Former Nickelodeon producer Dan Schneider has addressed allegations from the shocking documentary Quiet On set.
Investigation Discovery’s Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV, is a four-part docuseries that made claims about toxic workplaces for child actors and crews on the Nickelodeon series he wrote and produced.
The 58-year-old recounted the sexualized content in series, on-set massages, Drake Bell’s abuse and admitted: “I definitely owe some people a pretty strong apology.”
Among the allegations levelled at Dan include that he tolerated toxic workplace environments and that he allegedly tormented and humiliated the cast and crew on set.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Dan opened up about watching the series and said: “When I watched the show, I could see the hurt in some people’s eyes, and it made me feel awful and regretful and sorry.”
“I wish I could go back, especially to those earlier years of my career, and bring the growth and the experience that I have now and just do a better job and never, ever feel like it was OK to be an asshole to anyone, ever.”
On Monday, when the show first aired representatives for the producer responded to claims about sexualized content and toxic on-set behavior by saying that “everything that happened on the shows Dan ran was carefully scrutinized by dozens of involved adults, and approved by the network.”
In the third episode of the series, Drake Bell, the star of Drake & Josh named himself as the John Doe victim in Brian Peck’s sexual assault case.
“When Drake and I talked and he told me about what happened, I was more devastated by that than anything that ever happened to me in my career thus far. And I told him, ‘I’m here for you,’” Dan recalled.
At one point in the interview, the former producer got emotional as he recounted when Drake’s mother came to him for help in writing the speech to read before the court at Brian’s trial.
Dan revealed: “She came to me at the time, and she said, ’Dan, I’m not good with words like you are. And would you help me with my speech for the judge? I said, ‘Of course.’ I did, and [Peck] ended up going to prison and serving his time.”
The producer also told how Drake had to attend the sentencing hearing for Brian and saw that the convicted predator’s side of the courtroom was filled with supporters.
The 58-year-old said: “A lot of them [were] pretty famous. Of course, Drake was devastated that that happened. And even more disappointing, 41 of those people wrote letters for Peck’s character, letters praising him for who he was and asking for leniency.”
Some of the famous faces who sent character references for Brian into the courtroom are James Marsden, Taran Killam, Rider Strong, Will Friedle, Ron Melendez and the late Alan Thicke.
“That was probably the darkest part of my career And here’s the kicker that I really don’t get. After [Peck] got out of prison and was a registered sex offender, he was hired on a Disney Channel show. I don’t understand that,” Dan continued.
However, after learning of Brian’s conviction, Disney fired him immediately and replaced his voice and onscreen credits on the three episodes of the series he worked on.
In Quiet on Set, claims were made that Dan was inappropriate to young females who worked for him and that he wrote inappropriate scripts for uncomfortable child actors to perform.
Dan created hit programs like The Amanda Show, Drake & Josh, Zoey 101, iCarly, Victorious and Sam & Cat.
Looking back, Dan agreed that some jokes crossed a line and should be cut from episodes that continue to air.
He explained: “All those jokes … the show covered over the past two nights, every one of those jokes was written for a kid audience because kids thought they were funny and only funny,”
“Let’s cut those jokes out of the show, just like I would have done 20 years ago or 25 years ago.”
“I want my shows to be popular. I want everyone to like [the shows], the more people who liked the shows, the happier I am. So if there’s anything that needs to be cut because it’s upsetting somebody, let’s cut it.”
“There are definitely things that I would do differently, 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 over-ambitious, and sometimes just straight-up rude and obnoxious, and I’m sorry that I ever was.”
He also said, among other things, that he was wrong to ask anyone on set to give him massages: “It was wrong. It was wrong that I ever put anyone in that position. It was wrong to do. I’d never do it today. I’m embarrassed that I did it then. I apologize to anybody that I ever put in that situation.”
“I can tell you why it hurts really bad for me, I was green. I was scared. I was excited. It meant the world to me that I was getting these opportunities. And I went in and I got lucky, because my first couple experiences were fantastic. And the fact that I didn’t pay it forward to every employee that walked through my door, it hurts my heart because I should have, and I wish I could go back and fix that.”
