Line #97 Creator/DanSchneider


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3	%% Per Administrivia/CreatorPageGuidelines, only tropes associated with a creator's works are allowed on this wiki's pages, and tropes that only apply to the creator's personal life as if the creator is a fictional character are not allowed. Please do not apply tropes about the creator's personal life as if they are a fictional character.
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6	[[quoteright:295:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dan_schneider.jpeg]]
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8	The king of [[KidCom kids' comedy]] at the TurnOfTheMillennium.
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10	Daniel James Schneider (born January 14, 1966) is an American actor, writer, and producer born in Memphis, Tennessee. He's probably best known to adults as Dennis Blunden on the 80s Creator/{{ABC}} sitcom ''Series/HeadOfTheClass'', but to millions of children (and kids-at-heart), he is the creator, writer, and producer of several of the most well-known and loved {{Kid Com}}s since [[The90s the 1990s]].
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12	His work portfolio is primarily composed of Creator/{{Nickelodeon}}'s premier shows (and vice-versa: his shows make up a very large chunk of Nickelodeon's live-action programming), many of which he produced or co-produced through his production company Schneider's Bakery. His shows tend to use a similar way of talking, a variation on BuffySpeak by finding obscure, unusual or sometimes made-up words to use, and he loves to put various {{Easter Egg}}s among his shows (for example, a Schneider's Bakery can be seen in the stock location footage of the movie theatre in ''Series/DrakeAndJosh''). He can be considered Nick's sitcom equivalent to comic playwright Creator/NeilSimon, of ''Theatre/TheOddCouple'' (which ''Drake and Josh'' bears similarities to) fame.
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14	On March 26, 2018, Nickelodeon and Schneider mutually decided to end their 24-year relationship after the network's parent company [[Creator/ParamountGlobal ViacomCBS]] [[https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/30/arts/dan-schneider-nickelodeon.html did an investigation]] and found that many of his co-workers felt he was overly aggressive, demanding or verbally abusive as a showrunner. Further reports detailed allegations of sexual misconduct and gender discrimination from Schneider towards his employees, many of them underage; the [=ViacomCBS=] investigation "found no evidence of sexual misconduct", but did find that "he could be verbally abusive to people he worked with". In 2024, Schneider was a central focus of the documentary miniseries ''[[Series/QuietOnSet Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV]]'', which went into additional detail regarding his allegations of inappropriate behavior as well as creating a toxic environment for the young actors and behind-the-scenes crews on his shows.
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16	[[AC: Shows created and/or produced:]]
17	* ''Guys Like Us''
18	* ''Series/AllThat''
19	* ''Series/TheAmandaShow'': He also had a [[CreatorCameo minor role]] as a frequent prank phone call victim of Creator/AmandaBynes.
20	* ''Series/KenanAndKel''
21	* ''Series/WhatILikeAboutYou''
22	* ''Series/DrakeAndJosh''
23	* ''Series/{{Zoey 101}}''
24	* ''Series/ICarly''
25	* ''Series/{{Victorious}}''
26	* ''Series/SamAndCat'' - a crossover SpinOff of ''iCarly'' and ''Victorious'' (a rare ShortRunner for Schneider, though mostly due to TroubledProduction rather than any lack of success.)
27	* ''Series/HenryDanger''
28	* ''Series/GameShakers''
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30	''Note'': A pilot for a ''Gibby'' SpinOff from ''iCarly'' was filmed, but not picked up.
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32	[[AC: Movies produced and written:]]
33	* ''Film/GoodBurger''
34	* ''Film/BigFatLiar''
35	* The ''Drake & Josh'' [[TheMovie movies]]
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37	His personal blog used to be found [[http://danwarp.blogspot.com/ here.]]
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39	See also the Series/NickVerse, a SharedUniverse between various Nickelodeon live-action [=KidCom=] series -- it's also known as the "Schneiderverse" as so far ''all'' of the shows in it are his.
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41	Not to be confused with [[http://cosmoetica.com/ the film critic and poet of the same name]], whose website ''Cosmoetica'' is also subtitled the "[[PunnyName Schneiderverse of Schneider Verse]]."
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44	!!Dan Schneider's works contain examples of:
45	%% Remember, creators don't get trivia pages. Trivia examples on this page should be listed here.
46	* AdultsAreUseless: Adults in his shows are typically incredibly naive, pushovers, overly underhanded, or just utter morons. Spencer on iCarly caused so many fires that he was blocked from the fire department, often needing Carly to be the voice of reason in their house to the point where he had trouble punishing her when she misbehaved.
