A trailer for Investigation Discovery’s docuseries Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV has revealed new allegations against prolific Nickelodeon showrunner Dan Schneider.
The four-part series investigates the career of Schneider, who created Nickelodeon hit programs like The Amanda Show, What I Like About You, Drake & Josh, Zoey 101, iCarly, Victorious and Sam & Cat, and who helped launch the careers of Kenan Thompson, Amanda Bynes, Victoria Justice, Miranda Cosgrove and Jennette McCurdy and others.
“Working for Dan was like being in an abusive relationship,” a former employee who is not named claims in the trailer. “There was a toxic environment. It made me trust people less,” another Nickelodeon alum alleged.
The ID series cites Schneider’s upbeat kids TV output for shaping the popular genre for a generation. But Quiet on Set, directed by Mary Robertson and Emma Schwartz, also alleges behind the scenes that underage stars and crew were treated inappropriately.
Nickelodeon and Schneider, a former child actor turned producer, parted way in mid-2018 after a 25-year working relationship. The decision to not extend Schneider’s deal at the studio also followed an investigation by then-parent ViacomCBS that claimed abusive behavior by the prolific TV creator towards people he worked with on set.
“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,” the Viacom-owned cable network said in a statement at the time.
But the end of the working relationship with Nickelodeon has not stopped former employees from coming forward with darker allegations in the ID docuseries. The Quiet on Set series, produced by Maxine Productions and Sony Pictures Television – Nonfiction in association with Business Insider, will premiere across two nights on ID on March 17 and March 18.