NCIS season 22 premiere title card: Who was George Schenck?

WARNING: This article contains spoilers for NCIS.

NCIS season 22 has begun but who was George Schenck and why did the drama dedicate a title card to him?

CBS viewers have been waiting months for the police procedural’s return and so were thrilled to see the start of series 22 on Monday, October 14, picking up six months after the events of the 21st season finale.

While the episode saw the welcome return of Agent Jessica Knight (played by Katrina Law), it ended with a title card, dedicating the instalment to George Schenck.

The tribute simply read: "In Memory of our Dear Friend and Colleague George Schenck”, alongside a picture of the man himself.

So it’s understandable why NCIS fans have grown curious about the man behind the heartfelt tribute from the long-running drama.

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Who was George Schenck?

George Schenck had contributed to NCIS for many years, working as a writer, showrunner and former executive producer.

He first joined the show in 2003 when he worked as a consulting producer during its first seasons and was promoted to co-executive producer for NCIS season five.

Schenck was key in developing the plot around Jennifer Shepard (Lauren Holly) and her revenge against Rene Benoit (Armand Assante).

It was then in season nine that Schenck was executive producing the show.

In total, he wrote 48 episodes between seasons one and 16, contributing to more than 300, with season 16’s Tailing Angie listed as the last episode written by him.

It was confirmed earlier this year by Deadline that Schenck died at his Brentwood, California home on August 3, 2024 at the age of 82.

At the time, Agent Gibbs star Mark Harmon shared a statement with TV Insider, speaking of Schenck and his producing partner Drank Cardea’s achievements.

He wrote: “So sorry to hear the news on George.

“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.”

While Schenck spent most of his career working on NCIS, he also worked on several Western shows like Branded, Honda, Bonanza and The Wild West.

He also wrote and directed the 1972 sci-fi film Superbeast and co-wrote the sci-fi thriller Futureworld with Mayo Simon.

NCIS season 22 continues every Monday on CBS.