Quiet on Set: New docuseries ‘exposes’ Dan Schneider’s ugly acts during Nickelodeon’s The Amanda Show

Dan Schneider’s alleged exploitation of Amanda Bynes

The 58-year-old producer shot to fame as the creator of Nickelodeon’s The Amanda Show. After being impressed by Amanda Bynes’ ability to seamlessly perform complex characters, Schneider created the show that revolved around the then-13-year-old. He reportedly helped Bynes run away from home and attempted emancipation, which she later withdrew, per Vulture.

Virgil Fabian, the director of The Amanda Show, claimed that Schneider’s interference in Bynes’ life caused a rift between her and her parents. After the documentary premiered on March 17, internet sleuths delved into Bynes’ behavioural changes and dug out an old video of her in a “jacuzzi” as a teenager with the disgraced producer.

Nickelodeon’s statement on Schneider’s sexual misconduct allegations

As the sexual misconduct allegations against Schneider have enraged netizens, Nickelodeon said in a statement to Vulture, “Though we cannot corroborate or negate allegations of behaviours from productions decades ago, Nickelodeon as a matter of policy investigates all formal complaints as part of our commitment to fostering a safe and professional workplace environment free of harassment or other kinds of inappropriate conduct.”

“Our highest priorities are the well-being and best interests not just of our employees, casts and crew, but of all children, and we have adopted numerous safeguards over the years to help ensure we are living up to our own high standards and the expectations of our audience,” the statement adds.

All That and The Amanda Show sketches involved ‘sexualised’ references

The docuseries reveals that the name of Penelope Taynt’s character was based on slang that refers to the perineum. “He [Schneider] came up with the name Penelope Taynt. The taint is the part of the body that’s between the penis and the anus,” Jenny Kilgen explained in the series. Kilgen claimed that Schneider told the writers, “Don’t tell what this word really means. He wanted us to keep that a secret.”

Pickle Boy, one of the characters in All That, was portrayed by former actor and convicted sex offender Brian Peck. Pickle Boy’s tagline was that he “likes to hurt and tease pickles.” The outlet adds that Peck haunted the sets carrying the “phallic vegetable” and ate them, making the child actors uncomfortable. However, the cast members shrugged it off, saying it was another one of “Schneider’s oddities.”

Schneider was described as ‘disturbing’ on the set

The showrunners of Quiet on Set described Schneider’s on-set behaviour as “disturbing” and “volatile.” Former All That star Kyle Sullivan said, “The set on all that was dysfunctional. You could get away with more — like going overtime in ways that were pushing the envelope.”

“Dan was volatile and could turn any moment,” writer Christy Stratton said, adding, “I was scared. Working for Dan was like being in an abusive relationship.” Stratton further revealed that at one point, she was forced to make a pitch while “pretending to be sodomized on the writer’s room table.”

Recalling the incident, Stratton said, “I think of that poor girl and what she had to go through. I would not do that today.” Meanwhile, Kilgen revealed that Schneider forced her to watch pornographic videos.

The Amanda Show child actor’s mother opens up on daughter’s sexual misconduct

The mother of a former The Amanda Show child actor, Brandi, has opened up on the sexual misconduct her daughter allegedly faced at the hands of a convicted sex offender, Jason Handy.

A week after the filming, Brandi started receiving emails from the former The Amanda Show production assistant. At first, nothing was out of the ordinary, as the mother explained, “She let me read it. It was very innocent. It just talked about the shows that he had been working on.”

Just months later, Handy sent the child actor a “naked” photo of himself “masturbating.” Recalling the incident, the mother said, “[Brandi] was sitting at the computer, and all of a sudden, I noticed she had suddenly shut down the computer completely and got up and ran into her bedroom and slammed the bedroom door shut.”

The mother revealed that Jason told her that he sent her the photo because “he wanted her to see that he was thinking of her.” “I went back and forth with, Should I call the police? They’re gonna think I’m a bad parent because I allowed her to talk to this person. I struggled with it,” she added. Her daughter, Brandi, was left distraught from the incident and “left the business and never returned.”