NCIS Season 22: A Heartfelt Title Card Tribute to George Schenck: The NCIS Season 22 premiere on October 14, 2024, took a heartfelt moment to honor one of its key creative forces, George Schenck, who passed away in August. At the show’s end, a moving memorial card showed up on the screen. It said, “In Memory of Our Dear Friend and Colleague George Schenck.” “We’ll miss you.”
Since the show’s first season in 2003, Schenck had been an important part of NCIS. His first job was as a consulting producer, and the first show he wrote was Season 1, called “Sub Rosa.” Schenck’s role grew over the years, and he was made co-executive producer in Season 5 and then executive producer in Season 9. He co-wrote an amazing 48 episodes. His last one was in Season 16, called “Tailing Angie.”
After Gary Glasberg died in 2016, Schenck and his producing partner Frank Cardea took over as co-showrunners. He stopped in 2018, but his influence on the show and its stories will last for a long time. After 19 years as a star on NCIS, Mark Harmon talked about Schenck’s legacy: “The professionalism and tenacity of George and Frank changed the face of the show.” I appreciate the teamwork and team spirit they both showed.
Born on February 12, 1942, George Schenck went to the University of Southern California and then became a screenwriter. Before joining NCIS, he worked on a number of different projects. For example, he worked with Cardea on the shows Crazy Like a Fox and Bring ’em Back Alive. His stories and personalities were known to be very interesting, and he helped a lot of aspiring writers along the way.
In his sleep, Schenck died at his home in Brentwood, California, on August 3, 2024. He was 82 years old. His wife Virginia passed away before him in 2023. His two children Kirk and Jeff, their families and five grandkids will miss him.
His work on NCIS and on TV in general will be remembered with affection by both his coworkers and his fans. There will be a private service to honor his life, and his family has asked that gifts be made to the Writers Guild Foundation in his honor.
This tribute shows how a popular showrunner helped shape one of TV’s most enduring dramas will live on.