Daniel James Schneider (born January 14, 1966) is an American television producer, screenwriter, and actor. He created and produced a string of children's shows on
Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon (nicknamed Nick) is an American pay television channel and the flagship property of the Nickelodeon Group, a sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on April 1, 1979, as the first ca ...
from 1994 to 2019. In the years since 2018, he has faced significant media coverage and controversy regarding allegations of inappropriate behavior.
Schneider started his career acting in minor roles in several
teen comedy films of the 1980s such as ''
Making the Grade'' (1984), ''
Better Off Dead'' (1985), ''
Hot Resort'' (1985), ''
Happy Together'' (1989), and ''
The Big Picture'' (1989). On television, he played Dennis Blunden on the
ABC
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script.
ABC or abc may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media Broadcasting
* Aliw Broadcasting Corporation, Philippine broadcast company
* American Broadcasting Company, a commercial American ...
television sitcom ''
Head of the Class
''Head of the Class'' is an American sitcom television series that ran from 1986 to 1991 on the ABC television network.
The series follows a group of gifted students in the Individualized Honors Program (IHP) at the fictional Millard Fillm ...
'' (1986–1991). In 1993, he played Walter Peters in the ABC sitcom ''
Home Free'' which ran for only one season. Schneider is the co-president of his production company
Schneider's Bakery, which he founded in 1996.
He changed his career to working in children's television specifically for Nickelodeon. There, Schneider started as a writer and producer on the shows such as ''
All That
''All That'' is an American sketch comedy children's television series created by Brian Robbins and Mike Tollin. The series originally aired on Nickelodeon from April 16, 1994, to October 22, 2005, lasting ten seasons, and was produced by Tol ...
'' (1994–2005), and ''
Kenan & Kel
''Kenan & Kel'' is an American sitcom created by Kim Bass that originally aired on Nickelodeon from August 17, 1996, to May 3, 2000. Set in Chicago, the series follows mischievous Kenan Rockmore (Kenan Thompson) and his happy-go-lucky best frien ...
'' (1996–2000) before creating ''
The Amanda Show
''The Amanda Show'' is an American sketch comedy and variety show television series created by Dan Schneider and starring Amanda Bynes that aired on Nickelodeon from October 16, 1999, to September 21, 2002. A spin-off of '' All That'', ano ...
'' (1999–2002). He gained fame for serving as the creator, executive producer and writer for numerous children's shows such as ''
Drake & Josh
''Drake & Josh'' is an American teen sitcom created by Dan Schneider for Nickelodeon. The series follows teenage stepbrothers Drake Parker (Drake Bell) and Josh Nichols (Josh Peck) as they live together despite their opposite personalities. Na ...
'' (2004–2007), ''
Zoey 101
''Zoey 101'' is an American comedy-drama television series created by Dan Schneider for Nickelodeon. It aired from January 9, 2005, to May 2, 2008, spanning a total of 61 episodes across four seasons.
It focuses on the lives of Zoey Brooks ( J ...
'' (2005–2008), ''
iCarly
''iCarly'' is an American teen sitcom created by Dan Schneider, which originally aired on Nickelodeon from September 8, 2007, to November 23, 2012. The series tells the story of Carly Shay (Miranda Cosgrove), a teenager who creates and hosts ...
'' (2007–2012), ''
Victorious
''Victorious'' (stylized as ''VICTORiOUS'') is an American sitcom created by Dan Schneider that originally aired on Nickelodeon, debuting on March 27, 2010, and concluding on February 2, 2013 after four seasons. The series revolves around aspi ...
'' (2010–2013), ''
Sam & Cat
''Sam & Cat'' is an American teen sitcom created by Dan Schneider that aired on Nickelodeon from June 8, 2013, to July 17, 2014. It is a spin-off of ''iCarly'' and ''Victorious'', two TV shows that Schneider also created. The series stars Jenne ...
