Silent Witness' creator Nigel McCrery has died at the age of 71 following a "shock" terminal illness. The TV stalwart, who was also the creator behind New Tricks, received a terminal diagnosis in October last year and previously shared his sadness at knowing he won't see his grandchildren grow up. His agent has confirmed his death "with a heavy heart". They said: "It's with a heavy heart that we share the news of screenwriter, author and producer Nigel McCrery's passing.
"As the creative mind behind such hits as the much loved long running BBC drama series Silent Witness and New Tricks, Nigel captivated and inspired audiences for years with his work.". The agent added: "His numerous contributions to the arts will always be remembered. Nigel had an incredible career and will be greatly missed. Our thoughts are with his family at this time." McCrery worked as a police officer with the murder squad in Nottingham before moving over to having a TV career.
He joined the BBC on a graduate scheme in 1990 before moving over to the drama department. His first show was Backup, which was about a police operational support unit and ran from 1995 to 1997. McCrery then went on to create Silent Witness. The hit series follows forensic pathologists and scientists. It launched in 1996 and celebrated its 28th series earlier this year. McCrery was also the mastermind behind New Tricks, which hit screens in 2005. The series focused on three retired police officers who were drafted in to help solve cold cases. It starred Dennis Waterman, Amanda Redman, Alun Armstrong and James Bolam had strong ratings, before being axed in 2015 after 12 series. His 1950s-set medical drama Born And Bred, co-created with Broadchurch creator Chris Chibnall, aired during the 2000s.
In November last year, McCrery opened up on his terminal diagnosis and admitted it came as a "shock". "I mean people deal with their deaths in different ways, and I think it’s all very, very individual to each of us," he told BBC Radio 4. "But I think for a little while you do go into shock - or I did, and I was in a bit of a state.". Speaking three weeks after the diagnosis, McCrery admitted: "I used to cry a lot, I used to sob a lot." Host Nikki Bedi said: "You’re saying used to like it’s in the past, but it’s only three weeks." He replied: "I don’t know how long it’ll take me to get used to that. It’s not that I’m scared of dying, I’m actually not. I have wonderful granddaughters, and it’s missing them growing up. It’s the things I’ll be missing by not being around that I’ll find the hardest to cope with.".
The TV show creator said that the diagnosis was in the back of his mind "all the time", and an emotional reaction could be set off by something like music. "I don’t like crying in public, so I tend to get myself out of the way until it’s out of my system," he shared. "And I’m hoping that as time goes on and the realisation becomes more real that I’ll calm down completely. "I’m more scared of crying in front of my granddaughters, actually." McCrery did not specify the nature of the illness but added: "You push, and you try and get this made and that made, but the bottom line is - the best bet is to be with your family.".
McCrery also wrote non-fiction books about sport, the First World War and the Second World War. These included The Footballers Who Fought And Died In The Great War, Into Touch: Rugby Internationals Killed in the Great War and Season in Hell: British Footballers Killed In The Second World War. His book, The Vanished Battalion, was made into the 1999 war drama All The King’s Men starring Sir David Jason and Dame Maggie Smith.