47	* AuthorAppeal: A lot of his shows have had numerous scenes focusing on characters' feet, with ''Series/ICarly'' and ''Series/{{Victorious}}'' being the most prominent examples, the latter of which featured an entire episode dedicated to the main characters letting an illegally imported fish feed on the dead skin and callouses of their feet to make them smoother. Three years following his departure from Nickelodeon, [[https://www.complex.com/pop-culture/dan-schneider-nickelodeon-foot-scenes Schneider himself claimed that the focus on feet in his shows was purely as a source of comedy since kids find feet to be "goofy and funny".]]
48	%%* BuffySpeak: Frequently.
49	* ButtMonkey: Quite a few appear in his works. Freddie on iCarly was treated like garbage, frequently abused verbally and physically by Sam, never getting a comeuppance over her. Other characters like Josh from ''Series/DrakeAndJosh'', Stacey from ''Series/{{Zoey 101}}'', and Robbie from ''Series/{{Victorious}}'' are often mistreated and comically abused for no reason. However, as seen below, there are also a few example of {{Karmic Butt Monkey}}s.
50	* ClassPrincess: Most of the female leads of his shows, such as Zoey from ''Series/{{Zoey 101}}'', Carly from ''Series/ICarly'', and Tori from ''Series/{{Victorious}}'', are portrayed as pretty, popular, BookSmart, and friendly good girls who are are loved by (almost) everyone, all of them serving as the StandardizedLeader surrounded by a flawed and quirky supporting cast. Averted with the male leads in ''Series/DrakeAndJosh'' who are both flawed in their own way.
51	* ColdOpening: Every show he produces (''Series/{{Zoey 101}}'' and ''Series/KenanAndKel'' being exceptions) features an opening scene before the ThemeTune intro.
52	* ComedicSociopathy: By and towards his main characters. The main offenders are Megan from ''Series/DrakeAndJosh'' and Sam Puckett from ''Series/ICarly''. Said recipients are Series/DrakeAndJosh and Freddie Benson respectively.
53	* CosmicPlaything: Coupled with the above, in every show he's directed. If you're not some sort of hardcore badass who can fight back, chances are the entire universe and its people will try to ruin you in amazing ways despite all the hard work you've done. If you're a ButtMonkey, you ''will'' come close to perishing.
54	* CrapsaccharineWorld: Very common in the Schneider-verse world, especially in his sitcoms. Guest characters who interact with the main protagonists have high chances of being full of unfortunate implications.
55	* CrazyHomelessPeople: Most frequently mentioned and seen in the early seasons of ''iCarly''. However after MoralGuardians complained, Nick told him he's not allowed to make fun of hobos anymore, but that doesn't stop him from making hobo jokes in ''Sam & Cat''.
56	* DisproportionateRetribution: One of the chief sources of humor in several of his shows. Freddie being bashed with a tennis racquet by Sam was a notorious example.
57	* GoshDangItToHeck: There are a lot of strange euphemisms for swears in his works, the most used ones are "skunk bag," "chiz," "jank," "nub," and "suckish."
58	* HistoryRepeats: "iParty with Victorious", the ''Victorious'' episode starring Jennette, and ''Sam & Cat'', all aired on the second Saturday of June.
59	* {{Jerkass}}: Wouldn't be a Dan Schneider show without a couple. Megan on Drake & Josh, Logan on Zoey 101, Sam on iCarly, and Jade in Victorious are prominent examples of characters who serve as TokenEvilTeammate in the main cast, and are often mean or even cruel to the other characters. They usually get away with it (aside from Logan, who is a KarmicButtMonkey).
60	* KarmaHoudini: There usually are a few {{jerkass}} characters in his works that receive absolutely no sort of comeuppance or consequences for their behaviors and actions; the most JustForFun/{{egregious}} example is Megan, the villain of ''Series/DrakeAndJosh'' who was a borderline sociopath not to mention very well-liked by the writers but despised by the fanbase.
61	* KarmicButtMonkey: Some characters, like Logan from ''Zoey 101'' and Trina from ''Victorious'', are portrayed as selfish and jerkish people whose ButtMonkey treatment on the show is supposed to be karma for their SmallNameBigEgo and spoiled behavior. That said, the mistreatment and humiliations they suffer often border on DisproportionateRetribution.
62	* KidsAreCruel: Child characters tend to be [[BrattyHalfPint Bratty Half-Pints]] at best and [[EnfantTerrible Enfant Terribles]] at worst. They usually [[KarmaHoudini get away with it]] due to having [[AdultsAreUseless useless authority figures]]. Megan from ''Series/DrakeAndJosh'' is the epitome of this trope.
63	* LargeHam: You're gonna see a lot of characters like this in his works. Josh, Chase, Michael, Freddie, Spencer, Robbie, Trina... the list goes on and on.
64	* LaughTrack: Every show he's made features a laugh track to convey humor, with ''Series/{{Zoey 101}}'' being an exception.
65	%%* MyFriendsAndZoidberg: Wisconsin.