'' (2013–2014), and later ''
Henry Danger
''Henry Danger'' is an American comedy television series created by Dan Schneider and Dana Olsen that aired on Nickelodeon from July 26, 2014 to March 21, 2020. The series stars Jace Norman, Cooper Barnes, Riele Downs, Sean Ryan Fox, Ella ...
'' (2014–2020), ''
Game Shakers
''Game Shakers'' is an American comedy television series created by Dan Schneider that premiered on Nickelodeon on September 12, 2015. The series ran for three seasons, with its final episode airing on June 8, 2019. It stars Cree Cicchino, M ...
'' (2015–2019), and ''
The Adventures of Kid Danger'' (2018). He also wrote and acted in the film ''
Good Burger
''Good Burger'' is a 1997 American teen comedy film directed by Brian Robbins, written by Dan Schneider with Kevin Kopelow and Heath Seifert, and starring Kenan Thompson, Kel Mitchell, and Abe Vigoda. The film is a spin-off of the "Good B ...
'' (1997) and wrote and co-produced the film ''
Big Fat Liar
''Big Fat Liar'' is a 2002 American teen comedy film directed by Shawn Levy, and written by Dan Schneider from a story by Schneider and Brian Robbins. It stars Frankie Muniz, Paul Giamatti and Amanda Bynes, with a supporting cast featuring Am ...
'' (2002).
In the wake of the
#MeToo movement, details of his alleged sexual misconduct and gender discrimination allegations towards Nickelodeon employees, many of them underage, were made public beginning in 2018. In response to the accusations, Nickelodeon ended their long-time partnership with Schneider. After a three-year hiatus, he discussed writing and selling a new
pilot
An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its Aircraft flight control system, directional flight controls. Some other aircrew, aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are al ...
to a different network. The
Investigation Discovery
Investigation Discovery (stylized and branded on-air as ID since 2008) is an American multinational pay television network dedicated to true crime documentaries, similar to corporate sibling HLN. It is owned by Warner Bros. Discovery's netw ...
docuseries ''
Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV'' (2024) detailed the numerous allegations against him of fostering a
toxic workplace environment, which he has partly denied. Schneider filed a defamation lawsuit against the show's creators in May 2024.
Early life
Daniel James Schneider was born in
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in Shelby County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. Situated along the Mississippi River, it had a population of 633,104 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of municipalities in Tenne ...
,
on January 14, 1966. In high school, Schneider was involved in theater and was senior class president.
He found work repairing computers upon returning to Memphis, but soon moved to
Los Angeles
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
to pursue a career in the entertainment industry.
Career
1984–1994: Career beginnings and acting roles

In the 1980s, Schneider appeared in minor roles in several films including the
teen comedies ''
Making the Grade'' (1984) starring
Judd Nelson, and ''
Better Off Dead'' (1985) with
John Cusack
John Paul Cusack ( ; born June 28, 1966)(28 June 1996)Today's birthdays ''Santa Cruz Sentinel'', ("Actors John Cusack is 30") is an American actor. With a career spanning over four decades, he has appeared in over 80 films. He began acting in f ...
. He also acted in comedy ''
Hot Resort'' (1985), the romantic comedy ''
Happy Together'' (1989) starring
Patrick Dempsey
Patrick Galen Dempsey (born January 13, 1966) is an American actor and racing driver best known for playing neurosurgeon Derek Shepherd in ''Grey's Anatomy'' (2005–15; 2020–21). He is also known for his leading man romantic film roles, such ...
, the comedy ''
The Big Picture'' (1989) with
Kevin Bacon
Kevin Norwood Bacon (born July 8, 1958) is an American actor. Known for various roles, including leading man characters, Bacon has received numerous accolades such as a Golden Globe Award and a Screen Actors Guild Award.
Bacon made his featu ...
and the drama ''
Listen to Me'' (1989). In 1986, he played Dennis Blunden on the
ABC
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script.
