Dan Schneider eyes TV comeback, denies allegations he acted inappropriately on his Nickelodeon show sets

The New York Times

The "King of Tween Comedies" who was responsible for creating iCarly, Zoey 101, The Amanda Show, Drake & Josh and other Nickelodeon hits abruptly exited the cable network in March 2018 amid allegations that he was verbally abusive on set. There was also speculation that he had a foot fetish when it came to his stars. Some fans noted that the iCarly reboot was made without Schneider's input. Schneider recently spoke to The New York Times in his first major interview since his departure, but declined to comment on Nickelodeon's investigation into his workplace behavior that consisted of dozens of interviews with employees. Schneider exited Nickelodeon after the investigation. “I took a break to take care of a lot of stuff that I’d let go by the wayside for decades,” Schneider said, noting that he lost more than 100 pounds during his time off. “Whatever I do next, I want it to outdo what I’ve done in the past.” He called the allegations he had a foot fetish "ridiculous," adding that social media can freely push forward “any lie.” “The comedy,” he said, “was totally innocent.” Schneider said he never acted inappropriately with people with whom he worked. “I couldn’t, and I wouldn’t have the long-term friendships and continued loyalty from so many reputable people if I’d mistreated my actors of any age, especially minors,” he said. Schneider added that if people perceived him as “difficult,” it was because he has “high standards...I’m very willing to defend creative things that I believe in." Schneider told The Times after a three-year hiatus, he's ready to return to television with an “ambitious and very different” pilot that he has written and sold to another network. But the new show is aimed at “more of an adult audience,” he said, and he should know by the end of July whether it has been greenlit. Meanwhile, Schneider said he bears no ill will toward Nickelodeon, and says he wishes everyone involved with the iCarly revival “the best.”