Dan Schneider, a former Nickelodeon producer, has found himself at the center of abuse allegations since the release of the ‘Quiet On Set’ docuseries. Now, The Shade Room is delving into why Schneider was severed from the company in 2018.
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Here’s What Nickelodeon & Dan Schneider Reportedly Stated At The Time
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Schneider was a former actor. He met Albie Hecht, a fellow producer and former president of Nickelodeon Entertainment, who hired him to work on the sketch comedy show ‘All That’ in the 90s.
The outlet reports that after four seasons, Schneider quit the series before returning to revive the show in 2001.
From there, the producer’s resume at Nick would grow. It would ultimately include shows such as ‘The Amanda Show,’ ‘Drake & Josh,’ ‘Zoey 101,’ and more.
However, on March 26, 2018, Schneider’s decades-long run at Nick would come to an end. According to the outlet, Nickelodeon and Schneider’s production company “agreed to not extend” its “current deal.”
“Following many conversations together about next directions and future opportunities, Nickelodeon and our longtime creative partner Dan Schneider/Schneider’s Bakery have agreed to not extend the current deal,” Nickelodeon and Schneider reportedly shared in a joint statement, per Deadline. “Since several Schneider’s Bakery projects are wrapping up, both sides agreed that this is a natural time for Nickelodeon and Schneider’s Bakery to pursue other opportunities and projects.”
Nickelodeon reportedly thanked Schneider for creating “a string of lasting, groundbreaking” kids TV shows for Nick “over the years.”
“We thank Dan and his Schneider’s Bakery producers, executives and social media team for their immeasurable contributions to Nickelodeon, and we wish them the best in their future endeavors. And Dan and Schneider’s Bakery are proud of the work they did together with Nickelodeon and will always remain big fans of the network,” Nickelodeon added, per the outlet.
Allegations Were Reportedly Stirring About Dan Schneider In 2018
According to Nellie Andreeva’s 2018 Deadline report, there had “been multiple complaints of abusive behavior against Schneider filed by members of his staff.”
Andreeva added that “Schneider had been under a cloud of suspicion,” This was reportedly due to his “treatment of some younger stars of his shows.”
Furthermore, now-deleted tweets of Schneider’s apparent interest in feet and the feet of Nick child stars “raised eyebrows.”
Andreeva also noted that Schneider was accused of enacting long work schedules and having “well-documented temper issues for years.”
Business Insider adds that multiple investigations were also launched into Schneider during his time at Nick. Schneider has alleged that a 2013 investigation did not “bar” him from working with the Nick actors. However, he “chose to give notes” to his cast “from his office.”
Additionally, the outlet notes that a 2017 investigation — sparked amid the #MeToo Movement — did not yield “evidence of inappropriate sexual behavior” by Schneider. However, “it did find proof of verbal abuse in the workplace.”
Here’s What Was Revealed About Dan Schneider In ‘Quiet On Set’ & His Response
As The Shade Room previously reported, ‘Quiet On Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV’ aired on Sunday, March 17, and Monday, March 18. The four-part docuseries exposed the toxic work culture of popular kid shows between the 90s and 2000s.
Drake Bell, the former star of ‘Drake & Josh,’ revealed he was repeatedly sexually assaulted by a Nick dialogue coach at 15.
Bell ultimately explained that Schneider was initially unaware of the incidents. However, he offered Bell his full support after becoming aware. However, the docuseries also showed accounts from multiple former Nick staff members who alleged Schneider promoted an “uncomfortable” work environment. Additionally, they alleged Schneider’s skits “sexualized” his child cast and even included racist jokes.
In an initial response to the docuseries, a spokesperson for Schneider seemed to defend his actions during his time at Nick.
“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,” the statement read, per USA Today. “…If there was an actual problem with the scenes that some people, now years later are ‘sexualizing,’ they would be taken down, but they are not, they are aired constantly all over the world today still, enjoyed by both kids and parents.”
However, Schneider would ultimately admit to “[owing] some people a pretty strong apology” in a recently released interview.