ABC or abc may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media Broadcasting
* Aliw Broadcasting Corporation, Philippine broadcast company
* American Broadcasting Company, a commercial American ...
television sitcom ''
Head of the Class
''Head of the Class'' is an American sitcom television series that ran from 1986 to 1991 on the ABC television network.
The series follows a group of gifted students in the Individualized Honors Program (IHP) at the fictional Millard Fillm ...
''. The series ran for five seasons from 1986 to 1991. In 1993, he starred in the series ''
Home Free''.
Schneider co-hosted the
1988 Kids' Choice Awards
The 2nd Annual Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards was held on April 18, 1988, from the The Adventures of Conan: A Sword and Sorcery Spectacular, Conan Sword and Sorcery Spectacular Arena at Universal Studios Hollywood. This was the first event hel ...
, where he met Nickelodeon development executive
Albie Hecht. In 1994, he played
Shawn Eckardt in ''Tonya & Nancy: The Inside Story'', one of two made-for-television films about the
Tonya Harding
Tonya Maxene Price (née Harding; born November 12, 1970) is an American former figure skater and boxer, and reality television personality.
Born in Portland, Oregon, Harding was raised by her mother, who enrolled her in ice skating lessons w ...
–
Nancy Kerrigan
Nancy Ann Kerrigan (born October 13, 1969) is an American former figure skating, figure skater. She won bronze medals at the 1991 World Figure Skating Championships, 1991 World Championships and the Figure skating at the 1992 Winter Olympics, 19 ...
scandal. Schneider has made cameo appearances in TV series that he has helped to create and/or produce: ''
All That
''All That'' is an American sketch comedy children's television series created by Brian Robbins and Mike Tollin. The series originally aired on Nickelodeon from April 16, 1994, to October 22, 2005, lasting ten seasons, and was produced by Tol ...
'', and its subsequent film ''
Good Burger
''Good Burger'' is a 1997 American teen comedy film directed by Brian Robbins, written by Dan Schneider with Kevin Kopelow and Heath Seifert, and starring Kenan Thompson, Kel Mitchell, and Abe Vigoda. The film is a spin-off of the "Good B ...
'', ''
Kenan & Kel
''Kenan & Kel'' is an American sitcom created by Kim Bass that originally aired on Nickelodeon from August 17, 1996, to May 3, 2000. Set in Chicago, the series follows mischievous Kenan Rockmore (Kenan Thompson) and his happy-go-lucky best frien ...
'', ''
The Amanda Show
''The Amanda Show'' is an American sketch comedy and variety show television series created by Dan Schneider and starring Amanda Bynes that aired on Nickelodeon from October 16, 1999, to September 21, 2002. A spin-off of '' All That'', ano ...
'', ''
Zoey 101
''Zoey 101'' is an American comedy-drama television series created by Dan Schneider for Nickelodeon. It aired from January 9, 2005, to May 2, 2008, spanning a total of 61 episodes across four seasons.
It focuses on the lives of Zoey Brooks ( J ...
'', ''
iCarly
''iCarly'' is an American teen sitcom created by Dan Schneider, which originally aired on Nickelodeon from September 8, 2007, to November 23, 2012. The series tells the story of Carly Shay (Miranda Cosgrove), a teenager who creates and hosts ...
'', and ''
Henry Danger
''Henry Danger'' is an American comedy television series created by Dan Schneider and Dana Olsen that aired on Nickelodeon from July 26, 2014 to March 21, 2020. The series stars Jace Norman, Cooper Barnes, Riele Downs, Sean Ryan Fox, Ella ...
''.
Schneider also does voice-overs in many projects.
1993–2019: Nickelodeon showrunner
In 1993, Hecht, now head of production for the network, hired Schneider to work on a new sketch-comedy show for children called ''
All That
''All That'' is an American sketch comedy children's television series created by Brian Robbins and Mike Tollin. The series originally aired on Nickelodeon from April 16, 1994, to October 22, 2005, lasting ten seasons, and was produced by Tol ...
