Bill Geddie of Rancho Mirage, co-creator of ‘The View’ dies at age 68

Famed TV producer Bill Geddie died at his Rancho Mirage home on Thursday at age 68.

According to multiple reports, it’s believed that Geddie died due to a “coronary” issue.

“He was a big deal in TV, but at home he was an even ‘bigger than life’ husband and dad,” said Geddie’s family in a statement to Variety. “He had a genuine love for television and entertainment. He would try everything and did it well ― screenwriting, recording podcasts, playing guitar, writing songs — and loved a wide range of music from country to jazz.”

Geddie was the co-creator of "The View" with Barbara Walters — who died at age 93 on Dec. 30, 2022 — and served as its executive producer for 17 years. He also produced "Megyn Kelly Presents," The Preachers" and "The Barbara Walters Summer Special." In 2003, Geddie won a Daytime Emmy award for "The View" and received a lifetime achievement award in 2012.

“‘The View’ wouldn’t exist without Bill Geddie,” read a statement. “Our love goes to his wife, Barbara, and their two daughters, Allison and Lauren.”

News of Geddie's death was a shock to Randy Florence, cohost of the podcast "Big Conversations, Little Bar" with Patrick Evans of KESQ. Geddie was a recent guest on the podcast and his episode premiered on Monday.

"I'm heartbroken," Florence said. "He seemed like a guy I looked forward to becoming friends with and was one of the brightest people I've ever talked to. We could have filled four or five more episodes with him. It's possible that between 'The View' and all the Barbara Walters specials that his produced shows have had more viewers than almost any other TV producer in history."

City News Service contributed to this report

Desert Sun reporter Brian Blueskye covers arts and entertainment. He can be reached at brian.blueskye@desertsun.com or on Twitter at @bblueskye.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Bill Geddie of Rancho Mirage, co-creator of ‘The View’ dies at age 68