What Was Dan Schneider’s Head of the Class Role? The Former Nickelodeon Producer Was Once an Actor

Disclaimer: This article contains mentions of abuse. Reader discretion is advised.

Dan Schneider’s Head of the Class role as Dennis Blunden was one of the few characters he played in the 1980s. According to Forbes, Schneider, a former Nickelodeon producer and child actor, is originally from Memphis, Tennessee. He relocated to Los Angeles in the 80s and played a few minor roles. Then, in 1985, Schneider finally landed the role of Ricky Smith in Better Off Dead, per IMDb. A few of his other roles include comedies such as Making the Grade and The Big Picture, Better Off Dead.

USA Today and IMDb reported that in 1986, Dan Schneider began playing Dennis Blunden’s character in Head of the Class. He made recurring appearances on the show until 1991. Afterward, Schneider began his career as a writer and producer at Nickelodeon. He then remained a part of the network until 2018.

Investigation Discovery’s Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV documentary into allegations against Dan Schneider. The docuseries premiered on March 17, 2024, and delved into abuse allegations against Schneider and several others. Former child actors and crew members accused the ex-producer of exhibiting abusive behavior on the sets of popular shows.

What Nickelodeon shows did Dan Schneider create after Head of the Class?

In the 1990s, Dan Schneider joined Nickelodeon after playing Dennis Blunden’s role in Head of the Class. He then went on to create a few of the network’s greatest hits. His Nickelodeon career began after he connected with executive Albie Hecht. Forbes stated that, per The Hollywood Reporter, Hecht hired Schneider to produce All That, a sketch series starring Amanda Bynes. He then quit the series in 2001 after four seasons.

The outlet reported that Schneider created The Amanda Show in 1999 after leaving All That, with Bynes headlining. According to IMDb, in 2002, he co-created the series What I Like About You, which also starred Bynes. Later, in 2004, Schneider served as executive producer for the Drake & Josh show, which featured Drake Bell and Josh Peck. Both Bell and Peck were That Amanda Show alums. The former Nickelodeon producer’s other popular works include Zoey 101, iCarly, Victorious, and Sam & Cat.

Reportedly, Dan Schneider has also received credit for launching the acting careers of child actors who are now big names. Besides Amanda Bynes, these stars include Victoria Justice, Kenan Thompson, Miranda Cosgrove, Jennette McCurdy, and several others. Nickelodeon eventually parted ways with Schneider in March 2018 because of his alleged abusive behavior. Former child actors had crew members who had accused him of discriminating against them and exhibiting inappropriate behavior.

Forbes reported that an investigation into Schneider failed to find evidence that suggested he sexual misconduct. However, evidence surfaced that he had been verbally abusive on show sets, per The New York Times. Several allegations claimed that he exhibited racist behavior and discriminated based on gender.

Others have also accused former dialogue coach Brian Peck and former productions assistant Jason Handy of sexual assault. They are both registered sex offenders now. Meanwhile, Dan Schneider has long denied the allegations.

ID’s Dan Schneider documentary Quiet on Set is now streaming on Max.

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