---
name: "Frank Cardea"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/frank-cardea"
fi1m_id: "frank-cardea"
imdb_id: "nm0136333"
tmdb_id: 155129
wikidata_id: "Q3082531"
roles: ["Writer"]
born: "17 August 1947"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 1
average_as: "writer"
average_over: 1
updated: "2026-09-23T13:37:04.374169+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Frank Cardea

## Identity

Frank Cardea

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/frank-cardea
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** frank-cardea
- **IMDb ID:** nm0136333
- **TMDB ID:** 155129
- **Wikidata ID:** Q3082531
- **Same entity:** https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3082531, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0136333/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/155129

Writer. Born 17 August 1947 in Norwalk, Connecticut, USA.

## Details

- **Work:** Writer
- **Born:** 17 August 1947, Norwalk, Connecticut, USA
- **Elsewhere:** https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3082531, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0136333/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/155129

## Streaming the US now

- **Apple TV:** [*NCIS*](https://film.one/tv/ncis.md) (66)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Biography

Frank Cardea (born 17 August 1947) is an American television writer and producer from Norwalk, Connecticut. He has worked as a writer and producer on numerous series since the 1970s.

Cardea has been the writing partner of George Schenck since 1977. The pair created the series *Bring 'Em Back Alive* (1982) and *Crazy Like a Fox* (1984), and later contributed to *High Sierra Search and Rescue* (1995). They joined *NCIS* (2003) in its first season as writers and producers, co-writing nearly 50 episodes. Cardea and Schenck were named co-showrunners of *NCIS* in 2016 following the death of Gary Glasberg, before stepping down. Cardea has also written for *Painkiller Jane* (2007).

*Sources: imdb.com, ncis.fandom.com, variety.com.*

## On Fi1m (1)

- *NCIS* (2003), Fi1m 66, Writer — [page](https://film.one/tv/ncis.md)

## Complete filmography (15)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Kiss Me Deadly* (2008), Writer
- *Painkiller Jane* (2007), series, Writer
- *NCIS* (2003), series, Writer, Consulting Producer — Fi1m 66, [page](https://film.one/tv/ncis.md)
- *The Making of Shōgun* (2003), Actor
- *Hack* (2002), series, Writer
- *Soldier of Fortune, Inc.* (1997), series, Writer
- *The Great Defender* (1995), series, Writer
- *Search and Rescue* (1994), Writer
- *Dying to Remember* (1993), Story, Teleplay
- *Still Crazy Like a Fox* (1987), Writer
- *Crazy like a Fox* (1984), series, Writer, Executive Producer, Teleplay, Story, Creator
- *It Came Upon the Midnight Clear* (1984), Writer, Producer
- *Bring 'Em Back Alive* (1982), series, Writer, Creator
- *Shōgun* (1980), series, Production Executive
- *Washington: Behind Closed Doors* (1977), series, Associate Producer

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/frank-cardea