{"id":79509,"date":"2025-12-23T20:47:07","date_gmt":"2025-12-23T20:47:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/79509\/"},"modified":"2025-12-23T20:47:07","modified_gmt":"2025-12-23T20:47:07","slug":"new-york-undercover-creator-was-68","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/79509\/","title":{"rendered":"‘New York Undercover’ Creator Was 68"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tKevin Arkadie<\/a>, the American television producer who created the police drama \u201cNew York Undercover<\/a>\u201d with Dick Wolf<\/a>, has died. He was 68.<\/p>\n

\n\tArkadie was born on Dec. 10, 1957. He grew up in Maryland and received his BFA in acting from Southern Methodist University in Dallas before moving to Los Angeles to pursue a career in entertainment. He secured his first job as a staff writer on the NBC drama series \u201cI\u2019ll Fly Away.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tHe subsequently created \u201cNew York Undercover\u201d with Wolf in 1994. The series, which starred Malik Yoba and Michael DeLorenzo as undercover NYPD officers, was the first American cop drama to feature two people of color as the leads. It ran on Fox for four seasons before going off the air in 1999.<\/p>\n

\n\tDuring and after \u201cNew York Undercover,\u201d Arkadie produced \u201cChicago Hope\u201d on CBS, \u201cNYPD Blue\u201d on ABC and \u201cThe Shield\u201d on FX, among other series. He also continued to write, penning episodes of the NBC miniseries \u201cThe Temptations\u201d and serving as showrunner on BET\u2019s \u201cSacrifice\u201d for two seasons. He was twice nominated for an Outstanding Drama Series Emmy in 1996 and 1998, for \u201cChicago Hope\u201d and \u201cNYPD Blue,\u201d respectively.<\/p>\n

\n\tHe recently collaborated with Tony Award winner Lamar Richardson and Zaire Julion-Richardson\u2019s Ivy Lion Productions on the TV project\u00a0\u201cFreeman Ranch.\u201d His additional credits include \u201cDr. Quinn,\u201d \u201cMedicine Woman,\u201d \u201cLaw & Order,\u201d\u00a0\u201cHigh Incident,\u201d \u201cRescue 77,\u201d\u00a0\u201cAmbitions\u201d and\u00a0\u201cThe Quad.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tIn July, Arkadie said in an Instagram<\/a> video that he was dealing with kidney failure. Since his death on Dec. 22, several of his colleagues and collaborators have made statements.<\/p>\n

\n\tWolf said, \u201cKevin brought the voice of the next generation to cop shows and was instrumental in bringing diversity to the forefront of network television.\u00a0We will all miss him.\u201d Wolf Studios also released an official statement, celebrating Arkadie\u2019s impact on television through \u201cNew York Underground\u201d and his other shows. \u201cBeyond his creative achievements,\u201d the statement concludes, \u201cKevin was a trusted collaborator and a generous presence. His legacy lives on in the meaningful and memorable stories he helped tell. We remain grateful for his contributions, and he will be deeply missed and always remembered.<\/p>\n

\n\tLamar also released a statement, calling Arkadie \u201ca consummate professional, true collaborator, and astute researcher\u201d while Arkadie\u2019s cousin and fellow producer L True Green called him \u201cone of America\u2019s greatest storytellers\u201d in a Facebook<\/a> post. <\/p>\n

\n\tArkadie is survived by his wife and family. <\/p>\n