Kevin Arkadie, a famous TV writer and producer who was best known for co-creating the groundbreaking Fox show “New York Undercover,” has died at the age of 68. On December 17, 2025, he died in Los Angeles. His family announced the news on social media, but they didn’t say what caused his death. Arkadie’s groundbreaking work changed the way TV cop shows are made by casting Black and Latino actors Malik Yoba and Michael DeLorenzo as detectives J.C. Williams and Eddie Torres.
Arkadie worked with Dick Wolf on the show New York Undercover, which ran from 1994 to 1999 and became a cultural milestone for its true-to-life urban stories and music-driven episodes. He has written and produced for well-known shows like NYPD Blue, Chicago Hope, and The Shield, and he was nominated for two Emmys in 1996 and 1998. Later, he promoted Black stories on BET and OWN shows like Sacrifice, The Quad, Ambitions, and Greenleaf.
Furthermore, Dick Wolf praised Arkadie for bringing different voices to police dramas and said that he will be missed very much. Producers like Marcus Guillory and Lamar Richardson remembered him as smart, nice, and a true professional. There will be a celebration of life in the spring of 2026.
Additionally, Arkadie’s work raised the bar for TV by focusing on social issues, moral complexity, and representation in a wide range of genres, from medical dramas to gritty procedurals. His work still has an effect on how stories are told, which means his legacy will live on. Fans and coworkers are sad about the death of one of America’s best storytellers.
