Dan Schneider Speaks Out After Watching ‘Quiet on Set’: “It Hurts Really Bad for Me”

After the release of Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV, a documentary series investigating possible abuses and exploitation at children's television network Nickelodeon, its former leader Dan Schneider has publicly apologized for the first time. He expressed his regret on camera.

Schneider, who has been accused of toxic behavior and parted ways with Nickelodeon in 2018, spoke in more detail about the docuseries in a new video. BooG!e, who played T-Bo on Schneider’s iCarly, interviewed him. BooG!e is not a journalist but wanted to offer a platform for Schneider to address his past behaviors. A spokesperson for Schneider clarified that BooG!e was not trying to be a journalist.

Schneider expressed in the interview that it was incredibly hard for him to watch the past two nights. He had to confront his previous actions that he feels embarrassed about and wishes to apologize for. He acknowledged that he owes a few people a sincere apology. Schneider mentioned that while watching the show, he could see that certain individuals were hurt, which made him feel dreadful, apologetic, and sorry. He wishes he could turn back time, particularly to his early career years, with a better understanding, maturity, and skillset to do better. He regretted acting rude towards anyone and vowed to never do so again.

One of the most shocking things revealed in the series is what former child actor Drake Bell disclosed. He confessed that during his time on Nickelodeon's The Amanda Show and Drake & Josh, he was sexually abused by his vocal coach Brian Peck. Bell met Peck on set. Peck was convicted of sexual abuse charges and sentenced to 16 months in jail back in October 2004. Additionally, he was ordered to register as a sex offender.

In the video, Schneider expressed his devastation upon hearing about what had happened to Drake. He stated that it was worse than anything he had experienced in his career so far. Schneider assured Drake that he was there for him. At one point, Schneider became emotional when he spoke about Bell's mother reaching out to him for help in preparing a speech for Peck's trial. She expressed that she was not skilled in expressing herself with words like Schneider was, and asked for his assistance. Schneider agreed to help, and Peck was eventually found guilty and served time in prison.

The maker of the program referred it to as "the most somber component of my career" and disclosed that he is still clueless as to why Peck was permitted to resume working on TV programs for kids after his prison term. Schneider queried, "He was given a position in a TV program on the Disney Channel, and I can't fathom why." (As per Variety, Disney fired Peck after they got wind of his past.)

In a recent video, Schneider talked about his connection with Amanda Bynes and addressed concerns about adult humor in kids' programming. He stated that the jokes were intended for a young audience and were meant to be humorous. However, he admitted that if the jokes were found to be offensive, they should be removed from future broadcasts. Schneider is passionate about creating shows that are enjoyable for everyone and wants to ensure that no one is upset by any content in his programs.

During the series, two writers from The Amanda Show, Jenny Kilgen and Christy Stratton, accused Schneider of mistreating them while he was their boss. In response to these allegations, Schneider acknowledged that no writer should ever feel uncomfortable in a writers room and expressed regret for his behavior. He admitted that he could have shown more patience and sometimes acted cocky, over-ambitious, rude, and obnoxious. He stated that he would have done things differently and apologized for any harm he may have caused.

Schneider, who hasn't been appearing in Hollywood much since he broke his ties with Nickelodeon, explained early in the interview that the bad behavior shown in the series was very painful for him. Schneider, who was new to the entertainment industry at the time, said, "I was inexperienced, frightened, and thrilled." He felt extremely lucky when he was given chances and these chances meant everything to him. His initial experiences were excellent, and he was fortunate because the opportunities were amazing. He regrets not being able to extend his gratitude to every employee who walked through the door, and he wishes he could rectify that by going back in time.

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