''. After writing the pilot episode, Schneider worked as producer, executive producer, and writer on the show. Schneider quit ''All That'' after the fourth season to run ''
The Amanda Show
''The Amanda Show'' is an American sketch comedy and variety show television series created by Dan Schneider and starring Amanda Bynes that aired on Nickelodeon from October 16, 1999, to September 21, 2002. A spin-off of '' All That'', ano ...
'' (1999–2002) starring
Amanda Bynes
Amanda Laura Bynes (born April 3, 1986) is an American actress. Bynes began her career as a child actor, appearing on the Nickelodeon sketch comedy series '' All That'' (1996–2000) and its spin-off series '' The Amanda Show'' (1999–2002). ...
.
The show's ratings soon declined, and it was cancelled in the 2000–2001 season. Schneider himself often appeared on ''The Amanda Show'' as a frustrated old man who was frequently the victim of strange prank phone calls. Nickelodeon then asked Schneider to come back and revamp ''All That'' in 2001. Schneider agreed, and ''All That'' returned to Nickelodeon in 2002. It ran for another four seasons until 2005, bringing ''All That'' to the end of its 10-season run.
From 1996 to 1997, Schneider was an executive producer and a writer for ''
Kenan & Kel
''Kenan & Kel'' is an American sitcom created by Kim Bass that originally aired on Nickelodeon from August 17, 1996, to May 3, 2000. Set in Chicago, the series follows mischievous Kenan Rockmore (Kenan Thompson) and his happy-go-lucky best frien ...
'' starring
Kenan Thompson
Kenan Thompson (; born May 10, 1978) is an American actor and comedian. He has been a cast member on the NBC sketch comedy series ''Saturday Night Live'' since Saturday Night Live season 29, 2003, making him the longest-tenured cast member in the ...
and
Kel Mitchell
Kel Johari Rice Mitchell (born August 25, 1978) is an American actor, comedian, rapper, singer, and TV host. He was an original cast member of the Nickelodeon sketch comedy series '' All That'' for its first five seasons (1994–1999), where he ...
. Schneider guest-starred in an episode and was an executive producer during the first two seasons. He continued working as a consultant for the remainder of the series. He wrote the 1997 film ''
Good Burger
''Good Burger'' is a 1997 American teen comedy film directed by Brian Robbins, written by Dan Schneider with Kevin Kopelow and Heath Seifert, and starring Kenan Thompson, Kel Mitchell, and Abe Vigoda. The film is a spin-off of the "Good B ...
'', starring Kenan and Kel and featuring Schneider himself in a supporting role. The film was spun off from a popular ''All That'' sketch produced by Schneider. While a modest commercial success it received negative reviews from critics with
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert ( ; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American Film criticism, film critic, film historian, journalist, essayist, screenwriter and author. He wrote for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. Eber ...
of ''
Chicago Sun-Times
The ''Chicago Sun-Times'' is a daily nonprofit newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Since 2022, it is the flagship paper of Chicago Public Media, and has long held the second largest circulation among Chicago newspaper ...
'' giving the film two stars out of four, writing "It didn't do much for me, but I am prepared to predict that its target audience will have a good time." In 1998, he began his career as a show creator with ''
Guys Like Us'' for
UPN
The United Paramount Network (UPN) was an American broadcast television network that operated from 1995 to 2006. It was originally a joint venture between Chris-Craft Industries (later sold to News Corporation)'s subsidiary, United Television, ...
. The series is one of only two series Schneider created that was produced for broadcast network television. The show was cancelled after its first season due to low ratings and poor reviews.

Schneider co-created ''
What I Like About You'' with former ''
Friends
''Friends'' is an American television sitcom created by David Crane (producer), David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994, to May 6, 2004, lasting List of Friends episodes, ten seasons. With an ensemble cast ...
'' writer/producer
Wil Calhoun
Wil Calhoun is an American television producer and writer.
Calhoun is best known for his work on the sitcom ''Friends'', for which he was nominated for a Primetime Emmy in 1999. In 2002, along with Dan Schneider, he created the series '' What ...
