Former NCIS star Mark Harmon has paid tribute to former showrunner George Schenck following his passing.
Schenck, who was involved in the first 15 seasons of the crime show, passed away on Saturday (August 3) at the age of 82, with a spokesperson for CBS confirming that he died at his home in Los Angeles.
Harmon, who played Leroy Jethro Gibbs on the series before departing during the 19th season, paid tribute to Schenck with a touching tribute, sharing that he was “appreciative” of his work with collaborative partner Frank Cardea.
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“So sorry to hear the news on George,” said Harmon (via The Hollywood Reporter). “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’s partnership with Cardea lasted for over 40 years before his retirement in 2018, with the pair serving as writers, executive producers and co-showrunners during their stint on the show.
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NCIS is due to return in October with its 22nd season, with star Wilmer Valderrama – who plays Special Agent Nick Torres – recently offering an update on filming as he shared: “Alright, beautiful people.
“I think you may know what time it is. We're officially back on [the] set of NCIS. Season 22 is a go. We've said 'action' already for a few days, I'm just catching you up that your boy Nick is back!”
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“The big conversation is how can we light some shit on fire this season? That's what I want to do,” he said in a previous interview. “I think it's not going to be your casual like, 'Oh, your favourite team is in trouble.' It's going to be more personal, more soul-shattering.
“There'll be some [tragedy] this season. There will be perhaps some new flames. Perhaps Torres might be ready for love this season. Who knows? That might be a conversation or may not be a conversation.”
NCIS airs on CBS in the US. Seasons 1-20 are streaming on Disney+ in the UK.
Reporter, Digital Spy George is a freelance writer who specialises in Movies and TV. After graduating with a degree in Film Studies and Journalism from De Montfort University, in which he analysed the early works of Richard Linklater for his dissertation, he wrote for several websites for GRV Media. His film tastes vary from blockbusters like Mission: Impossible and John Wick to international directors such as Paolo Sorrentino and Hirokazu Kore-eda, and has attended both the London and Berlin film festivals.
