The explosive docuseries Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV features Dan Schneider, a former Nickelodeon producer who has launched a defamation complaint, claiming the show a “hit job.” Several testimonies from Dan Schneider’s former workers accused him of fostering a poisonous work atmosphere, even though the docuseries never accused him of being a child sex predator.
Schneider first apologized and recognized his inappropriate actions when the docuseries premiered.
“Watching over the past two nights was very difficult, me facing my past behaviors, some of which are embarrassing and that I regret and I definitely owe some people a pretty strong apology,” Schneider said. “It was wrong that I ever put anybody in that position. It was a wrong thing 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,” he added.
However, in a recent lawsuit obtained and published by Variety, Schneider claims that the docuseries falsely implied he approved of the sexual exploitation of minors. In a statement, his lawyers called the series a “hit job.”
“‘Quiet on Set’s’ portrayal of Schneider is a hit job. While it is indisputable that two bona fide child sexual abusers worked on Nickelodeon shows, it is likewise indisputable that Schneider had no knowledge of their abuse, was not complicit in the abuse, condemned the abuse once it was discovered and, critically, was not a child sexual abuser himself. But for the sake of clickbait, ratings, and views — or put differently, money — Defendants have destroyed Schneider’s reputation and legacy through the false statements and implications that Schneider is exactly that,” the statement said.
Schneider added in a statement that he will not be held accountable for crimes he did not commit.
“Recently the docuseries Quiet on Set highlighted mistakes I made and poor judgment I exhibited during my time at Nickelodeon, most of which happened decades ago during my early career as a producer, working on shows for Tollin/Robbins Productions. There is no doubt that I was sometimes a bad leader. I am sincerely apologetic and regretful for that behavior, and I will continue to take accountability for it. However, after seeing ‘Quiet on Set’ and its trailer, and the reactions to them, I sadly have no choice but to take legal action against the people behind it. In their successful attempt to mislead viewers and increase ratings, they went beyond reporting the truth and falsely implied that I was involved in or facilitated horrific crimes for which actual child predators have been prosecuted and convicted,” Schneider said.
“I have no objection to anyone highlighting my failures as a boss, but it is wrong to mislead millions of people to the false conclusion that I was in any way involved in heinous acts like those committed by child predators. I owe it to myself, my family, and the many wonderful people involved in making these shows to set the record straight,” he concluded.
Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV set out to expose the toxic and dangerous work environment that children faced while working on popular Nickelodeon shows from the late ’90s through the mid-2000s. The popular Investigation Discovery limited series, which is said to be the highest-rated docuseries the network has produced, shined a light on a few people in particular, notably Dan Schneider, who was the brainchild behind some of Nickelodeon’s biggest shows during that period, and Brian Peck, a dialogue coach that worked closely with kids on set who would eventually be outed as a sexual predator.
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