Since Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV has premiered, viewers have been questioning everything about their favorite childhood shows on Nickelodeon. The documentary series premiered in March 2024, and follows the toxic environment on Nickelodeon in the early 2000s including allegations of abuse, sexism, racism and inappropriate dynamics with its underage stars and crew. Since the show premiered, one former Nickelodeon TV producer, Dan Schneider, has been at the center of the allegations — especially in regards to his close relationship with child star Amanda Bynes.
So, what exactly happened between the producer and The Amanda Show‘s leading lady? Keep reading for everything we know.
What Happened Between Dan Schneider and Amanda Bynes?
Neither Amanda nor Dan took part in the documentary, however, the latter did provide multiple statements shown on screen throughout the four-part series. That being said, several Nickelodeon staff members speculated over the close relationship between the child star and TV producer.
According to All That alum Leon Frierson, Dan’s preference for Amanda was obvious on set.
“We had to go to school on set. There would be times when Amanda would just be missing,” he recalled in the docuseries. “A lot of times we would hear she would be with Dan, pitching ideas and writing. We see them grow closer to each other on set.”
Leon also explained that Amanda’s father was a constant presence when she filmed scenes for All That.
“Parents on All That, they tried to stay out of the way,” he noted. “Amanda Bynes’ parents were very hands-on in her career. Specifically, her dad. His presence was always felt. A big part of that was his relationship with Dan Schneider. They carefully crafted Amanda’s career. It was enviable for a lot of the cast members.”
At one point, when Amanda’ relationship with her parents soured, and she turned to Dan who tried to aid her failed attempt at legal emancipation.
“Dan inserting himself into Amanda’s life like this is really ethically fraught,” said journalist Kate Taylor in the docuseries. The result of the failed emancipation also allegedly created a rift between Dan and Amanda’s parents, eventually causing their relationship to fizzle.
According to an Ok Magazine source, the star of The Amanda Show was reportedly asked to speak in the doc series, but declined. Per the insider, Amanda apparently had quite the opposite experience than her fellow cast members.
While she hasn’t seen the series yet, the insider claimed that Amanda is ultimately “grateful for Nickelodeon for jumpstarting her career.”
How Has Dan Schneider Responded to ‘Quiet on Set’?
The former producer defended his controversial relationship with Amanda during an interview with former iCarly actor Bobby “BooG!e” Bowman, which aired following the release of Investigation Discovery’s four-part doc series.
During their talk, Dan said he fully supported her decision to pursue emancipation from her parents and assisted in her attempt to run away from home.
“She wanted that for herself,” Dan said, “Amanda was between the ages of 16 and 17 and she wanted to get emancipated from her parents, which was a fairly common thing with successful young actors — at least at the time,” he said. “She wanted that for herself, so she turned to her team, which included her lawyer, her agent, her manager, her publicist, me — because she included me as part of her team, thought of me that way. We supported her, she tried to get emancipated and it ended up not working out and she didn’t.”
In response to J-14‘s request for comment, Nickelodeon provided the following statement:
“Though we cannot corroborate or negate allegations of behaviors 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.”
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