---
name: "R. Scott Gemmill"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/r-scott-gemmill"
fi1m_id: "r-scott-gemmill"
imdb_id: "nm0312565"
tmdb_id: 1227308
wikidata_id: "Q7273991"
roles: ["Writer","Producer"]
born: "1 January 1963"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 3
average_fi1m_score: 78
average_as: "writer"
average_over: 3
updated: "2026-10-23T20:54:20.802697+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."
---

# R. Scott Gemmill

## Identity

R. Scott Gemmill

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/r-scott-gemmill
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** r-scott-gemmill
- **IMDb ID:** nm0312565
- **TMDB ID:** 1227308
- **Wikidata ID:** Q7273991
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Scott_Gemmill, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7273991, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0312565/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/1227308

Writer and producer. Born 1 January 1963 in Orangeville.

## Details

- **Work:** Writer, Producer
- **Born:** 1 January 1963, Orangeville
- **Active:** 1994–present
- **Frequently works with:** [Elodie Keene](https://film.one/person/elodie-keene.md), [Eric Laneuville](https://film.one/person/eric-laneuville.md), [Joe Sachs](https://film.one/person/joe-sachs.md), [John Wells](https://film.one/person/john-wells.md), [Scott Caan](https://film.one/person/scott-caan.md)
- **Primetime Emmy Awards:** 1 Emmy (1 won · 2 nominated)
- **Average Fi1m score:** 78, as writer, over 3 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1990s 88 (1), 2010s 65 (1), 2020s 81 (1)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 78 to 73 across 3 titles
- **Score spread:** 2 at 80+, 1 at 60–79, 0 under 60
- **Genres:** Drama 3, Action & Adventure 1, Crime 1
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._Scott_Gemmill, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7273991, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0312565/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/1227308

## Streaming the US now

- **Disney+:** [*ER*](https://film.one/tv/er.md) (88)
- **HBO Max:** [*The Pitt*](https://film.one/tv/the-pitt.md) (81)
- **Apple TV:** [*Hawaii Five-0*](https://film.one/tv/hawaii-five-0.md) (65)

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

## Fi1m on R. Scott Gemmill

> R. Scott Gemmill makes difficult hospital work absorbing television. His writing is strongest when it lets us get to know the staff through the job; it becomes less convincing when it pauses to explain them.

In *The Pitt* (2025), treating patients takes time, and Gemmill makes that time part of the drama. Its real-time structure lets procedures occupy their actual duration rather than hurrying them along to the next story. We felt worn out watching the staff work, because the medical routine is so persuasive about the effort it requires. It is absorbing television, with an awkward opening worth getting past.

Gemmill joined *ER* (1994) in its sixth season in 1999, as a writer and supervising producer, later becoming an executive producer. Its achievements belong to a large ensemble and writing staff, and we would not assign him sole credit for what makes Michael Crichton’s series gripping. The work is difficult, the people fallible, and the crowded storytelling is worth tolerating for their company. His subsequent work on *NCIS: Los Angeles* (2009–2023) included becoming showrunner from the eighth season. With *The Pitt*, he returned to hospital drama as its creator, reunited with *ER* colleagues John Wells and Noah Wyle.

His working method helps explain both the strength and the occasional strain: he develops character arcs first, then chooses cases to support them. Consultation with doctors and detailed procedures give his medical writing something solid to build on. But in *The Pitt*, Gemmill, Joe Sachs and their fellow writers sometimes assign staff a trait before supplying enough behaviour to make it convincing. We can see the intended character before we believe in the person. Some performances then push harder than the scenes can bear, and the soapiness stands out against such credible routine.

The ensemble becomes easier to distinguish as *The Pitt* settles, although some supporting characters remain thinly written. Wyle and Katherine LaNasa give the staff a weight and warmth that help us stay with them through those early difficulties. Start here for Gemmill’s work, with a little patience for the introductions.

## Biography

R. Scott Gemmill is a Canadian television writer and producer. Born in Orangeville, Ontario, he began his career as a story editor and writer on *Friday the 13th: The Series* in the late 1980s, later contributing to *Tropical Heat* and *Side Effects*.