. It premiered in 2002 on
The WB
The WB Television Network (shortened to The WB, stylized as "THE WB", and nicknamed the "Frog Network" and/or "The Frog" for its former mascot Michigan J. Frog) was an American television network that ran from 1995 to 2006. It launched on ter ...
and ran until 2006. Schneider was an executive producer during the show's first two seasons. He wrote and co-produced the comedy film ''
Big Fat Liar
''Big Fat Liar'' is a 2002 American teen comedy film directed by Shawn Levy, and written by Dan Schneider from a story by Schneider and Brian Robbins. It stars Frankie Muniz, Paul Giamatti and Amanda Bynes, with a supporting cast featuring Am ...
'' (2002) starring
Frankie Muniz
Francisco Muniz IV (; born December 5, 1985) is an American actor and racing driver. Muniz came to prominence in the 2000s playing the title character of the Fox sitcom ''Malcolm in the Middle'' (2000–2006), for which he was nominated for an E ...
,
Amanda Bynes
Amanda Laura Bynes (born April 3, 1986) is an American actress. Bynes began her career as a child actor, appearing on the Nickelodeon sketch comedy series '' All That'' (1996–2000) and its spin-off series '' The Amanda Show'' (1999–2002). ...
, and
Paul Giamatti
Paul Edward Valentine Giamatti ( ; born June6, 1967) is an American actor. His accolades include a Primetime Emmy Award and three Golden Globes, as well as nominations for two Academy Awards and a British Academy Film Award.
After studying a ...
which earned a total of $52.4 million at the worldwide box office.
Schneider returned to Nickelodeon in 2004 with the show ''
Drake & Josh
''Drake & Josh'' is an American teen sitcom created by Dan Schneider for Nickelodeon. The series follows teenage stepbrothers Drake Parker (Drake Bell) and Josh Nichols (Josh Peck) as they live together despite their opposite personalities. Na ...
''. The series starred
Drake Bell
Jared Drake Bell (born June 27, 1986) is an American actor and musician. Born in Newport Beach, California, he began his career as a child actor in the 1990s, appearing on ''Home Improvement (TV series), Home Improvement'' (1994) and in severa ...
and
Josh Peck
Joshua Michael Peck (born November 10, 1986) is an American actor, comedian, and YouTuber. Peck began his career as a child actor, appearing in the film Snow Day (2000 film), ''Snow Day'' (2000) and the Nickelodeon sketch comedy series ''The Ama ...
, who were actors on ''The Amanda Show'', and
Miranda Cosgrove
Miranda Taylor Cosgrove (born May 14, 1993) is an American actress, singer, and producer. A teen idol of the 2000s and early 2010s, she was listed as the highest-paid child actor of 2012 by Guinness World Records and appeared on ''Forbes " 30 ...
, who would later star in another of Schneider's shows, ''
iCarly
''iCarly'' is an American teen sitcom created by Dan Schneider, which originally aired on Nickelodeon from September 8, 2007, to November 23, 2012. The series tells the story of Carly Shay (Miranda Cosgrove), a teenager who creates and hosts ...
''. Overlapping both ''Drake & Josh'' and ''iCarly'', Schneider created the show ''
Zoey 101
''Zoey 101'' is an American comedy-drama television series created by Dan Schneider for Nickelodeon. It aired from January 9, 2005, to May 2, 2008, spanning a total of 61 episodes across four seasons.
It focuses on the lives of Zoey Brooks ( J ...
'', which starred
Jamie Lynn Spears. ''Zoey 101'' was Schneider's first and to date only single-camera format program and the first to be presented in a
letterboxed
Letter-boxing is the practice of transferring film shot in a widescreen aspect ratio to standard-width video formats while preserving the film's original aspect ratio. The resulting video-graphic image has mattes of empty space above and belo ...
format. Schneider guest-starred in the ''Zoey 101'' series finale "Chasing Zoey", playing a cab driver.
