Mark Harmon is commemorating the “professionalism and tenacity” of former NCIS showrunner George Schenck, who died at the age of 82 on August 3.
Schenck, who died quietly at home in Brentwood, California, was a member of NCIS from the beginning. He and longtime creative collaborator Frank Cardea joined the CBS show as consulting producers early in Season 1, advancing to executive producers in Season 9 before being named co-showrunners in Season 14 following the untimely death of former showrunner Gary Glasberg. In 2018, Schenck retired from the series.
Harmon, who played Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs in Seasons 1-19 and continues to executive produce the show, told Deadline in a statement following Schenck’s death, “So sorry to hear the news about George. The expertise and perseverance of George and Frank altered the course of the show. I am so grateful for the team and teamwork they both represented.”
Harmon also serves as the narrator and executive producer for the planned spinoff NCIS: Origins. Prior to the Oct. 14 launch of the new series, which stars Austin Stowell as a youthful Gibbs, Harmon stated he was “pleased” to continue with the NCIS brand after taking a step back from his character in 2021.