He wrote and produced episodes of *JAG* (1995–1999) and *ER* (1999–2007), serving as a producer on the latter. Gemmill wrote for all fourteen seasons of *NCIS: Los Angeles* (2009–2023) and became its showrunner from the eighth season. He created, showruns and writes for the medical drama *The Pitt* (2025–present), which won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com.*

## On Fi1m (3)

- *The Pitt* (2025), Fi1m 81, Writer, Creator, Executive Producer — [page](https://film.one/tv/the-pitt.md)
- *Hawaii Five-0* (2010), Fi1m 65, Writer — [page](https://film.one/tv/hawaii-five-0.md)
- *ER* (1994), Fi1m 88, Story, Writer — [page](https://film.one/tv/er.md)

## Complete filmography (12)

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

- *NCIS: New York* (2026), series, Writer, Executive Producer, Creator — coming soon, [page](https://film.one/tv/ncis-new-york.md)
- *The Pitt* (2025), series, Executive Producer, Writer, Creator — Fi1m 81, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-pitt.md)
- *Hawaii Five-0* (2010), series, Writer — Fi1m 65, [page](https://film.one/tv/hawaii-five-0.md)
- *NCIS: Los Angeles* (2009), series, Writer
- *Women's Murder Club* (2007), series, Writer
- *Smith* (2006), series, Writer
- *The Unit* (2006), series, Writer
- *Jonny Zero* (2005), series, Writer
- *JAG* (1995), series, Writer, Story, Producer
- *Taking the Falls* (1995), series, Writer
- *ER* (1994), series, Writer, Executive Producer, Supervising Producer, Co-Executive Producer, Story — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/tv/er.md)
- *Friday the 13th: The Series* (1987), series, Writer

## Gallery

- ![151104-N-HP195-190 LOS ANGELES – R. Scott Gemmill, a member of the writing staff on 'NCIS: Los Angeles', tries on a Kevlar blast suit as part of a Navy Explosiv (2015)](https://film.one/media/person/22983/gallery-acc89e769845.jpg) 151104-N-HP195-190 LOS ANGELES – R. Scott Gemmill, a member of the writing staff on 'NCIS: Los Angeles', tries on a Kevlar blast suit as part of a Navy Explosiv (2015) — Christopher Okula, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0d/R._Scott_Gemmill_wearing_Kevlar_blast_suit.jpg/1280px-R._Scott_Gemmill_wearing_Kevlar_blast_suit.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![R. Scott Gemmill](https://film.one/media/person/22983/gallery-9b542f09e9bc.jpg) R. Scott Gemmill — Christopher Okula, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8c/R._Scott_Gemmill_wearing_Kevlar_blast_suit_%28cropped%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![151104-N-HP195-042 LOS ANGELES -- Shane Brennan, left, attempts to gauge the thickness of the Kevlar blast suit as worn by R. Scott Gemmill, both of whom work o (2015)](https://film.one/media/person/22983/gallery-6dc525f2b401.jpg) 151104-N-HP195-042 LOS ANGELES -- Shane Brennan, left, attempts to gauge the thickness of the Kevlar blast suit as worn by R. Scott Gemmill, both of whom work o (2015) — Christopher Okula, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cb/Shane_Brennan_and_R._Scott_Gemmill_evaluate_Kevlar_blast_suit.jpg/1280px-Shane_Brennan_and_R._Scott_Gemmill_evaluate_Kevlar_blast_suit.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)

## Awards

### Primetime Emmy Awards — 1 won, 2 nominated

- 2025: Outstanding Drama Series (won), for *The Pitt*
- 2001: Outstanding Drama Series (nominated), for *ER*
- 2000: Outstanding Drama Series (nominated), for *ER*

### Other awards — 1 won, 1 nominated

- Humanitas Prize 2007: Humanitas Prize (won), for *ER*
- Humanitas Prize 1999: Humanitas Prize (nominated), for *JAG*

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© 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/r-scott-gemmill