'Quiet on Set' Explores the Abusive Environment of Dan Schneider's Nickelodeon Shows

By Dustin Rowles | TV | February 9, 2024 |

By Dustin Rowles | TV | February 9, 2024 |

The last anyone heard of Dan Schneider, the creator of a number of Nickelodeon hits like Good Burger, Zoey 101, and iCarly, was a 2021 NYTimes piece in which he spoke about a possible return to television after being ousted from the children’s network in 2018 amid allegations of emotional abuse and a hostile work environment.

A 2018 investigation into Schneider’s workplace conduct revealed no sexual abuse, but it did present him as “a controlling, difficult showrunner, prone to tantrums and angry emails … Several said they felt uncomfortable when he frequently asked an employee from the costume department for shoulder and neck massages, or texted child actors outside of work hours.” Others suggested that there was something sketchy about the chummy relationship between a middle-aged man and his child actors.

Jennette McCurdy made similar allegations against an unnamed “Creator” in the iCarly star’s memoir I’m Glad My Mom Died.

It’s unclear if Investigation Discovery’s docuseries Quiet On Set: The Dark Side Of Kids TV will surface any new allegations against Schneider, but it definitely explores not just the toxic environment on the set of Dan Schneider’s shows, but the criminal sexual abuse committed by others involved in the Nickelodeon series (I should note, however, that the “Peck” referred to in criminal complaints is Brian, not Josh).

The four-part docuseries will feature interviews with a number of actors from All That, Zoey 101, and even Marc Summers, the host of the popular Double Dare. It will premiere on March 17th on Max.