Mark Harmon and the NCIS Family Mourn the Loss of George Schenck
Mark Harmon and the rest of the NCIS family are mourning the heartbreaking passing of one of their own. Over the weekend, CBS announced that George Schenck, who was a crucial part of the making of NCIS for much of its 20-year run, passed away on Saturday, August 3, in his Los Angeles home. He was 82.
Schenck, a TV veteran, worked alongside Mark Harmon and longtime collaborator Frank Cardea on the long-running CBS procedural since its inception in 2003. For the first 15 seasons, Schenck contributed as a writer, producer, and co-showrunner. In the wake of George’s death, Harmon, who starred as Leroy Jethro Gibbs from 2003 until his departure in 2021—and remains an executive producer on the NCIS team—shared a heartfelt statement: “So sorry to hear the news on George,” according to The Hollywood Reporter. He reflected further: “The professionalism and tenacity of George and Frank changed the face of the show. I’m so appreciative of the team and teamwork they both represented.”
Schenck and his creative partner, Frank Cardea, worked together for over 40 years. Prior to their work on NCIS, they created several CBS series, including Bring ‘Em Back Alive (1982-1983), Crazy Like a Fox (1984-1986), and the ABC drama Pros and Cons (1991-1992). In 2016, after writing nearly 50 NCIS episodes, they were promoted to co-showrunners following the sudden death of Gary Glasberg, who passed away in his sleep at age 50. Schenck retired in 2018, while Cardea continued working on the show until 2022.
Schenck’s passing comes just over a year after the death of his wife of more than 50 years, Virginia, in March 2023. He is survived by their sons, Kirk and Jeff, their daughters-in-law, Allison and Natalie, and their grandchildren, Aidan, Andrew, Ryan, Jordan, and Owen.
Mark Harmon himself left the show in 2021 but is set to return to the franchise as a narrator for the prequel series NCIS: Origins, which recently started production. Outside of acting, Harmon has ventured into historical nonfiction with the release of his first book, Ghosts of Honolulu: A Japanese Spy, a Japanese American Spy Hunter, and the Untold Story of Pearl Harbor.
In an interview with People about his career and his latest project, Harmon maintained: “I left the show, I didn’t retire.” Reflecting on his book, he added: “I’ve always thought you can learn from history… Things tend to repeat themselves.” He explained that the book has ties to NCIS: “This is the first story [leading] to the birth of what became [the real] NCIS. These agents are really a different breed. I hope that there’s a story revealed here that you don’t know. It was important work they were doing, and no one knew about it.”
As the NCIS family and fans alike remember George Schenck’s immense contributions, they continue to cherish the legacy he helped build over his remarkable career.
