Nigel McCrery – Silent Witness creator – dies, aged 71
"Nigel captivated and inspired audiences for years with his work."
Nigel McCrery – the creator of TV shows including Silent Witness and New Tricks – has died at the age of 71, his agent has confirmed.
The screenwriter, who was also a published novelist, revealed that he had been diagnosed with an unspecified terminal illness in October 2024.
United Agents wrote on X on Monday morning (10th February): “It’s with a heavy heart that we share the news of screenwriter, author and producer Nigel McCrery’s passing."
The statement continued: "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.
"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."
Silent Witness, which began in 1996 and recently aired its 28th season, is one of the BBC’s longest running dramas.
Currently starring Emilia Fox, who took over as new lead character Nikki Alexander in 2004 following Amanda Burton’s departure as Sam Ryan, the series follows a team of forensic pathologists investigating crimes.
New Tricks, which follows a group of retired detectives helping police with cold cases, ran from 2003 to 2015, and starred the likes of Dennis Waterman, Amanda Redman, James Bolam and Alun Armstrong.
McCrery served as a police officer with the murder squad in Nottingham before he began his TV writing career.
After leaving Nottinghamshire Police, he joined the BBC on a graduate scheme in 1990, and soon moved into the drama department, where he used his knowledge of policing to create Backup, a drama about a police operational support unit that ran from 1995 to 1997.
McCrery also co-created 1950s-set medical drama Born and Bred with Broadchurch creator Chris Chibnall, which aired during the 2000s.
He also penned non-fiction books about sport, the First World War and the Second World War, including 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.
Hi novel, The Vanished Battalion, was made into the 1999 war drama All the King’s Men, which starred Dame Maggie Smith and Sir David Jason.
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Molly Moss is a Trends Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest trends across TV, film and more. She has an MA in Newspaper Journalism and has previously written for publications including The Guardian, The Times and The Sun Online.