66	* NoEnding: Schneider likes to use this trope often in his more [[Series/ICarly recent]] [[Series/{{Victorious}} works]]. At the end of "iThink They Kissed", the trio has been tied up by escaped convicts, and Carly ends up asking if they liked the kiss. Freddie and Sam look at each other for a bit, then Spencer busts in with his banjo, plays a few chords and the episode ends without Carly knowing if they did. One being the end of "iBelieve In Bigfoot" where the gang and some other guys are left stranded when their RV gets stolen by the said Bigfoot they were trying to find. ''Series/SamAndCat'' ends the series in this way, with Cat in jail and no one in her family knowing she is there, Dice being stuck in another city far from his home, and Goomer just missing completely.
67	* NoIndoorVoice: Schneider ''loves'' writing characters with exuberant and boisterous voices. Expect at least two-thirds of all characters on a Dan Schneider show to frequently shout their dialogue. Also, expect a sequence at least once during an episode of any Dan Schneider show where the characters will argue - resulting in characters shouting at each other obnoxiously.
68	* OldMediaPlayingCatchUp:
69	** The send-up of the Filipino Music/MichaelJackson "Music/{{Thriller}}" [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMnk7lh9M3o Prison Dance scene]] in the ''Series/{{Victorious}}'' special ''Locked Up'', with the original being at least '''four''' years old and probably pre-dating ''Series/ICarly''!
70	** ''Series/ICarly'' itself, which came years after people had already been doing web shows and the rise of Website/{{Youtube}}.
71	** ''Series/SamAndCat'' tried to push social media (ie, Website/{{Twitter}}) very hard, to the extent of episode titles being [=#hashtags=].
72	%% * PoliceAreUseless
73	* RecursiveCanon: Events in ''Series/{{Victorious}}'', ''Series/ICarly'', and ''Series/{{Zoey 101}}'' indicate that ''Series/DrakeAndJosh'' is a fictional TV show in the shared universe of the other two shows, despite certain characters from that show like Helen, Gavin, Eric and Craig appearing in person for some of those shows. Or that the ''Drew and Jerry'' ShowWithinAShow from ''Series/DrakeAndJosh'' is a fictional TV show in the shared universe of the other 3 shows.
74	* RoleEndingMisdemeanor: By 2018, Schneider and Nickelodeon mutually decided not to extend their production deal after the network received many complaints from cast and staff members about his aggressive behavior. As a result, he would have no involvement in the ''Henry Danger'' SequelSeries ''Series/DangerForce'' and the 2021 Creator/ParamountPlus revival of ''iCarly''.
75	%% * RuleOfFunny: There's no sense of logic in any of his shows.
76	* RunningGag: Plenty of them. Hobos have been one since the days of ''Series/AllThat''. One of the more recent ones is someone (usually female) making a chicken for someone else.
77	%%* SadistTeacher: Occasionally.
78	* SassyBlackWoman: A common trope in his works is angry and aggressive Black women, from several characters in ''Victorious'' to Helen from ''Drake and Josh''.
79	* ShaggyDogStory:
80	** Loves having episodes without endings, or endings where nothing actually matters. A recent example is the iBust A Thief episode of ''Series/ICarly'' which had the gang try to get back Sam's stolen laptop. In the end, Sam had left it in a pizza box in the fridge and discovered it at the end and doesn't tell anyone.
81	** The Flour Bomber plot in "Robbie Sells Rex". Complete with {{Lampshading}} of how horrible, boring and anti-climatic the plot is.
82	* SharedUniverse: Officially canonized in "[=iStart=] a Fan War" of ''Series/ICarly''.
83	* ShoutOut: Schneider has freely admitted to almost having an outright love of paying homage to the sitcoms he grew up with and loved as a child and teenager, particularly ''Series/ILoveLucy'' and ''Series/TheMaryTylerMooreShow''. The very last whole cast scene from ''[=iCarly=]'' is in fact such a homage to the latter, for example.
84	* SpinOff: Despite having shows on the air for nearly 20 years, ''Series/SamAndCat'' and ''Gibby'' are Schneider's first true spinoffs. Most of everything else is just a SharedUniverse.
85	%% * TheVerse: See the Series/NickVerse.
86	%% * TotallyRadical: All over the place. Even the GoshDangItToHeck euphemisms have shades of it.
87	* WholePlotReference:
88	** ''Film/TheBreakfastClub'' send-up for ''Victorious''.
89	** The bathtub plot in ''iToe Fatcakes'' is inspired from an episode of ''Series/TheDickVanDykeShow''.
90	** The ''Series/DrakeAndJosh'' episode 'I Love Sushi' is an {{homage}} to the iconic ''Series/ILoveLucy'' episode 'Job Switching'.

Context Creator / DanSchneider