George Schenck, who wrote for and ran NCIS for a long time, has died at the age of 82.
A CBS spokesperson said that George died on Saturday at his home in Los Angeles.
The respected writer was best known for working with Frank Cardea on the crime drama NCIS for the first 15 seasons of the show.
But George was also the creator of another CBS show, Bring ‘Em Back Alive, which aired in 1982 and starred Bruce Boxleitner.
When he heard about George’s death, Mark Harmon, who was on NCIS, said, “So sorry to hear the news on George.”
“George and Frank’s hard work and professionalism changed the show.” I’m so grateful for the teamwork and unity they both showed,” he said in the end.
George was born on February 12, 1942. His father, the late Aubrey Schenck, was a film and TV producer who worked on shows like Robinson Crusoe on Mars and Kill a Dragon.
George got his degree in screenwriting from the well-known University of Southern California. He then went on to get his master’s degree in the first class of the Film School’s new writer’s program.
After finishing school, George joined the US Navy and did his time there before starting to write.
In his early work, he was in one episode of The Wild Wild West, Branded, Hondo, and Bonanza, all of which aired in 1965.
He also wrote scripts for movies with Clint Walker, such as Don’t Worry, We’ll Think of a Title (1966) and More Dead Than Alive (1969).
After working as a freelance writer for a short time on independent films, George teamed up with Frank and the two of them worked on several TV shows together, such as Crazy Like a Fox, The Cosby Mysteries, and Pros and Cons.
However, the CBS police procedural is still their best work together.
Along with Frank, George wrote almost 50 episodes of NCIS starting with the first season in 2003. After Gary Glasberg’s death in 2016, they were made co-showrunners.
They said in a joint statement at the time, “It’s with heavy hearts that we assume his duties.”
Frank stayed with NCIS until 2022, while George retired in 2018.
A fan account for the show paid tribute to George’s work on NCIS on X, which used to be Twitter.
“Rest in peace” George, thanks a lot for all the work you’ve done for this show and franchise for 15 years. I love him and his family, as well as the cast and crew of NCIS!” The post said.
His death comes after the death of Virginia Schenck, his wife of more than 50 years.
Their two sons, Kirk and Jeff, nieces Allison and Natalie, and grandchildren Aidan, Andrew, Ryan, Jordan, and Owen will miss them.
A private service will be held for the screenwriter’s family and close friends to say goodbye.
Instead of flowers, George’s family has asked that donations be made to the Writer’s Guild Foundation, which helps young writers who are just starting out in the business.