After the show was cancelled in 2008, Schneider began working on a new project for one of the actresses,
Victoria Justice
Victoria Justice (born February 19, 1993) is an American actress and singer. She rose to fame on Nickelodeon, playing Lola Martinez on the comedy drama series '' Zoey 101'' (2005–2008) and Tori Vega on the sitcom '' Victorious'' (2010–20 ...
. That show, ''
Victorious
''Victorious'' (stylized as ''VICTORiOUS'') is an American sitcom created by Dan Schneider that originally aired on Nickelodeon, debuting on March 27, 2010, and concluding on February 2, 2013 after four seasons. The series revolves around aspi ...
'', premiered in 2010 after the 2010 Kids' Choice Awards. It starred Justice,
Ariana Grande
Ariana Grande-Butera ( ; born June 26, 1993) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Regarded as a pop icon and an influential figure in popular music, Grande is known for her four-octave vocal range, which extends into the whistle re ...
,
Elizabeth Gillies
Elizabeth Egan Gillies (born July 26, 1993), also known as Liz Gillies, is an American actress and singer. She began her career as a teenager and made her Broadway theatre, Broadway debut in the Musical theatre, musical ''13 (musical), 13'' (200 ...
,
Leon Thomas III
Leon George Thomas III (born August 1, 1993) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actor. He began his career as a child actor on Broadway theatre, Broadway, appearing in the musicals The Lion King (musical), ''The Lion King'', ...
,
Matt Bennett
Matthew H. "Matt" Bennett (born November 13, 1991) is an American actor and DJ. He is known for playing Robbie Shapiro in the Nickelodeon sitcom ''Victorious''. His film roles include '' The Virginity Hit'', ''Bridesmaids'', ''Me and Earl and t ...
and
Avan Jogia
Avan Tudor Jogia (; born February 9, 1992) is a Canadian actor, singer, author and director. He first received recognition for portraying Danny Araujo in the television film '' A Girl Like Me: The Gwen Araujo Story'' (2006). After moving to the ...
. A dual-show spin-off of both ''iCarly'' and ''Victorious'' called ''
Sam & Cat
''Sam & Cat'' is an American teen sitcom created by Dan Schneider that aired on Nickelodeon from June 8, 2013, to July 17, 2014. It is a spin-off of ''iCarly'' and ''Victorious'', two TV shows that Schneider also created. The series stars Jenne ...
'' premiered in 2013. It was cancelled after 36 episodes. On March 9, 2010, it was announced that Schneider himself would sign a deal with Nickelodeon. Following the cancellation of ''Sam & Cat'', Schneider co-created ''
Henry Danger
''Henry Danger'' is an American comedy television series created by Dan Schneider and Dana Olsen that aired on Nickelodeon from July 26, 2014 to March 21, 2020. The series stars Jace Norman, Cooper Barnes, Riele Downs, Sean Ryan Fox, Ella ...
'' with
Dana Olsen. The show premiered in 2014. The following year, Schneider created ''
Game Shakers
''Game Shakers'' is an American comedy television series created by Dan Schneider that premiered on Nickelodeon on September 12, 2015. The series ran for three seasons, with its final episode airing on June 8, 2019. It stars Cree Cicchino, M ...
'', which reunited him with actor and
Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon (nicknamed Nick) is an American pay television channel and the flagship property of the Nickelodeon Group, a sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on April 1, 1979, as the first ca ...
veteran
Kel Mitchell
Kel Johari Rice Mitchell (born August 25, 1978) is an American actor, comedian, rapper, singer, and TV host. He was an original cast member of the Nickelodeon sketch comedy series '' All That'' for its first five seasons (1994–1999), where he ...
. Schneider also served as executive producer.
On March 26, 2018, Nickelodeon announced that it would not be extending its production deal with Schneider and his company Schneider's Bakery.
In addition, the network also announced that his comedy ''Game Shakers'' would not be renewed for a fourth season.
