Former Nickelodeon producer Dan Schneider has issued an apology after a documentary series about his time with the network sparked backlash.
Schneider created some of the most popular children’s shows on the Network in the 90s including Drake & Josh, All That, iCarly and Victorious. Several of the show’s actors stepped forward to allege they were sexually abused and harassed on set and that the content sexualized young kids.
In the series, Drake Bell revealed he was sexually abused by Brian Peck, a dialogue coach. In 2004, Peck was sentenced to 16 months in prison after pleading no contest to a count apiece of lewd act upon a child 14 or 15 by a person 10 years older and oral copulation of a person under 16.
“Watching over the past two nights was very difficult for me,” he continued. “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 that his bosses had to approve whatever he worked on.
. “There were many, many levels of scrutiny,” he said. “These are my bosses’ bosses and then their bosses, and then their bosses, and they’re approving all of this stuff. We’re also shooting it in front of all sorts of adults and caregivers and set teachers and the families.”
