneider’s contract in 2018, ending their longtime partnership with the television creator (via Deadline).
Nickelodeon has decided to continue some of Schneider’s projects since the termination of his contract, such as the Henry Danger, iCarly, and Zoey 101 franchises. However, Dan Schneider has had no further involvement in the development of these projects. The Quiet on Set documentary repeatedly states that Nickelodeon conducted investigations into Schneider’s sets as accusations were brought up, but it seems that Nickelodeon may have been influenced by the public outcry against Schneider in the wake of the MeToo movement, leading to the end of his extended time with the company.
Dan Schneider Announced New Projects In 2021
After being let go from Nickelodeon, Dan Schneider went on hiatus, with him not being seen or heard from in the public eye for several years. However, Schneider announced in 2021 that he was working on some new projects, with him returning to the world of TV. Although details on these shows are slim, Dan Schneider announced in 2021 that he had sold a new TV pilot to a network that wasn’t Nickelodeon (via The New York Times). This proves that Schneider is attempting to branch out from his former TV home.
Episode Number |
Episode Title |
---|---|
Episode 1 |
Rising Stars, Rising Questions |
Episode 2 |
Hidden in Plain Sight |
Episode 3 |
The Darkest Secret |
Episode 4 |
Too Close to the Sun |
Episode 5 |
Breaking the Silence |
Very few updates have been given regarding Schneider’s new projects since their announcements, with their states of development being unknown. Upon announcing that he had sold a TV pilot, he explained that it was targeted at adults, departing from his typical work in children’s television. As Quiet on Set explains, Schneider had already attempted to make a TV show targeted at older audiences with the CW sitcom What I Like About You, although this did garner a heavy teen viewership.
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Dan Schneider Apologized For Some Things After Quiet On Set (But Not Others)
Since the release of Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids’ TV, the controversy around Dan Schneider has been brought back into the spotlight, leading to a response from the former Nickelodeon producer. iCarly star BooG!e interviewed Dan Schneider on YouTube in the wake of Quiet on Set, giving Schneider the chance to respond to some of the allegations. In the interview, Schneider admitted to some things, explaining that the massages were wrong and that some of the jokes went too far, while denying other things, stating that he didn’t have control over salaries or what got aired (via Variety).
Schneider and his team later released a statement in response to the documentary series, further explaining his thoughts on the accusations. Schneider explained that he would be OK with cutting the inappropriate jokes out of his TV shows, although he argues that they were all made to make children laugh. Schneider also admitted that he should have been more patient and kind on set, apologizing to those that he hurt. There is still a lot to unpack regarding the accusations against Schneider, much of which can be seen in Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids’ TV.
Sources:
Deadline, The New York Times, Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids’ TV, Variety
Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV (2024)
Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV is a crime documentary series directed by Mary Robertson and Emma Schwartz. The series explores children’s television from the 90s to the late oughts, shining a light on the darkest spot of the industry, including abuse, unfavorable working conditions, and sexual assault that occurred at Nickelodeon studios.
- Cast
- Kate Taylor , Scaachi Koul , Rick Ellis , Drake Bell , Giovonnie Samuells
- Release Date
- March 17, 2024
- Seasons
- 1
- Directors
- Mary Robertson , Emma Schwartz