His remaining Nickelodeon comedy ''
Henry Danger
''Henry Danger'' is an American comedy television series created by Dan Schneider and Dana Olsen that aired on Nickelodeon from July 26, 2014 to March 21, 2020. The series stars Jace Norman, Cooper Barnes, Riele Downs, Sean Ryan Fox, Ella ...
'' would be receiving a fifth season and a new showrunner.
2020–present: Upcoming projects
After a three-year hiatus, Schneider announced that he had several new projects in development; ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' commented that he seemed "set on returning to television and reintroducing his brand of comedy to new audiences".
In a June 2021 interview, he described an "ambitious and very different"
television pilot
A television pilot (also known as a pilot or a pilot episode and sometimes marketed as a tele-movie) in United Kingdom and United States television, is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell a show to a television netwo ...
that he had written and sold to a different network. Schneider said that this proposed show is aimed at more of an adult audience than his previous work.
Reception
Schneider has been described as "the
Norman Lear
Norman Milton Lear (July 27, 1922December 5, 2023) was an American screenwriter and producer who produced, wrote, created, or developed over 100 shows. Lear created and produced numerous popular 1970s sitcoms, including ''All in the Family'' (1 ...
of children's television" by ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'', "the
Aaron Sorkin
Aaron Benjamin Sorkin (born June 9, 1961) is an American screenwriter, playwright and film director. Born in New York City, he developed a passion for writing at an early age. As a writer for stage, television, and film, Sorkin is recognized f ...
of teen sitcoms" by ''
Gawker
''Gawker'' was an American blog founded by Nick Denton and Elizabeth Spiers that was based in New York City and focused on celebrities and the media industry. According to SimilarWeb, the site had over 23 million visits per month in 2015. Fo ...
'', and "the
Willy Wonka
Willy Wonka is a fictional character appearing in British author Roald Dahl's 1964 children's novel ''Charlie and the Chocolate Factory'' and its 1972 sequel '' Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator''. He is the eccentric founder and proprieto ...
of television" by ''
Forbes
''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine founded by B. C. Forbes in 1917. It has been owned by the Hong Kong–based investment group Integrated Whale Media Investments since 2014. Its chairman and editor-in-chief is Steve Forbes. The co ...
''. ''
Variety
Variety may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats
* Variety (radio)
* Variety show, in theater and television
Films
* ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont
* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' cited his "
Jedi Master
Jedi (), Jedi Knights, or collectively the Jedi Order are fictional characters, and often protagonists, featured in many works within the ''Star Wars'' franchise. Working symbiotically alongside the Galactic Republic, the Jedi Order is depicte ...
-like acumen for creating shows that appeal to kids in the awkward years of adolescence".
Misconduct allegations
''
Deadline Hollywood
''Deadline Hollywood'', commonly known as ''Deadline'' and also referred to as ''Deadline.com'', is an online news site founded as the news blog ''Deadline Hollywood Daily'' by Nikki Finke in 2006. It is updated several times a day, with en ...
'', the first to report about Nickelodeon parting ways with Schneider in March 2018,
reported that there were complaints about Schneider's behavior.
Nickelodeon did not respond to ''Deadline''s report and Schneider's representative refused to comment.
In June 2021, the ''
New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' reported that Nickelodeon's decision to sever ties with Schneider came after its parent company
ViacomCBS
Paramount Global (Trade name, d/b/a Paramount) is an American multinational mass media and entertainment Conglomerate (company), conglomerate controlled by National Amusements and Headquarters, headquartered at One Astor Plaza in Times Square, ...
completed an internal investigation that found evidence of Schneider verbally abusing his colleagues. Some of his colleagues told the newspaper that they found him to be difficult to work with and "prone to tantrums and angry emails". The investigation did not find evidence of sexual misconduct.
When asked about the allegations, Schneider defended his work and said that if people found him to be hard to work with, it was because he maintained "high standards" as showrunner.
In August 2022, ''
Insider
Insider(s) or The Insider(s) may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Comics
* ''Insiders'', a comic series by Mark Millar and Paul Grist, published in ''Crisis''
* The Insiders, a team of DC Comics characters in the Brainiac stories
* ''I ...
'' reported several new allegations from former actors and employees, including accusations of
gender discrimination
Sexism is prejudice or discrimination based on one's sex or gender. Sexism can affect anyone, but primarily affects women and girls. It has been linked to gender roles and stereotypes, and may include the belief that one sex or gender is in ...
and asking for "massages from adult female colleagues".
A person "close to Schneider" said Schneider "regrets ever asking anyone
or a massageand agrees it was not appropriate".
Russell Hicks, a former executive at Nickelodeon, denied allegations of "sexualized" scenes in Schneider's shows and claimed that, "everyday on every set, were the parents and caregivers and their friends watching every single frame of footage and listening to every joke. Every single thing that Dan ever did on any of his shows was carefully scrutinized and approved".
The 2024 documentary miniseries ''
Quiet on Set'' discussed Schneider's alleged toxic workplace behavior at Nickelodeon. He responded by apologizing for his treatment of colleagues, but denied other allegations regarding the sexualization of children in his past productions. Schneider received support from former Nickelodeon star
Madisyn Shipman, who shared that she had "nothing but positive things to say" about Schneider based on her experience on set. In May 2024, Schneider filed a lawsuit against
Warner Bros. Discovery
Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. (WBD) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational mass media and Outline of entertainment, entertainment Conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered in New York City. It was formed from WarnerMedi ...
(WBD),
Sony Pictures Television
Sony Pictures Television Inc. (abbreviated as SPT) is an American television production company, production and broadcast syndication, distribution studio. Based at the Sony Pictures Studios complex in Culver City, California, it is a division o ...
, and the series' directors, claiming the docuseries defamed him by falsely implying he sexually abused child actors he worked with.
In a statement, Schneider acknowledged "mistakes and poor judgment" exhibited during his time at Nickelodeon, and expressed that reactions to the series left him "no choice but to take legal action against the people behind it."
Schneider has also been accused of behaving inappropriately with some of the young actresses who appeared in shows he developed.
Alexa Nikolas, who appeared in ''Zoey 101'' for two seasons from 2004 to 2006, has said that, during her time on the show, she did "not feel safe" around Schneider, and that he had pressured her to wear revealing clothing and responded to her complaints about the way her costar
Jamie Lynn Spears treated her by screaming at her.
Lori Beth Denberg, who appeared in ''All That'' from 1994 to 1998, accused Schneider of touching her inappropriately, showing her pornography, and attempting to initiate phone sex with her when she was 19.
Personal life
Schneider met food blogger
Lisa Lillien at Nickelodeon in the 1990s, and the two were married in 2002.
They lived in the
Encino neighborhood of Los Angeles until 2016, when they purchased a $9 million mansion from heiress Lori Milgard in
Hidden Hills, California
Hidden Hills is a city and gated community in the Santa Monica Mountains region of Los Angeles County, California. It is located next to the cities of Los Angeles and Calabasas. The population was 1,725 as of 2020.
History
The earliest inhabi ...
.
After being overweight for much of his life, Schneider revealed in 2021 that he had lost over 100 lb (45 kg) since departing from Nickelodeon.
Filmography
Film
Television
Acting credits
Creator and producer roles
Awards and nominations
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Schneider, Dan
1966 births
Film producers from Tennessee
American male film actors
American male screenwriters
American male television actors
Television producers from Tennessee
American television writers
Living people
Male actors from Memphis, Tennessee
American male television writers
Songwriters from Tennessee
Nickelodeon people
Nickelodeon Animation Studio people
American showrunners
American television show creators
20th-century American screenwriters
20th-century American male writers
21st-century American screenwriters
21st-century American male writers
Obscenity controversies in television
Television controversies in the United States
Sexual harassment in the United States
Screenwriters from Tennessee
Writers from Memphis, Tennessee